London-based Acme Space has announced plans to test its unique balloon-rocket hybrid launch vehicle in the new year, ahead of commercial operations beginning in 2027. Its long-term plans see it building reusable launch and recovery systems that can provide manufacturing facilities in orbit. It’s already working with two unnamed pharmaceutical firms to develop protein crystal growth boxes for its first 2027 launches.
Known as the the Hyperion Orbital Factory Vehicle, it uses a hydrogen-filled balloon to break through Earth’s thickest atmospheric layers. When it reaches a height of 19 miles, it releases its liquid-fuelled rocket (Methane and liquid-oxygen) to boost the payload up to 60 miles, where the main stage detaches, and returns to Earth. The second-stage then boosts the payload into orbit between 185 and 310 miles, before aiding in returning the payload to Earth after two to three weeks.
Acme Space claims it will be able to take payloads up to 200 Kg into orbit, though has made it clear it’s not looking to operate a launch service.
Credit: Acme Space
“There is a lot of competition from rocket launchers and prices are really going down,” CEO Thomas Guryca told SpaceNews. “They are going to get really low with Starship and for us, since we only have 200 kilos of payload, offering launch wouldn’t be enough.”
Instead, Acme is focusing exclusively on orbital manufacturing, and is said to already be cooperating with pharmaceutical firms for its first commercial launches in 2027. It’s also looking into helping to develop ZBLAN optical fibers that have previously been manufactured on the International Space Station. These fibers can be far more uniform and impurity free when manufactured in space, creating a unique offering for Acme spacecraft if its manufacturing capabilities can be realized.
To make that happen, though, it needs to prove its launch and recovery technologies can work. With that in mind, it’s launching a drop test for its rocket in Q1 or Q2 of 2026, which will see the balloon carry the rocket to its launch height, before it boosts back to Earth for recovery. If that’s successful, full orbital tests will be conducted ahead of commercial ventures beginning apace in 2027.
