Madrid-based Orbital Paradigm is preparing to launch its first orbital mission in three months, marking a pivotal moment for European space commercialization. The startup built its KID test capsule for under €1 million with just nine employees, targeting the growing market for materials manufacturing in zero gravity that could reshape biotech and advanced manufacturing industries.
Orbital Paradigm represents Europe's scrappy answer to American orbital reentry dominance. While SpaceX commands headlines with Dragon capsules ferrying astronauts, this Madrid startup is betting on a fundamentally different approach: smaller, cheaper, and laser-focused on commercial customers who need frequent access to space.
CEO Francesco Cacciatore's journey from aerospace industry skeptic to space entrepreneur mirrors Europe's broader awakening to commercial space opportunities. "You ask yourself, 'What am I doing?'" Cacciatore told TechCrunch in a recent interview. After two decades in European aerospace, he pivoted to tackle reentry - one of the most technically challenging problems in spaceflight.
The timing couldn't be better. Biotech companies are increasingly recognizing microgravity's potential for creating new materials, drugs, and therapies impossible to produce on Earth. But current options are limited and expensive. "Customers don't want to do a one-off," Cacciatore explained. "Institutions, startups and companies frequently want to fly between three and six times a year."
Orbital Paradigm's first test vehicle, dubbed KID, strips reentry down to its essentials. Weighing just 25 kilograms and measuring 16 inches across, the capsule contains no propulsion system - a deliberate design choice to minimize costs and complexity. In roughly three months, KID will separate from its launch vehicle, transmit data from orbit, and attempt to survive the brutal heat and speeds of hypersonic reentry before impacting in an undisclosed location.
The customer roster for this maiden voyage signals growing European interest in orbital manufacturing. French space robotics startup Alatyr, Germany's Leibniz University Hannover, and an unnamed third customer have signed on to test payloads aboard KID. This represents a crucial validation of Orbital Paradigm's market thesis - that frequent, affordable access to microgravity environments could unlock entirely new industries.
Competition in orbital return services is intensifying on both sides of the Atlantic. Varda Space Industries became the first company to achieve commercial reentry in 2024, while Europe's completed its own controlled reentry test this summer. American startups benefit from substantial Department of Defense funding for hypersonic testing and delivery demonstrations - resources largely unavailable to European competitors.
