UK Government invests £20M in Orbex space company to boost British orbital launch capabilities

January 30, 2025

The Prime rocket is powered by a renewable bio-fuel (Courtesy Orbex)
The Prime rocket is powered by a renewable bio-fuel (Courtesy Orbex)

The UK Government has invested £20 million in space in Orbex, a spaceflight company headquartered in Forres, Scotland, UK, as part of its Series D fundraising. The investment comes as the UK government vows to develop Britain’s mission to regularly launch into orbit from its shores using UK-manufactured rockets, supporting growth in its expanding space industry and attracting investment from across the globe.

Orbex is reportedly the only UK-owned launch services company in the UK. It is developing both small- and medium-sized space rockets and initial launch operations will take place from SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland.

THE WORLD OF METAL AM TO YOUR INBOX
Subscribe to our twice-weekly newsletter
Register now

The company uses Additive Manufacturing for the production of the Prime’s rocket engines. These are powered by a renewable bio-fuel, which significantly reduces carbon emissions compared to other similarly sized rockets. In 2021, Orbex commissioned an industrial AM machine from AMCM, at the time said to be the largest in Europe, to enable it to rapidly build the complex rocket engines.

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said, “Britain’s impressive toolkit of scientific talent, world class facilities, and unique geography means we stand ready to lead the charge and to work together with our international partners as a key part of the new space revolution in Europe.”

“By investing £20 million in this rocket launch, we are not only helping the country to become a leading destination for small satellite launches in Europe but bringing highly skilled jobs and investment to communities and organisations across the UK, as part of our Plan for Change,” Kyle added. “Supporting Orbex’s launch will also turbocharge the country’s position in the space sector and inspire our next generation of space professionals, who will be able to design, test, build and launch British rockets, carrying British satellites, from British soil.”

As Orbex is currently engaged in an intensive testing programme, the new funding will help expedite the development of Prime rocket. The Prime is a two-stage rocket, a 19-metre-long, two-stage rocket designed to transport small satellites into Low Earth Orbit. Orbex anticipates launching its first Prime rocket toward the end of 2025.

Phillip Chambers, CEO of Orbex, shared, “This first of a kind investment by the UK government demonstrates its confidence in the UK’s space rocket manufacturing and launch sector and is an exciting start to the opening of our Series D fundraising. We are entering the final preparations to deliver the most flexible and environmentally sustainable launch services to the global satellite industry. This investment paves the way not only for us to launch our first rocket this year but also to develop a larger rocket to enable us to compete in the European Launcher Challenge. These development goals are crucial to our longer-term development.”

In addition to the UK Government, the Export & Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO), Octopus Ventures and private investor Sohaib Abbasi have also contributed to Series D so far. The total raised currently stands at £23 million.

Erik Balck Sørensen, CIO at Export & Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO), commented, “At EIFO we are thrilled to get the UK Government on board in our common effort to build European launch capacity in Scotland.”

Simon King, Partner at Octopus Ventures, stated, “From the moment we first backed Orbex in 2020, we knew they would go on to achieve amazing things – from their innovative rocket development, to their market leadership of UK launch services. It’s exciting to see the UK Government endorse the team’s hard work through this incredible commitment to the UK space industry.”

Sohaib Abbasi said, “Orbex is pioneering the way as the first spaceflight company to launch from UK soil. With a skilled team at the helm, Orbex is poised to become a leader in Europe’s expanding space launch services sector. Although it’s still the early stages of this thrilling industry, the future looks incredibly promising.”

Orbex has two active patents in several European countries and the United States covering various parts of its rocket technology. The rocket is powered by bio-propane, a renewable biofuel, which allows it to reduce carbon emissions significantly compared to similar-sized rockets being developed elsewhere around the world.

Chambers concluded, “With testing underway and launch now in our sights, Orbex’s Series D funding round remains open. We are actively speaking to investors for the second tranche of funding to be announced later this year and would encourage those wishing to be part of the journey to get in touch.”

orbex.space

In the latest issue of Metal AM magazine

Download PDF
 

Extensive AM industry news coverage, as well as the following exclusive deep-dive articles:

  • Aluminium Additive Manufacturing: How a new generation of alloys will fuel industry growth
  • Shaping a national Additive Manufacturing ecosystem: The strategic growth of metal AM in Türkiye
  • How metal Additive Manufacturing is transforming modern hydraulic systems
  • High-performance product development in the era of computational design: a case study with nTop and NASA
  • The Additive Manufacturing of record-breaking pure copper heatsinks for high-performance computing applications
  • The Additive Manufacturing of tool steels: how non-linear modelling enables precise hardness control

Join 40,000+ other AM professionals – follow us online

Don’t miss a thing – register for our newsletter

Don't miss any new issue of Metal AM magazine, and get the latest industry news. Sign up to our twice weekly newsletter.

Register now

Looking for AM machines, metal powders or part manufacturing services?

Discover suppliers of these and more in our comprehensive advertisers’ index and buyer’s guide, available in the back of Metal AM magazine.

  • AM machines
  • Process monitoring & calibration
  • Heat treatment & sintering
  • HIP systems & services
  • Pre- & post-processing technology
  • Powders, powder production and analysis
  • Part manufacturers
  • Consulting, training & market data
Find suppliers

About Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine

Metal AM magazine, published quarterly in digital and print formats, is read by a rapidly expanding international audience.

Our audience includes component manufacturers, end-users, materials and equipment suppliers, analysts, researchers and more.

In addition to providing extensive industry news coverage, Metal AM magazine is known for exclusive, in-depth articles and technical reports.

Our focus is the entire metal AM process from design to application.

Each issue is available as an easy-to-navigate digital edition and a high-quality print publication.

Discover our magazine archive…

The free to access Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine archive offers unparalleled insight into the world of metal Additive Manufacturing from a commercial and technological perspective through:

  • Reports on visits to leading metal AM part manufacturers and industry suppliers
  • Articles on technology and application trends
  • Information on materials developments
  • Reviews of key technical presentations from the international conference circuit
  • International industry news

All past issues are available to download as free PDFs or view in your browser.

Browse the archive

Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap