The Exploration Company (TEC) is a Franco-German spacecraft manufacturer founded in 2021 with the mission to democratize space exploration. They are developing, manufacturing, and operating the Nyx space capsule, a modular and reusable orbital vehicle designed for cargo transport to destinations like the ISS and future commercial space stations, with future capabilities for human transport and lunar missions. TEC aims to provide affordable and sustainable space transportation services and has secured contracts with major players like ESA and NASA. Key words: Space capsule, reusable spacecraft, cargo transport, space logistics, Nyx, ESA, NASA.
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The Exploration Company acquired German additive manufacturing firm Thrustworks to expand its production capacity and unlock new commercial revenue streams.
The acquisition is intended to strengthen The Exploration Company's supply chain resilience.
The acquisition of Thrustworks enables The Exploration Company to develop new revenue streams.
The Exploration Company successfully concluded an extensive wind-tunnel campaign focusing on Nyx’s Earth capsule behavior from subsonic to hypersonic conditions.
The Exploration Company completed an initial test campaign of the Nyx spacecraft’s Micrometeoroid and Orbital Debris shield as of 13 November.
The Exploration Company has successfully tested the shielding for its Nyx spacecraft against micrometeoroid and orbital debris impacts.
The Exploration Company is developing Nyx, a modular, multirole spacecraft expected to debut in 2028.
The Exploration Company and Thales Alenia Space are the only two recipients of Phase 1 contracts under the LEO Cargo Return Services initiative.
The Exploration Company is positioning itself for Phase 2 of ESA’s LEO Cargo Return Services initiative, which will be considered at the upcoming Ministerial Council meeting.
The Exploration Company has a propulsion and production facility in Bordeaux, France, a mechanisms development site in Turin, and an in-orbit refueling kit development site in Luxembourg.
The Exploration Company was selected for Phase 1 of the European Space Agency’s LEO Cargo Return Service initiative alongside Thales Alenia Space in May 2024.
The Exploration Company closed a €150 million Series B funding round in November 2024.
The Exploration Company was founded in 2021 and is developing a modular, reusable spacecraft called Nyx for cargo transport to and from the International Space Station.
The Exploration Company has opened its new headquarters in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, with operations expected to begin in December.
Options such as The Exploration Company’s Nyx spacecraft fall short of the 5,000-kilogram mass requirement, necessitating at least two flights.
In May 2024, ESA announced Thales Alenia Space and The Exploration Company as recipients of Phase 1 development contracts for its LEO Cargo Return Service initiative.
The Nyx capsule is designed to launch for regular cargo missions by 2028 by The Exploration Company (TEC), a German company.
The Exploration Company is making the capsule accessible for astronauts with disabilities, aligning with ESA's Parastronaut project.
After passing Phase 1, The Exploration Company's subsystems teams are executing hardware tests in the testing facility and finalizing plans for the Phase 2 Safety Review in 2026.
Hélène Huby, Co-Founder and CEO of The Exploration Company, expressed gratitude for the DLR's support for the German space industry with this contract.