Space

Exclusive: Stellar Alpina Unveils Monarch Orbiter and Morpho Lunar Lander

Read full article at source ↗

Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 02/11/2026, 13:50:26 UTC.

Briefings

Swiss startup Stellar Alpina, formerly a propulsion firm, unveiled two new vehicles: the Monarch orbital orbiter and the Morpho lunar lander. Monarch features hydrogen peroxide and propane engines capable of 6,000 m/s delta-V with 1,000 kg wet mass and 200 kg payload, targeting an in-orbit demo by 2029. Morpho carries up to 50 kg to the Moon and complements ESA's Argonaut lander. The company is still in prototyping with 150+ engine tests, aiming to launch a service model for mobility-as-a-service.

Key points

• Stellar Alpina pivoted from building rotating detonation rocket engines to deploying them in operational vehicles.
• Monarch is designed for up to 6,000 m/s delta-V with 1,000 kg wet mass and 200 kg payload.

Context

Stellar Alpina began as a propulsion startup focused on building rotating detonation rocket engines (RDREs) but pivoted to operational vehicles. The company is still in prototyping phase with 150+ engine tests under its wing. The post Exclusive: Stellar Alpina Unveils Monarch Orbiter and Morpho Lunar Lander appeared first on Payload.

Limitations

Timeline for in-orbit Monarch demo depends on launch availability. Europe has no clear commitment to commercial lunar exploration beyond ESA's Argonaut lander. No CLPS program exists yet. Neither company has flown an RDRE yet.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 02/11/2026, 14:45:16 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

View archived briefing on IPFS
bafybeibp2alwmvlhxc4qsd2jkfelrysnrcbdjhbnz4mtdaqu2hxfr6fsmy