Condor Orbital Systems and Services (COSS) is here to get novel ideas off the ground and keep them flying high. We care about the people we employ, the people who employ us, and the people who trust what we design and build. That’s why COSS has been voted the number one launch provider for customer service for ten years in a row and we’re trusted to operate over 30 independent stations around the Solar System, and two Foundation Society settlements.
COSS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Condor Pty Ltd, which manages the off-world and on-orbit operations of Condor. Both entities operate under the Condor brand, but are internally distinct. Condor’s responses to tender are typically handled by a combination of specialists from both areas of the business.
Condor and COSS provides logistical support on the ground and in orbit for Mercury, Venus, and Earth and our MFR rocket provides low-carbon heavy-lift capacity from Earth’s surface. Our downlink and uplink stations on Earth provide near- and deep-space communication for 20% of traffic in the solar-system.
COSS has also spawned and nurtured its two subsidiaries, Extreme Survival Technologies and Lossless airlocks. We are proud to support their operations as well as affording them significant autonomy. Condor and COSS both engage in active governance measures to ensure that the operations of our subsidiaries with respect to other major players in the space sector are not conflicted. Please contact the governance team at Condor to learn more about how we isolate the operations of our commercial subsidiaries from our contracting divisions.
Our Subsidiaries
Extreme Survival Technologies (EST) is at the forefront of pioneering solutions to ensure longevity and durability in space endeavours. Our commitment to the brightest and most innovative minds resonates in partnerships like the one we’ve established with EST. Through a mutual, no-cost patent-licensing agreement, EST has harnessed our revolutionary techniques, originally crafted to enhance the lifespan of powered agri-products. Their adaptation ensures spacesuit seals stand the test of time, even against regolith infiltration.
As part of the greater Condor family, which includes COSS, we understand the importance of supporting and uplifting entities that share our vision and drive. EST stands as a testament to this ethos. Operating with a level of independence, they exemplify innovation in the most challenging environments, much like COSS’s dedication to elevating ideas into the vast expanse of space. We pride ourselves on facilitating groundbreaking advancements both internally in EST.
Lossless Airlocks and process engineering are intertwined in more ways than one might expect. Condor’s CFO’s encounter with Aleksey Cochrane was serendipitous, marking the beginning of a robust collaboration. Within the vast expanse of Condor’s partnerships, we proudly maintain an equal foothold in Lossless Airlocks, directly alongside its pioneering CEO. This collaborative synergy allows us to harness shared manufacturing insights, evolving together through shared experiences and innovations. Interestingly, the dimensions of the current Lossless Airlocks are reminiscent of storage silos from our catalogues in the 1970s, showcasing our unexpectedly intertwined histories.
Integration at the manufacturing stage of spacecraft and station hulls with Lossless Airlocks’ designs not only streamlines efficiency but also optimizes safety, saving invaluable time and resources. We are proud to be part of making spaceflight safer and simpler for everyone, every day.
Launching With COSS
Most people know Condor for the MFR and our launch complex on idyllic Nauru. The Multi-Fuel Rocket provides heavy-lift capacity at 15% lower carbon emissions than others in field. Condor employs some of the best chemical engineers in the solar system who specialise in the enrichment of bio-fuels to increase their power density, and we sponsor world leading research into the modelling of solid particulates in combustion mixtures. Using a proprietary gelled-fuel first stage and liquid-bipropellant upper stages, we are able to target our emissions to specific altitudes and are able to adapt to environmental conditions. This combination of bio-fuels, cleaner combustion, and in-flight adaptability gives the MFR its reduced greenhouse gas emission profile without compromising on performance or launch cadence.
To learn more about launching with us, please view Condor MFR in the subcontractors’ register.
Our History
We are proud of where Condor is today, COSS’s role within it, and our Australian roots. However, we recognise that our current operations are built upon industries and practices which we no longer condone nor engage in.
Condor was found in 1972 as a homegrown supplier of chemicals and heavy machinery to the Australian agricultural, mining, and defence sectors. Our agricultural and mining equipment was and still is popular, and we’re proud of our efforts in environmentally-friendly fertiliser development and our work to reduce the environmental impact of mining and metal processing. Our defence contracting was our largest and most profitable area, and Condor Defence Plc provided fighter aircraft and missile systems for the ADF and trusted international partners.
The Condor Bribery Scandal was a low point in our history. Significant bribes were paid by Condor Defence Plc to members of the Japanese and Malaysian governments from 1984 to 1988 in return for preferential treatment in purchasing of defence equipment. Knowledge of these bribes was widespread among Condor’s senior leadership, and significant fines and several imprisonments resulted from the subsequent criminal investigations.
With significant change at the top, Condor restructured for the better to merge its branches and formed Condor Pty Ltd. We were an early adopter of the employee-ownership model, and are now majority employee owned. Condor Defence Plc was formally disbanded, and now we only provide support for legacy systems, with no new hardware being developed or sold. Our experience with aviation systems made us a perfect candidate to pivot into the commercial space industries of the early 1990s, with COSS being split out in 1993. We are grateful for the courage of our engineers in this transitional period for making difficult choices about the company’s future, and choosing an ethical and responsible path.
Today, Condor has 71 offices and facilities around the world all under Condor, COSS, or Condor Agricultural (which was split out in 2004 to be better able to operate internationally). We were the first major international contractor to open design offices in Africa, with engineering teams being recruited in Abuja, Lagos, and Cairo in 1996. We now have 17 engineering offices in Africa, 25 in Europe, 7 in North America, 6 in South and Central America, 6 in Japan, our Nauru launch facility, and 9 at home in Australia.
This webpage refers to a fictional company which is part of the UK Space Design Competition. No information presented here or implied herefrom should be regarded as factual. Any similarities with real events, places, or persons are purely coincidental.