Orbital Exploration Technologies, The Philippines’ first commercial spaceflight company, is working on developing its own launch vehicles with the aim of providing green, low-cost and sustainable launches.
The startup, founded by Dexter P. Baño Jr., will create a space launch system that will be powered by renewable kerosene derived from waste plastics. It has named this proprietary fuel OrbitX RP-2, after the refined kerosene RP-1 typically used in rockets.
OrbitX RP-2 will be used to power OrbitX Haribon SLS-1, a suborbital two-stage rocket that could launch payloads of up 200kg, which the startup will develop with a targeted launch date of 2023-24. The rocket is designed to achieve 844kN of thrust, and will be 12.02 metres high.
Orbital Exploration Technologies, using its OrbitX Haribon SLS-1, hopes to conduct 6 launches a year. Each launch is projected to cost US$4.959 million, which the company says will be 13% cheaper compared to Rocket Lab’s Electron. The company has secured an initial funding of US$50,000 from angel investors.
I hope phil.have a space shuttle😳😍😁
I Hope I’ll be able to make a reusable spaceship for my country 🇵🇭
Lavarn Pilipinas!