What Orbital Paradigm does

Orbital Paradigm is a Madrid-based space transportation company founded in 2023 that designs reusable in-space transport vehicles and return capsules for orbital logistics. The company is building a sequential vehicle program consisting of KID, a technology demonstrator capsule that flew on ISRO's PSLV-C62 mission in January 2026 and survived an unplanned 28G, Mach 20 atmospheric reentry while transmitting telemetry; Learn to Fly, an intermediate recovery mission targeted for Q1 2027 with a near-sold-out manifest; and Kestrel, the next-generation flagship reusable return capsule with 120 kg payload capacity, up to three months in-orbit dwell, precision vertical landing in continental Europe, and a target monthly flight cadence from Q1 2028. The vehicles are complemented by an AI-driven logistics software platform that the company describes as providing global shipment tracking, workflow automation, and integration capabilities for payload customers.

The company targets four primary customer segments: pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies needing microgravity experimentation and zero-gravity manufacturing return services; satellite constellation operators requiring in-space transport to precise orbits beyond bulk LEO drops; in-space operations and services such as satellite refuelling, hardware upgrades, and debris capture; and advanced materials companies whose products can only be manufactured in microgravity. Named customers include ALATYR, Frontier Space, Leibniz Universität Hannover (maiden flight), Kayser Italia, and Comat, the last of which signed an MoU in March 2026 covering biology payload return services for post-ISS missions starting 2028. Co-founders Francesco Cacciatore (CEO, 20 years on ESA missions across space telescopes, launchers, reentry vehicles, and proximity operations, previously at Sener and Deimos) and Victor Garcia Gomez (COO, over a decade at Sener and D-Orbit, PhD from UC3M) lead a team of nine engineers.

Commercially, Orbital Paradigm operates a B2B enterprise model selling launch and return services through mission-based contracts, with a quote-based pricing structure and multi-year launch service agreements. Revenue mechanics are pre-commercial today, anchored by technology demonstration flights and a sub-€1M maiden mission budget. The company raised approximately $2.3M in a pre-seed round in August 2025 with Akka, Id4 Ventures, Starburst Accelerator, and Demium Capital, and benefits from CDTI NEOTEC non-dilutive funding via Spain's Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities with European Union NextGenerationEU co-financing. Go-to-market relies on direct enterprise sales supported by content marketing through a newsroom, industry event participation (e.g., EU-Startups Summit 2026 panel), and earned media coverage generated by the KID survival story.

Name

Orbital Paradigm

Legal name

Orbital Paradigm

Website

https://orbitalparadigm.space

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Orbital Paradigm is a Madrid-based space transportation company building reusable orbital capsules that transport and return small payloads for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, satellite constellation, and advanced materials customers, targeting monthly flight cadence from 2028.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Space Transportation Services

NAICS

Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419)

SIC

Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)

akta.pro primary industry

Spacecraft & Satellites (Civil/Commercial) (IMABACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reentry, Descent & Landing Systems (Capsules, Heat Shields, Parachutes) (IMABACAL), Spacecraft Propulsion (In-Space) & Thrusters (IMABACAE)

Keywords

• Orbital logistics services
• Reusable space capsules
• In-space transportation
• Microgravity payload return
• Satellite constellation deployment

Headquarters

HQ city

Madrid

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Launch and Return Services: Mission-based revenue from transporting customer payloads to orbit and returning them to Earth. Customers include research institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and advanced materials manufacturers requiring microgravity experiments or in-space manufacturing return capabilities.
2. Orbital Logistics Services: Constellation logistics services placing satellites in precise orbits, with reusable fleet economics enabling high-cadence operations. Revenue from space transportation and delivery services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Orbital Paradigm builds reusable in-space freighters and return capsules that transport customer experiments, raw materials, and satellites to precise orbits and return finished products to Earth. The company sells mission-based orbital transportation and return services primarily to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, advanced materials, and satellite constellation customers, supported by an AI-driven autonomous logistics platform.

Product overview

Orbital Paradigm is a space-transportation company developing reusable in-space transport vehicles capable of returning to Earth. The product portfolio consists of three sequential vehicle programs: KID (Kestrel Initial Demonstrator), a technology demonstrator that successfully validated reentry survivability in January 2026; Learn to Fly, an intermediate recovery mission scheduled for Q1 2027; and Kestrel, the flagship reusable return capsule targeting Q1 2028 with 120kg payload capacity and monthly flight cadence. These vehicles are supported by an AI-driven logistics software platform that provides global shipment tracking and workflow automation for customers in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and advanced materials industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kestrel: Next-generation flagship reusable return capsule with 120kg payload capacity for up to 3 months in space, targeting monthly flight cadence starting Q1 2028.
• KID
• Learn to Fly

Products and services

• Kestrel Flagship reusable return capsule that launches on commercial rockets, operates autonomously in orbit, and returns to Europe with precision vertical landing. Transports up to 120 kg return mass for missions up to 3 months for in-space science, manufacturing, small payloads, and IOD/IOV missions.
• KID (Kestrel Initial Demonstrator) Technology demonstrator capsule that validated reentry survivability during the January 2026 PSLV-C62 mission, surviving 28G deceleration at Mach 20 and transmitting 190 seconds of telemetry data.
• Learn to Fly Intermediate recovery mission with the company's first full capsule recovery attempt in Europe, featuring a larger capsule than KID with multiple customer payloads.
• Orbital Logistics Platform AI-driven logistics software platform providing global shipment tracking with real-time updates and alerts, logistics workflow automation, and system integration capabilities for payload customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• KID capsule survived 28G deceleration at Mach 20 during unplanned reentry, transmitting 190 seconds of telemetry data
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Kayser ItaliacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 April 2026Kayser Italia, a subsidiary of FAE Technology, signed agreement to fly a payload on Orbital Paradigm's Learn to Fly mission (April 2027) testing reentry platform and sample recovery technologies for microgravity applications. Kayser Italia has 20+ years of payload experience on Space Shuttle, FOTON, BION, and ISS missions.
• ComatcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2026Madrid-based Orbital Paradigm and Toulouse-based Comat signed MoU to explore future launch and return services for microgravity biology payloads. Covers potential missions starting 2028, including transport for Comat's MARIN autonomous next-generation biology laboratory for post-ISS missions.
• Pangea PropulsionmajorTechnology or Integration · 14 January 2026Spanish propulsion manufacturer providing propulsion system for controlled reentry flight on Orbital Paradigm's next-generation capsule scheduled to launch in early 2027.
• RIDEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 January 2026French partner collaborating with Orbital Paradigm on the KID (Kestrel Initial Demonstrator) capsule development. The partnership contributed to the successful survival of the KID capsule during the PSLV-C62 mission failure.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• D-Orbit: D-Orbit is a leading in-space transportation and logistics operator providing orbital transfer and deployment services. It is the most direct competitor to Orbital Paradigm's reusable orbital logistics proposition, and notably Orbital Paradigm's COO Victor Garcia Gomez previously worked there.
• Momentus: Momentus offers in-space transportation services for satellites between orbits using its Vigoride transfer vehicle. Directly comparable to Orbital Paradigm's reusable freighter concept for delivering payloads to precise orbits on a recurring basis.
• Varda Space Industries: Varda builds reentry capsules that manufacture pharmaceuticals and advanced materials in microgravity and return them to Earth. Closely comparable on both the reusable return capsule architecture and the microgravity pharma/advanced materials customer thesis.
• Atmos Space Cargo: Atmos Space Cargo is a German company developing the PHOENIX reusable reentry capsule for returning cargo from orbit. A direct European competitor targeting the same reusable return and microgravity manufacturing use cases.
• Spaceflight Inc. Spaceflight arranges launch and orbital transport services for satellite customers, including in-space delivery and rideshare coordination. Comparable to Orbital Paradigm on orbital logistics and last-mile delivery of payloads to custom orbits.

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Space: Sierra Space develops the Dream Chaser reusable spaceplane and operates across commercial space stations and in-space services. A broader incumbent with reusable return capability targeting overlapping microgravity and orbital logistics customers.
• Rocket Lab: Rocket Lab operates the Electron and Neutron launch vehicles and has expanded into space systems including spacecraft and in-space capabilities. Comparable as a vertically integrated space transportation player with overlapping customer and mission profiles.
• SpaceX (Dragon): SpaceX's Dragon capsule provides cargo return from the ISS and broader in-space transportation services. Sets the benchmark for commercial reusable reentry capability and competes for any commercial return-to-Earth payload business.

Emerging players

• Exos Aerospace: Exos Aerospace develops reusable suborbital and orbital launch vehicles with reentry capability. Comparable as a smaller emerging player in reusable space transportation with similar capital constraints and customer overlap.

Others

• K2-18 / K2 Advanced Space Solutions: K2 Advanced Space Solutions provides orbital transfer and mission operations services, including the K2-18 tug concept. Related ecosystem player in in-space mobility that shares customers with Orbital Paradigm's orbital logistics offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Orbital Paradigm