The Exploration Company

As space travel continues to grow, there's a gap that needs to be filled: a lack of transportation vehicles to move goods and personnel from Earth to the International Space Station. The existing options are expensive and unable to be reused or refueled in space. Noting this problem, The Exploration Company developed Nyx, a sustainable modular orbital vehicle that presents a singular solution to all the above challenges.

The proposed solution is an orbital vehicle: Nyx.

Manufactured like cars, Nyx is revolutionary in that it is meant for multiple missions and can be refueled while in orbit. It solves several core challenges, providing an inexpensive solution for logistics and transport for space stations. The vehicle perform a variety of logistical missions in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and the lunar environment while remaining launcher agnostic, hence increasing its usability for clientele. Nyx’s interfaces are open and its operating system is open source so as to develop a community of space exploration stakeholders whose technologies can cooperate.

It is a strategic asset with dual use, due to its re-entry and space-based surveillance capabilities. 

Sustainability is taken into account at every development step of Nyx at The Exploration Company. Nyx is the first capsule globally to use green propellant, as opposed to toxic propulsion technology, which is more commonly used. Following the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the company is focused on:

SDG 8: Economic growth. The Exploration Company’s expansion in the European Union with a base for commercialising the proposed LEO services will directly promote inclusive and sustainable growth. As part of this expansion, the company will provide employment opportunities not just directly, but also to its partners.

SDG 9: Industry and Infrastructure. The Exploration Company will build a resilient and secure space transportation infrastructure, promoting industrialisation and fostering innovation.

SDG 13: Climate action. The European Commission’s Green Deal recognizes and emphasizes the importance of a digital transformation in Europe by providing tools that enable and accelerate sustainability. This will empower companies to do their part to reach the target of a climate-neutral Europe by 2050. Key sectors such as precision agriculture, mining, and energy benefit immensely from LEO services. The sustainability of future space operations is also addressed by mitigating the production of space debris in LEO.  In this regard, Nyx fits with SDG 13 as it uses green propellants and can be utilized to remove debris from space.

As The Exploration Company has multiple sites with our teams  based in different locations, they needed a solution that would enable synchronicity. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform accomplishes this, allowing the company’s employees to share and follow the design progress of their project in real time.

Responsive design changes are automatically shared throughout the company, giving stakeholders the ability to review and comment on product choices. The CATIA integration covers a lot of disciplines, from design to simulation needs, with a powerful tool for analysis and optimization. In addition, the 3DEXPERIENCE platform empowers collaborative management and creative configurations, including tools for creating marketing materials for their product.

The 3DEXPERIENCE Platform allows The Exploration Company  to collaborate in real time not only within their team, but also with external suppliers, too. It creates a common collaboration space between companies, which is easy to set up  and use. This allows The Exploration Company and its partners to work together very closely and exchange insights.