Luxspace: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|European space systems contractor based in Betzdorf,
Luxembourg}}
'''LuxSpace''' is a [[Europe]]an space systems contractor based in [[Betzdorf, Luxembourg|Betzdorf]] in [[Luxembourg]]. It was founded in November 2004 as a daughter company of [[OHB]] AG, and began operations as a joint venture with [[SES Astra]] in January 2005.<ref>(31 January 2005). "OHB-SES Venture Targets Space, Defense Markets", ''Space News'' '''16''' (4): 13.</ref>

On 23 September 2009 the '''PathFinder2A''' (aka '''Rubin-9.1''', '''AIS-Pathfinder 2''') payload aboard the Rubin-9 satellite (COSPAR 2009-051F; the '''Rubin-9''' "satellite" was actually the upper stage of the carrier rocket that the payloads were solidly bolted onto; after the rocket had finished its mission with the primary payload, the upper stage remained in space and became "satellite" Rubin-9) was launched by a [[PSLV-CA]] rocket. This was LuxSpace's first orbital operation. The satellite carried another payload ([[Rubin 9.2]]) by [[OHB-System]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/rubin-9-ais.htm|title=Rubin 9}}</ref> As of 2019, both payloads (and thus the whole satellite) are non-operational.<ref name=InTheSky>{{Cite web|url=https://in-the-sky.org/spacecraft.php?id=35936|title=RUBIN 9.1 & RUBIN 9.2 - In-The-Sky.org|last=Ford|first=Dominic|website=in-the-sky.org|language=en|access-date=2019-05-01}}</ref>.

The company's first own, independent (no shared payload by another company) satellite [[VesselSat-1]] (which was a bona fide satellite) was launched on October 12, 2011, as part of the GapFiller program;<ref>Lakshmana, LK (12 October 2011). "[http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/AndhraPradesh/India-joins-space-big-league/Article1-756349.aspx India joins space big league] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121035515/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/AndhraPradesh/India-joins-space-big-league/Article1-756349.aspx |date=2012-01-21 }}", ''[[Hindustan Times]]''. Retrieved 26 January 2012.</ref> followed by its twin [[VesselSat-2]] on January 9, 2012.

In 2014 (launch 23 October 2014, 18:00 UTC), LuxSpace performed the '''4M''' or '''[[Manfred Memorial Moon Mission''' (in memoriam of [[Manfred Fuchs]], the founder of OHB company, whose daughter company LuxSpace is), the first private Moon mission. The mission consisted of aan amateur radio payload (total mass of payload was 14 kg) that was sent on a close lunar flyby aboard a Chinese [[Long March 3C]]/G2 rocket's upper stage. The 4M payload was solidly bolted onto the upper stage of the rocket and did nornot separate. The Chinese rocket performed the [[Chang'e 5-T1]] lunar flyby mission to test technology for future lunar sample return mission [[Chang'e 5]]. The Chang'e 5-T1 test flight sent a space capsule on a flight around the Moon and back toward Earth, with the capsule landing on Earth in the end of the mission. The 4M payloadspayload's nominal lifetime was 8 days.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.space.com/27518-private-moon-mission-4m-luxspace.html|title = First Private Moon Mission to Launch on Chinese Rocket Today|date = 23 October 2014}}</ref>