Redwire Corporation (NYSE: RDW), a leader in space infrastructure for the next generation space economy, today announced Phantom, a new European Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) spacecraft platform. Phantom is being developed at Redwire’s facility in Belgium and is designed to carry out a wide array of intelligence, Earth science, and communications missions. Phantom joins Redwire’s American-built VLEO spacecraft platform, SabreSat, that was recently unveiled.
“Phantom, like its American counterpart,” to quote this morning’s news release, “is intended to fill many different roles in a reliable and cost-effective way. Leveraging over four decades of heritage in satellite design, development and in-orbit operations, Phantom has an aerodynamic design that reduces propellant requirements, and could allow the satellite to stay in VLEO for up to five years. The design also uses standardized off-the-shelf hardware to reduce manufacturing costs and, with a total anticipated spacecraft mass of less than 300 kg, is compatible with existing small satellite launchers.”
Redwire will advance Phantom’s design and development through the European Space Agency’s VLEO mission: Skimsat, on which Redwire is working together with Thales Alenia Space in the United Kingdom. The main goals of Skimsat are boosting satellite sustainability and mission performance while reducing spacecraft mass and mission cost by enabling sustained operational capability at lower altitudes.
RDW shares better 29 cents, or 6.2%, to open Monday at $4.95.
