ION Satellite Carrier by D-Orbit: status and timeline

ION Satellite Carrier

Enable cost-effective and risk-reduced satellite deployment by providing flexible orbital transportation for multiple payloads per mission.

DeployStage 4 of 5

Most-flown orbital transfer vehicle; over 23 missions and 144+ satellites deployed as of mid-2026.

Updated 2023Checked 11 Oct0 updates this week

Milestones

No announced next step

First mission (Origin)Sep 2020Complete.
100+ payloads delivered to orbit2023Complete.
144 satellites deployed across 23 missions2024Complete.
Over 23 completed missions; 144+ satellites deployedJun 2026Complete.

Most important updates

D-Orbit's ION Satellite Carrier exceeds 100 payloads deployed to orbit2023

Current obstacles

Ride-share mission availabilityDeployment schedule depends on SpaceX Transporter mission cadence.

Physics limits

Payload capacity per missionDependent on available capacity on SpaceX rideshare missions; customers must share launch costs.

How it works

3 parts

Satellite Integration

Customer satellites integrated onto ION platform

Satellites are integrated and loaded onto ION, which serves as the deployment platform.

Launch

Ride-share on SpaceX Transporter missions

ION launches as a secondary payload on SpaceX's Transporter rideshare missions, reducing costs.

Orbital Deployment

Individual deployment to custom orbits

Once in space, ION transports each satellite to its target orbit and releases it individually.

Spec sheet

Spec	ION Satellite Carrier
Missions completed	23+^R (reported)
Satellites deployed	144+^R (reported)
Hosted payloads	83+^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Update log

1 update

2023

Major: D-Orbit's ION Satellite Carrier exceeds 100 payloads deployed to orbitPressCommercial

About D-Orbit

The team behind ION Satellite Carrier

D-Orbit

ION Satellite Carrier, orbital transfer vehicle, space logistics

D-Orbit is an Italian space logistics company providing satellite deployment and in-orbit transportation. Its ION platform has deployed 168+ satellites across 26+ missions. The company holds a major ESA contract for in-orbit servicing.

ION orbital transfer vehicle is the world's most-flown commercial platform for satellite deployment.
Raised €150M in Series C (September 2024) led by Japanese corporation Marubeni.
Won €119.6M ESA contract for GEA in-orbit servicing vehicle; RISE mission targets 2028.

dorbit.space (opens dorbit.space)Company profile →

Founded: 201115 yrs
Headquarters: Italy
Status: Private
Valuation: private
Raised: $160M1 round
Last round: Series C · $160MSep 2024
Works in: SpaceflightIn-space mobility
Coverage: 2 programs · 3 updateslatest 1 Oct 2024checked 11 Oct
Lead investors: Marubeni Corporation
Customers: European Space Agency
Partners: SpaceX
People: Luca RossettiniFounder & CEORenato PanesiCo-founder & CCO

Spec

ION Satellite Carrier

Missions completed

23+^R (reported)

Satellites deployed

144+^R (reported)

Hosted payloads

83+^R (reported)