Apis™ Flight Systems

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Named for the genus of honeybees, the Apis™ family of spacecraft are a fleet of OTVs and mining vehicles that will supply and service cislunar orbits. The Worker Bees will fly first to become the backbone of a vital new transportation and service network in space. Mini Bee, Honey Bee, and Queen Bee are specialized Worker Bee spacecraft equipped with asteroid capture and mining equipment.

Mini Bee™

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Mini Bee is currently under construction in preparation for an orbital flight demonstration of the Optical Mining and Omnivore Thruster systems. During the experimental mission, a simulated asteroid will be launched into orbit along side the Mini Bee spacecraft on a commercial ride share mission. The Optical Mining system will prove its viability in space by mining the demonstration asteroid using concentrated solar energy. The mission will also demonstrate TransAstra’s Omnivore™ thruster’s ability to efficiently generate deep space propulsion using only water and sunlight.

Honey Bee™ & Queen Bee™

 
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Honey Bee will be capable of mining 10 meter asteroids, and Queen Bee will be large enough to handle asteroids as large as 40 meters in diameter. The water extracted from the asteroid is stored cryogenically for transport and delivery to fuel depots. The Omnivore thruster enables refueling for the return journey with mined water.