Founded in 2021, The Exploration Company is developing Nyx, a modular, reusable orbital vehicle designed to transport cargo to and from space stations in low-Earth orbit and beyond. The vehicle is in-orbit refillable and aims to achieve a cost of €20,000 per kilogram for LEO missions, with future plans for crewed capabilities. The company's approach is launch vehicle agnostic, relying on open interfaces to integrate with various launch providers.
The company has secured €196.8 million in funding and has established landmark contracts with ESA, Axiom Space, and Starlab Space. It signed the first European Space Act Agreement (SAA) with NASA. In June 2025, The Exploration Company conducted its "Mission Possible" re-entry demonstration flight.
With a team of approximately 400 employees, the company operates across Germany, France, and Italy. Its technical work spans aerospace engineering, orbital vehicle design, thermal protection systems, and launch vehicle integration, positioning it within the space logistics, cargo transportation, and commercial space station sectors.
