Two European companies, Atmos Space Cargo and Space Cargo Unlimited, are collaborating to offer independent microgravity research and manufacturing missions to low Earth orbit, bypassing the International Space Station (ISS).
Their joint venture will encompass seven missions, launching a spacecraft carrying microgravity payloads into orbit before returning them to Earth. This will be facilitated by Space Cargo Unlimited's BentoBox system, capable of handling over 100 kilograms of payloads, and Atmos Space Cargo's Phoenix reentry capsule, utilizing an inflatable heat shield and decelerator.
The inaugural commercial BentoBox mission is slated for late 2025, utilizing a SpaceX rideshare mission and spending two weeks in orbit. This follows an April test flight. Further commercial missions are planned for 2026 (two) and 2027 (four), although launch details for these later missions remain undisclosed.
Nicolas Gaume, CEO of Space Cargo Unlimited, explained the decision to develop a free-flyer spacecraft like BentoBox stemmed from the challenges of using the ISS. “We lived the nightmare of all the challenges of the ISS,” he stated. “It’s an amazing platform, don’t get me wrong. It allows us to do amazing research. But when you want to produce at scale and make a difference, there’s a major obstacle.” He elaborated, stating, “Humans make things expensive. Humans make things complicated. They’re amazing to do research and bad for scaling and effective production.”
The first commercial mission is 80% booked, with subsequent missions at 40% and 20% capacity, though specific clients remain undisclosed. Gaume confirmed the clients include both companies and agencies.
While technical details remain limited, the BentoBox system accommodates both pressurized and unpressurized payloads and offers temperature control. It serves as a precursor to a larger automated space factory, REV1, a project announced in 2022 in collaboration with Thales Alenia Space, with a potential launch as early as 2028.
Atmos Space Cargo is also preparing for the launch of its Phoenix reentry capsule, with a deal secured with Latitude for at least five annual launches between 2028 and 2032.
Gaume positioned BentoBox within a broader ecosystem, recognizing the ISS and future commercial space stations' value for research, but arguing that “to scale, we believe that an automated free-flyer is the best option.”
Hubert Moser, senior director of engineering at Flawless Photonics, offered a contrasting perspective during a separate panel. While acknowledging the benefits of human intervention, he noted, “The advantage that we saw is that we have another brain up there that can help, which might also be sometimes considered a disadvantage. Humans make errors.”