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Orbex was a Forres, Scotland-based launch company developing the Prime micro-launcher. It ceased trading and entered administration in February 2026 after its funding round and sale talks with The Exploration Company failed. Highlands and Islands Enterprise bought the Sutherland Spaceport assets in August 2026, and Omnidea bought Orbex's manufacturing assets and intellectual property in October 2026.
Orbex is developing Prime, a two-stage orbital launch vehicle powered by bio-propane, a renewable fuel that reduces carbon emissions by up to 90% compared to traditional kerosene-based rockets. The company has secured a launch site at Space Hub Sutherland on the northern coast of Scotland and has completed extensive engine testing at its facilities. Prime is designed to deliver payloads of up to 180 kg to sun-synchronous orbit, targeting the growing small satellite market.
Not scored The Space Score is a 0 to 1000 snapshot of a space company's size and activity, relative to the other companies we track. It combines size (headcount, market value and revenue, 30%), U.S. federal space contracts (20%), equity raised (15%), momentum (15%) and, for launch companies, orbital launches (20%), so it leans heavily on size. It is descriptive: not a forecast, a rating or investment advice.
This company is not in the Space Score roster. Only company profiles with an active or pre-revenue status are scored.
Inputs measured 2026-10-13 (UTC) · methodology v6 · Who is scored, and why
Sources: Founded, Headquarters, Status, Legal name
For information only, not investment advice. SpaceNexus is not a registered investment adviser, broker or dealer, and nothing here is a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security. Data may be delayed, estimated or incomplete; check the source before acting. Full disclaimer
1 private round on record. Debt, grants, state capital, owner funding and acquisitions are listed under Funding history by class and not added in.
Two-stage bio-propane/LOX micro-launcher with 3D-printed engines, designed for up to 180 kg. Cancelled in 2026 when Orbex entered administration before a first flight.
Checking for a discussion…
Compiled Oct 13, 2026 from 1 public record. Every figure links the record it comes from.
Latest sourced round
Series D: $25.0M
Lead recorded as UK Government
Source: European Spaceflight
Announced Jan 29, 2025
EIFO
Took part in Series D (Jan 29, 2025)
European Spaceflight, Jan 29, 2025
Octopus Ventures
Took part in Series D (Jan 29, 2025)
European Spaceflight, Jan 29, 2025
UK Government
Recorded as lead of Series D (Jan 29, 2025)
European Spaceflight, Jan 29, 2025
APA
SpaceNexus. (2026, October 13). Orbex: Company dossier [Data set]. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://spacenexus.us/company-profiles/orbex
Chicago
SpaceNexus. "Orbex: Company dossier." Data as of October 13, 2026. Accessed October 13, 2026. https://spacenexus.us/company-profiles/orbex.
BibTeX
@misc{spacenexus_orbex_2026,
author = {{SpaceNexus}},
title = {{Orbex}: Company dossier},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
howpublished = {\url{https://spacenexus.us/company-profiles/orbex}},
url = {https://spacenexus.us/company-profiles/orbex},
urldate = {2026-10-13},
note = {Data as of 2026-10-13; each fact links its primary source}
}