Planetary Transportation Systems (PTS)

Planetary Transportation Systems (PTS)
Description: Planetary Transportation Systems (PTS), formerly known as PTScientists and Part-Time Scientists, is a Berlin-based aerospace company specializing in developing reusable space-based infrastructures to support future exploration. They have developed the robotic lunar lander "ALINA" and aim to facilitate affordable lunar missions.
Vision:
To be a leading provider of sustainable and cost-effective transportation solutions for lunar and planetary exploration.
Mission:
To reduce the cost of space exploration by developing reusable space infrastructures, making lunar and planetary missions more accessible.
Contact:
References:
Investors:
Funding:
  • Pre-Seed Funding: Sep 1, 2018, € million
Key Milestones:
  • 2009: Established as PTScientists and became the first German team to officially enter the Google Lunar X-Prize competition.
  • 2015: Won $750,000 in Milestone Prizes for Mobility and Imaging categories in the Google Lunar X-Prize competition.
  • 2016: Unveiled the Audi Lunar Quattro rover in collaboration with Audi.
  • 2019: Underwent restructuring after filing for bankruptcy; the ALINA project was put on hold. operations continued under the new entity Planetary Transportation Systems GmbH with support from Zeitfracht Group.
  • 2021: Selected in partnership with ArianeGroup to build ESA's ASTRIS kick-stage.
  • 2021: Selected alongside ArianeGroup to develop ESA's ASTRIS kick-stage for the Ariane 6 launch vehicle
Key People:
Sector:
Products & Services:
  • ALINA (Autonomous Landing and Navigation Module): A lunar lander designed to transport up to 100 kg of payload to the Moon's surface.Compatible with various launch vehicles, including SpaceX's Falcon 9 and ISRO's PSLV.Capable of deploying CubeSats into lunar orbit and performing soft landings on designated lunar sites .​
  • Audi Lunar Quattro (ALQ) Rover:: Developed in collaboration with Audi, featuring a four-wheel electric drive, tilt-able solar panels, and high-definition cameras.Weighs approximately 30 kg and can carry up to 5 kg of additional payload.Designed to withstand the harsh lunar environment and navigate the Moon's surface
  • Engineering Services: Offers consulting services in space mission design, systems engineering, and lunar infrastructure development.Provides a lunar test environment equipped with science-grade lunar dust simulants for testing and validation purposes
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