Alba Orbital to Launch Innovative Delfi-Twins Mission for TU Delft

A Mission of Firsts: Two PocketQubes Flying in Formation with Deployable Wings

15th July 2025 – Glasgow, UK – Alba Orbital, the world’s leading provider of PocketQube satellite launch services, is thrilled to announce its continued partnership with Delft University of Technology’s Delfi Space Laboratory in the Netherlands. The upcoming mission, Delfi-Twins, is scheduled to launch in Q1 2026 aboard Alba Orbital’s PocketQube rideshare mission. 

The Delfi-Twins mission represents the 4th satellite mission developed by the Delfi Space Lab and is the second to use a 3P satellite bus derived from their Delfi-PQ mission. This innovative mission comprises two satellites designed to demonstrate formation flying and advanced space traffic management capabilities — a crucial step towards more sustainable and collaborative use of low Earth orbit. 

Developed by students as part of their Aerospace Engineering curriculum in collaboration with researchers and PhD candidates, Delfi-Twins highlights the importance of hands-on learning. 

The satellites will be initially deployed in a docked configuration and separated on command, allowing ground-based optical and radio networks to track the separation event in real time. The formation will be established using deployable wings to control drag, maintaining a baseline distance of approximately 100 km between the satellite 

Equipped with on-board GNSS receivers, the mission aims to achieve sub-meter-level orbit knowledge, which will be validated by ground-based laser reflector tracking. Additional payloads include a miniaturized radiation detector and other novel sensors, all developed in-house by students and researchers at TU Delft. 

Earlier this year, the team successfully conducted a fit-check of the satellite mass models inside the AlbaPod deployer with the Alba Orbital team — a key milestone that allows the team to focus on the final subsystem designs and payloads. 

The Delfi Space Laboratory at TU Delft is a leading academic hub for small satellite research and education. By offering the infrastructure and expertise to design, build and prepare satellites for launch, the lab allows for innovation and collaboration in space exploration.

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About Alba Orbital 

Alba Orbital (UK, USA, Germany) is the world’s leading PocketQube company, having delivered 53 pico-satellites on orbit to date. Alba is a vertically integrated NewSpace company ‘democratising access to space,’ providing turnkey solutions from advanced pico-satellite platforms, low-cost launch opportunities, and ground station services. Alba has worked with over 30 customers across the globe. Contact: contact@albaorbital.com. 

About TU Delft Delfi Space Laboratory 

The Delfi Space Laboratory at Delft University of Technology is a pioneering center for education and research in small satellite missions. As the only academic lab in the Netherlands with fully integrated satellite development capabilities, Delfi Space Lab offers hands-on training opportunities to MSc students, PhD researchers, and staff. By focusing on cutting-edge developments in tracking, communication, and collision avoidance, the lab plays a critical role in shaping the future of sustainable and responsible space exploration.