Origin Space

Origin Space is a seed-stage Chinese private company researching and developing technology to enable space resource utilization. The company contracted for its first satellite, a space telescope, to be built by DFH Satellite, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), "the state-owned main contractor for China’s space programs."[1]

The company was established in 2017, and raised additional capital in 2019 through a US$7 million angel round led by Linear Venture and Matrix Partners China.[1] The long-term goal is to "develop mineral resources such as rare-earth metals from near-Earth asteroids.[2]

The initial company focus is on fielding multi-spectrum space telescopes. A small ultraviolet spectroscopy telescope flew in Earth orbit in late 2019. The company is working on an x-ray space telescope with Hong Kong University, and signed a contract to build an optical telescope, the same type as the Hubble Space Telescope flown by the US government.[1]

References
  1. Jones, Andrew (23 April 2020). "Chinese space resource utilization firm Origin Space signs deal for space telescope". SpaceNews. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  2. "Origin Space". Crunchbase.com. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
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