Origin Space

Origin Space (Chinese: 起源太空) 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]

Team members' majors span interdisciplinary scientific and technological fields such as planetary science, mineralogy, astronomy, space engineering, artificial intelligence and big data. Members include young scholars and experts from Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Hong Kong, Macao University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Central University, Kyushu University in Japan, German Space Agency, Bourne University in Switzerland, Peking University, Tsinghua University and other first-class universities in China and around the world. They have participated in almost all recent asteroid deep space exploration projects. At the same time, the company has senior aerospace system engineers and entrepreneurs with rich entrepreneurial experience.

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.[1]

In July 2020 the company launched the Lobster Eye X-ray detection satellite, in cooperation with Nanjing University, it is the world's first commercial astronomy satellite and the first large-field X-ray space equipment.

On 27 April 2021 the company successfully launched the NEO-1 satellite aboard a Long March 6 rocket. This satellite will be used to carry out scientific research based on observations of small celestial bodies in low-Earth orbit and to test a prototype technology for the acquisition of space resources.[2]

Yangwang-1 Space Telescope was launched in June 2021. It is China's first commercial space optical, ultraviolet telescope for the detection and monitoring of asteroids and space debris. It can also do astronomy observations, e.g. Large Magellanic Cloud.

The M ² lunar proximity probe spacecraft is scheduled to launch in 2023. It will be China's first commercial activity of exploring the moon, testing mining equipment, realizing a significant landmark for commercial deep space exploration, and participating the world's wave of commercial lunar exploration.

The company would like to participate more in international discussions on space resources exploration and utilization, and to make its contribution to the society.

Origin Space is constantly looking for strategic partners in the space resource utilization or any related industries worldwide.

Meanwhile, the company is actively providing services for the following industries:

1. Geospatial intelligence;
2. Energy sector, monitoring of oil/gas transportation system, monitoring of electricity transportation facilities;
3. Ecological sector, environment protection, natural disaster prevention;
4. Agricultural sector, farmland survey, crops monitoring;
5. Housing construction, infrastructure, city planning;
6. Meteorological sector;
7. Customized Satellite Service;
8. Space science observations and experiments;
9. Utilization of near-earth asteroid resources.