Arctic Business startup porkchop to space with SpaceX
The propulsion system porkchop X will be launched today, January 13, 2022 in Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket Falcon 9 from Florida. Transporter 3 Mission carries dozens of micro- and nanosatellites for commercial and government customers.
– We are incredibly excited that it is finally happening, this is a giant milestone for the whole team who have worked so hard to go from a basement workshop to orbit the earth and make it possible for small satellites to maneuver with unmatched capacity, says Matija Milenovic, CEO and co-founder of porkchop.
He describes a hectic time to get everything ready. The days before the planned delivery date contained many challenges and problems that appeared at the last minute. The team was not sure if they would make it.
– We had planned to post porkchop X, but realized that it would not arrive on time. So I took two flights to our partners in Madrid where I spent 45 minutes briefing them on how to integrate the system into the satellite, before I took two flights back to Stockholm again, says Matija Milenovic.
porkchop develops electric propulsion systems for a type of nanosatellite called PocketQubes. Their propulsion system, Porkchop X, takes up no extra space as it replaces the structural frame – see it as placing a car’s engine inside the chassis.
The idea was raised at KTH where the founders met. The company is currently incubated with Arctic Business and ESA BIC Sweden, Sweden’s national space start-up initiative led by the same incubator. Since its inception, porkchop has attracted financing, worked systematically with sales and landed its first store. The team has expanded from different parts of the world, both operationally and strategically. The postponement has been moved forward previously.
– It’s fun to see porkchop’s success, this is the first propulsion system from a company with us but definitely not the last. We see more and more ideas and innovations around small satellites, says Jens Lundström, CEO of Arctic Business and ESA BIC Sweden.
More about porkchop
More about Falcon 9 and Transporter 3 Mission
Contact porkchop
Matija Milenovic
primed & acting
[email protected]
+46 (0) 79 300 07 90
Originally posted by the Arctic Business Incubator.
Originally in Swedish, translated via Google.
