porkchop

Porkchop was a Swedish startup focused on developing in-space logistics and transportation solutions. The company was founded in 2019 by KTH Royal Institute of Technology students Matija Milenovic and Victor Gonzales. The founders' journey began after they were unable to find summer internships and decided to start their own business, identifying a gap in the market for satellite propulsion. Based in Stockholm, the company's objective was to create an interplanetary economy, starting with logistical infrastructure in Low-Earth Orbit.

The core of Porkchop's business was the development of reusable in-space logistics vehicles to provide services for the growing small satellite market. These services included last-mile delivery of satellites to their precise orbits, constellation deployment, satellite inspection, and repositioning. One of its key products was the "porkchop M," a reusable, multi-purpose vehicle. For its propulsion, the company developed proprietary solid-fuel electric thrusters, specifically Micro Vacuum Arc Thrusters (uVAT), designed for fine control during rendezvous and docking maneuvers. Another product, the porkchop X, was a fully integrated propulsion system for nanosatellites, which was innovatively designed to replace the structural frame, thus saving space.

A significant milestone was achieved on January 13th, 2022, when the company gained space heritage by flying its technology aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. This mission successfully demonstrated a patent-pending Power-Processing Unit (PPU) that was more compact and efficient than existing alternatives. The company received early support and grant funding from organizations like KTH Innovation and was part of the ESA BIC Sweden incubator. After bootstrapping for over two years, Porkchop closed a pre-seed funding round in December 2021. However, the company ceased operations in December 2022 following an unsuccessful fundraising effort. In December 2023, UK-based SmallSpark Space Systems acquired Porkchop's key assets, including its propulsion intellectual property and hardware.

Keywords: in-space logistics, satellite transportation, electric propulsion, last-mile delivery, reusable space vehicle, orbital transfer vehicle, nanosatellite, small satellites, space tug, rendezvous and docking, constellation deployment, space heritage, interplanetary economy, Matija Milenovic, Victor Gonzales, KTH Innovation, ESA BIC Sweden, Micro Vacuum Arc Thrusters, SmallSpark Space Systems, space assets, propulsion systems