Luca Rosettini – Space Logistics & Orbital Transportation Services
Ex-NASA intern, Luca Rosettini, and his company D-Orbit are leading the fast-growing market of space logistics.
Founded by Luca Rosettini, D-Orbit is the market leader in space logistics and transportation, with a track record of space-proven technologies and successful missions.
Did you always want to work in the field of space-tech?
“Yes, and I spent all my academic career preparing for that. However, I am also a serial entrepreneur and I have been founding and managing other ventures while studying, including one that dealt with drones for video production well before drones became a commodity.”
Do you want to travel to space?
“Space has been a passion since I can remember. I planned my entire academic journey hoping to achieve the dream of traveling in space. In 2008, I applied to the ESA call for astronauts, which only occurs roughly once every decade. The competition was fierce, and the process was very thorough.
Receiving my rejection letter, despite having achieved semi-finalist position, was sobering. It was clear to me that if I wanted to achieve my goal of traveling to space, I would have to forge my own path.
This determination led me to establish my own space company to innovate and tackle some of the most challenging problems in the space industry and to create the conditions to allow me to reach space.
So, to answer your question: Yes, I do want to travel to space. It’s a dream that has shaped my career and one that I’m actively working towards making a reality.”
Luca’s vision was to create the first space logistics infrastructure to enable the next trillion-dollar space economy and human expansion in a sustainable space.
Their mission is to provide end-to-end solutions to improve new and traditional space businesses by streamlining in-space and on-ground operations with unique, innovative, and proprietary technologies.
D-Orbit is known for its innovative solutions in space logistics. What inspired you to start this company, and what unique approach does D-Orbit bring to the space industry?
“The inception of D-Orbit was significantly influenced by a critical event involving space debris and the International Space Station (ISS), which occurred during my internship at NASA Ames Research Center.
An astronaut, I met recounted a near-collision of the ISS with space debris, highlighting the broader issue of space debris and its impact on satellite operators, who frequently must perform costly debris-avoidance maneuvers, compromising their business both in terms of satellite lifespan and revenue generation.
Driven by a vision to safeguard orbital operations, I returned to Italy and embarked on a quest for investors who shared the conviction in this endeavor. The formative years of D-Orbit were marked by meticulous team-building, opportunity scouting, and strategic planning.
This collective effort culminated in a defining moment for us—the successful orbital test of our decommissioning device during our inaugural space mission. This milestone validated our technology, and propelled us towards the creation of our space logistics service offering.”
D-Orbit has developed a reputation for launching groundbreaking technologies. Can you discuss some of the most notable technological advancements or milestones achieved by the company?
“We have been the first company to launch a commercial space transportation mission with our ION Satellite Carrier. It was a result we achieved in 2020, despite the incredible challenges posed by the COVID pandemics. The innovation was not only technical: that mission created a whole new market, space logistics. We are about to launch our 12th and 13th missions before the end of this year.”
Can you tell us about the D-Orbit’s ION Satellite Carrier program and how it’s contributing to the advancement of small satellite deployment?
“ION Satellite Carrier stands as a versatile space vehicle, crafted to achieve multiple goals within a single mission. As an Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV), it is equipped to transport a collection of satellites, navigate them through various orbits, and precisely position each in their designated orbital slot. This strategy allows satellite operators to drastically reduce the interval from launch to active service by up to 85%, bringing forward the revenue-generating stage of the mission.
Moreover, ION has the capability to manage both proprietary and third-party payloads, gather data from satellites, process this data via our advanced in-orbit space cloud services, and transmit it back to Earth. This innovative amalgamation of services is the first step towards our goal of establishing a full-fledged infrastructure for space logistics, designed to assist space missions from the moment of launch until their eventual decommissioning.”
The space industry is rapidly evolving. How does D-Orbit adapt and innovate to stay at the forefront of this dynamic field?
“When we founded D-Orbit, the concept of “new space” wasn’t well established. Back then, finding investors who saw the potential in space technology, particularly in Europe, was quite a challenge. We recognized early on that to capture interest and investment, we needed to take a different approach.
We crafted a resilient strategy, which entailed a roadmap oriented around market opportunities rather than purely on technological innovation. This approach allowed us to immediately commercialize each technological advancement we made. We designed our technology to be modular, like building blocks or ‘Lego’ bricks, that could be reconfigured and reused in various products and services as new markets emerged. Our roadmap is defined by incremental research and development, closely aligned with customer feedback, ensuring that our ‘technology bricks’ can be integrated into sellable products and services at every stage.”
Do you think that space tourism helps to accelerate the industry?
“Certainly. Space tourism offers an extraordinary opportunity to subsidize the development of crucial space technology and make it cheaper and more reliable over time. SpaceX has already demonstrated that in the commercial arena, over the next year we will witness something similar on a wider scope with the current and upcoming operators.”
Do you think ELEVATE can help people to understand better space technology and sustainability?
“ELEVATE is an event that offers entrepreneurs and other players of the industry to meet, share ideas, and create business opportunities. I appreciated the flawless organization and an agenda rich of influential speakers and motivated participants.”
Did you like the audience questions at ELEVATE?
“The ELEVATE audience is well-informed, and I have found the questions thought-provoking. I enjoyed answering them and I am looking forward to meeting some of them in person at a conference or congress in the future.”
The core focus of the 2nd ELEVATE Space & Sustainability Conference was the impact of space technology on creating a sustainable future. Talking about space technology and research, space debris is a growing concern. How is D-Orbit addressing the issue of space debris management, and what role do your services play in ensuring the sustainability of space activities?
“D-Orbit remains at the forefront of developing innovative solutions to manage the orbital debris issue effectively. Sustainability in the space domain is not just a concept for us—it’s an integral part of our DNA. From the very inception of our first product, the D-Orbit Decommissioning Device (D3), our goal has been to directly mitigate the debris problem. The D3 was designed to ensure that satellites can be decommissioned and deorbited at the end of their life cycles, thereby preventing them from contributing to the growing accumulation of space junk.
We are stringent about compliance with international debris regulations, a commitment that extends to our ION Satellite Carrier. We ensure that every payload we deliver to orbit adheres to these regulations to maintain the highest standards of responsibility in space operations. Furthermore, we actively contribute to the in-orbit testing of decommissioning technologies, such as drag sails, which we have successfully tested in orbit. These sails increase the surface area of defunct satellites, accelerating their deorbiting process and reducing the time they spend as debris.
The services we offer are designed not just with commercial success in mind, but with a vision of a sustainable space environment. By ensuring that the end of a satellite’s mission is as responsibly managed as its beginning, we believe that we are setting a standard for the industry and playing a crucial role in the preservation of space as a safe and clean environment for future generations of space exploration and satellite services.”
What opportunities and challenges do you foresee for the space industry in the coming years, and how does D-Orbit plan to navigate these changes?
“In the coming years, the space, which traditionally was driven by institutional interests, will become predominantly commercial. The space data market, which leverages the scalability of satellite constellations to serve various industrial and consumer sectors globally, is expected to be a significant driver of the space economy in the short to medium term. This shift presents a tremendous opportunity for organizations that can capitalize on the vast coverage that constellations offer. This is the reason why our current offering of services caters to the needs of satellite constellation operators.
At D-Orbit, we are forecasting the emergence of a self-sustaining space-to-space market. To anticipate this, we are focusing on creating the necessary infrastructure that will underpin this market, setting the stage for future growth and innovation.
Looking at the space sector from a margin and profitability angle, it’s evident that subsystems command higher margins compared to full systems. However, businesses that concentrate on selling subsystems or components might encounter challenges in attracting investment and scaling up compared to businesses that aim to dominate a segment or provide complete services.
Our strategic focus, therefore, includes positioning ourselves to offer comprehensive solutions that can serve as a backbone for the evolving space economy.
Navigating these changes, D-Orbit will continue to innovate while aligning with market shifts, maintaining a keen focus on developing the infrastructure and technologies that will facilitate not just business growth but also the broader human endeavor in space.”
As a leader in the space industry, what advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs and professionals looking to make a difference in this field?
“The space sector is hard, and there’s a lot to consider if you’re looking to make a mark. First off, you need mentors, people in your corner who can provide guidance and open doors to key customers and institutions.
Then, you need to understand your customer. Get out there, talk to them, find out what they need now, and try to get a sense of what they might not even know they need yet. That’s where true innovation lies.
Next, build up a team. It’s essential that they’re with you, full-time, from the very beginning. If someone’s not ready to take the leap with you, you might need to look elsewhere.
You need people who are as ready to embrace the challenges and take the risks as you are.
Working with institutions is also key. I know, it might seem counterintuitive, especially if you’re coming from a New Space perspective. But these institutions have the power to make or break barriers, and while they might not open their wallets right away, the support, financial or otherwise, will eventually come. And that support can be crucial, lowering the financial burden and risks to your investors.
As for taking on risk and responsibility, make sure it’s a shared endeavor. Every partner, every team member must be ready to shoulder that. It’s the only way to navigate the complexities of this industry.
Lastly, remember that you don’t have to go it alone when it comes to testing your technology in space. There are more cost-effective and time-efficient paths than launching your own satellite.
For instance, D-Orbit can help you get your technology into orbit, test it out, and make it market-ready. We’re helping companies around the world to cut down costs and time to market.
So if you’re working on something, drop me an email. Let’s see how we can collaborate to get your innovation off the ground—quite literally.”
With offices in Italy, Portugal, the UK, and the US, D-Orbit is the first certified B-Corp space company in the world, pursuing business models that are profitable, environmentally friendly, and socially beneficial.
Their roadmap, driven by an incremental approach to research and development and a vertical integration strategy enables D-Orbit to provide effective solutions for today’s space logistics problems while shaping the solutions for the needs of tomorrow.
It was a great pleasure to see Luca in Monaco, addressing not just the adults, but also the future generation, namely to 850 students of the Principality of Monaco.
Read the full and illustrated interview in the Winter 2023 edition of the Living in Monaco, the Monaco Residents’ Magazine.
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