Three NewSpace companies from Germany have launched an end-to-end service for life science or biotech research and product development in microgravity.
Rocket Factory Augsburg, Atmos Space Cargo and Yuri unveiled their joint offering at Weltraumkongress in Berlin.
The service, dubbed Eva, provides an alternative to the International Space Station, the only laboratory for long-duration microgravity research. Since 2000, thousands of experiments have been conducted on board the ISS.
The partnership will assist clients from launch to return mission.
RFA will provide the entire launch service, including the launch system and infrastructure, outbound logistics and operational launch campaigns. The company will deliver Atmos’ Phoenix capsule to low-Earth orbit via its ONE launch system.
Key to the microgravity service is Yuri’s ScienceTaxi, a life science incubator facility that can accommodate up to 38 experiment units. The technology is fully automated and has temperature control, a centrifuge and real-time data collection capability.
ScienceTaxi will be integrated into the Phoenix capsule.
Atmos will oversee the reentry logistics and the return mission of the Phoenix return capsule.
“We are excited to establish the first full end-to-end service for biotech research in microgravity and thus creating new possibilities to utilize space for in-orbit product development,” said Christian Grimm, lead systems engineer and co-founder of Atmos. “With our partners at Yuri and at the Rocket Factory Augsburg, we will boost the German NewSpace industry to the forefront of Europe’s expertise in space.”
The Eva microgravity service will be available starting in 2025.
