Madrid’s Orbital Paradigm Aims for Cost-Effective Solutions to Reenter Orbit

Francesco Cacciatore considers himself a self-identified skeptic. Yet, after spending two decades in the European aerospace industry and going through what he referred to as a “crisis,” he made a surprisingly optimistic choice: he started a space company.

“You ask yourself, ‘What am I doing?’” he recounted in a recent interview. “I encountered some fascinating opportunities, but ultimately I had a breakthrough and realized that I wanted to build something of my own.”

That innovation became one of the most significant challenges in aerospace: reentry. Partnering with cofounder Víctor Gómez García, Cacciatore launched Orbital Paradigm, a startup in Madrid focused on creating a reentry capsule to access new markets for materials manufactured in zero gravity.

In less than two years, with a team of nine and under €1 million in funding, the company developed a test capsule called KID, which will serve as a precursor to an upcoming reusable space capsule named Kestrel. KID is designed to be straightforward: it weighs around 25 kilograms and is roughly 16 inches in diameter, lacking a propulsion system. This will mark the startup’s first time sending hardware into orbit.

The initial demonstration mission’s clients include the French space robotics startup Alatyr, Germany’s Leibniz University Hannover, and another unnamed client. To date, the company has raised €1.5 million in seed funding from Id4, Demium, Pinama, Evercurious, and Akka.

Initially, Orbital Paradigm didn’t plan on developing reentry capsules. The founders originally intended to concentrate on in-space robotics, but potential clients consistently expressed a desire for the ability to reach orbit, stay for a while, and return—multiple times.

Customers “don’t want to do a one-time mission,” Cacciatore pointed out. He noted that organizations, startups, and corporations often aim to launch between three to six times each year. Biotech firms present a lucrative opportunity due to microgravity’s potential to create new materials, drugs, and therapies that typically require repeat testing.

This is why Orbital Paradigm opted for a smaller capsule rather than something like SpaceX’s Dragon, which transports astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station. “If you aim to fly hundreds or thousands of kilograms, your customer shifts from being the payload to the destination,” he explained.

The market for orbital returns is becoming increasingly competitive across both sides of the Atlantic. Varda Space Industries became the first to complete a commercial reentry in 2024, while The Exploration Company from Europe achieved a controlled reentry with its test vehicle this summer.

American startups like Varda and Inversion Space have notable advantages: the Department of Defense and other agencies have invested millions into hypersonic testing and delivery demonstrations, often through non-dilutive funding such as grants or contracts that don’t require giving up company ownership.

“We don’t have that,” Cacciatore acknowledged. “That’s one reason we focus on building for our customers from the beginning; without that, we wouldn’t progress. We encounter more challenges, so we need to be more agile.”

The first launch is approaching. Orbital Paradigm plans to conduct its initial mission in about three months with an undisclosed launch provider, carrying three customer payloads. KID will not be recovered; rather, the goal is to detach from the rocket, collect data from orbit, survive the extreme temperatures and speeds of hypersonic reentry, and send back information at least once before the capsule impacts in an undisclosed location.

“We designed the vehicle not to land in a specific area,” he noted, due to considerations of cost and complexity.

The second mission, set for 2026, will demonstrate a smaller version of Kestrel, featuring a propulsion system and a parachute to guide the capsule to the Azores, where Portugal’s space agency is developing a spaceport. Similar to the first mission, there will be no orbital phase; it will launch, spend about 30 minutes in microgravity, and return, allowing Orbital Paradigm to recover both the vehicle and its payloads.

Cacciatore takes pride in the team’s accomplishments thus far, yet he remains realistic about the hurdles that lie ahead: “Until we fly, we haven’t achieved anything,” he stated. “Words are nice, but actually flying is the ultimate test.”