Sales Opportunities: 2025 SpaceWERX Accelerate Projects and Companies

SpaceWERX Accelerate Program

The United States Space Force (USSF) is tasked with protecting U.S. and allied interests in space, a domain that has become essential to modern life. To maintain its technological edge, the Space Force partners with the commercial and academic sectors through SpaceWERX, its innovation arm. A key part of this effort is the SpaceWERX Accelerate program, which is designed to fast-track the development and adoption of cutting-edge technologies. The program organizes innovators into specific cohorts, each tackling one of the most pressing challenges facing the nation’s space capabilities.

These cohorts bring together a diverse range of companies, from established defense partners to agile startups, all focused on developing solutions for specific Space Force needs. The program explores sustained maneuverability, the creation of digital and responsive spaceports, the development of new navigation and timing systems, and the ambitious future of on-orbit manufacturing. This article provides an in-depth look at the companies and projects associated with these critical cohorts.

Sustained Space Maneuver

The Sustained Space Maneuver (SSM) cohort addresses a fundamental shift in space operations. For decades, most satellites were launched into a specific orbit and remained there, with minimal ability to move. In a contested space environment, this is a significant vulnerability. The USSF needs the ability to reposition its assets, moving them away from threats or to new areas of interest. This requires revolutionary advances in propulsion, refueling, and autonomous operations. The companies in this cohort are building the technologies to make spacecraft more mobile, agile, and resilient.

Apech Labs

Apech Labs specializes in applied mechatronics, which is a field that combines mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering. For space applications, this expertise translates into creating the high-precision components necessary for sustained maneuver. The company develops advanced systems for docking, which is the foundational technology for any in-space refueling or servicing. It also focuses on actuation systems, which are the motors and mechanisms that allow a spacecraft to move its solar arrays, robotic arms, or thruster nozzles. These components must be incredibly reliable, capable of operating in the extreme cold and vacuum of space, and are essential for giving a satellite the physical ability to maneuver and interact with other objects.

BlackStar Orbital Technologies

BlackStar Orbital Technologies is developing a new class of hypersonic vehicle that it calls a “SpaceDrone.” This vehicle is a reusable, satellite-spaceplane hybrid. It’s designed to launch on a traditional rocket, operate in low Earth orbit (LEO) like a satellite, and then return to Earth, landing like a plane on a conventional runway. This capability is a game-changer for sustained operations. It allows for the rapid deployment of payloads, intelligence-gathering missions, and, most importantly, the ability to bring assets back for refurbishment and reuse. For sustained maneuver, this technology provides a way to rapidly replenish or replace assets in orbit without the high cost and long lead times of traditional, disposable satellites.

CisLunar Industries USA

CisLunar Industries USA is focused on building an in-space industrial economy, and a key part of its strategy is processing materials in orbit. For the SSM cohort, its most relevant technology is its work on power-processing hardware and in-space manufacturing. Sustained maneuver requires immense power for advanced propulsion systems, such as Hall thrusters. CisLunar Industries develops the sophisticated power processing units (PPUs) that condition and control the flow of electricity from solar arrays to these high-efficiency thrusters, enabling long-duration, fuel-efficient maneuver. Their work on materials processing also points to a future where spacecraft components or even propellants could be manufactured in orbit.

Dark Fission Space Systems

Dark Fission Space Systems is tackling one of the biggest challenges in space propulsion: power. The company is developing nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) systems. An NTP rocket uses a small nuclear reactor to heat a liquid propellant, such as liquid hydrogen, to extreme temperatures, creating a highly efficient and powerful thrust. This technology offers a massive leap in capability over traditional chemical rockets. For sustained space maneuver, an NTP system would allow a large spacecraft to perform rapid, high-speed maneuvers across vast distances, such as moving from LEO to geostationary orbit or cislunar space in a fraction of the time it currently takes. This provides an unmatched level of tactical mobility.

Flight Works

Flight Works Inc. is a pioneer in the field of fluid-handling components for space. While it may sound simple, moving fluids in microgravity is extremely difficult. Flight Works designs and manufactures the advanced micropumps, valves, and electronics needed for next-generation space systems. This technology is critical for sustained maneuver because it is the backbone of in-space refueling. Their pumps can precisely transfer volatile propellants from a tanker to an operational satellite, allowing it to be “gassed up” in orbit to extend its life and continue maneuvering. The company’s pumps are also used in the propulsion systems of small satellites, giving them the mobility they never had before.

Katalyst Space Technologies

Katalyst Space Technologies is focused on providing “upgrades” to satellites that are already in orbit. Many existing, high-value satellites were not designed to be serviced or moved. Katalyst is developing systems that can be installed on these “unprepared” satellites by a robotic servicer. One of its key products is a system that adds real-time space domain awareness (SDA), giving the host satellite high-performance optics to identify and avoid orbital hazards. This ability to “bolt on” new capabilities, including new sensors or even propulsion modules, is a key enabler for sustained maneuver, as it allows the Space Force to upgrade its legacy fleet for a more dynamic environment.

Momentus Space

Momentus Space provides in-space infrastructure services, acting as a “last-mile” delivery provider for satellites. The company’s Vigoride orbital transfer vehicle (OTV) is designed to carry multiple small satellites from a rocket’s main drop-off point to their precise, custom orbits. This is a key part of the maneuver puzzle. The Vigoride is powered by a unique water-based plasma propulsion system, which is safer and more sustainable than traditional propellants. By providing this “in-space tug” service, Momentus allows satellite operators to place their assets in optimal positions and can also be used to move existing satellites to new orbits, directly supporting the goals of the SSM cohort.

Plasma Controls

Plasma Controls develops specialized hardware for plasma-based systems. This technology is directly applicable to electric propulsion, which is a highly efficient form of in-space propulsion ideal for sustained maneuver. Electric thrusters, like Hall thrusters, use plasma (an energized gas) to generate thrust. Plasma Controls builds components like hollow cathodes, which are essential for creating and neutralizing the plasma, acting as the “igniter” and “throttle” for the thruster. By improving the performance and longevity of these critical components, the company helps create propulsion systems that can operate for thousands of hours, enabling a satellite to perform maneuvers for its entire lifespan.

Rhea Space Activity

Rhea Space Activity (RSA) is an astrophysics and technology company that applies advanced scientific concepts to national security challenges. For sustained maneuver, RSA develops disruptive technologies in fields like guidance, navigation, and control (GNC). One of its key projects involves using celestial objects, like pulsars, for navigation in deep space or in GPS-denied environments. This provides a spacecraft with a way to know its precise location autonomously, without relying on signals from Earth. This autonomous navigation is a prerequisite for any spacecraft that needs to maneuver freely and respond to threats without waiting for commands from the ground.

Xtenti

Xtenti is a space logistics company that is, in its own words, “reaching forward” to create new ways of accessing and operating in space. The company builds hardware that makes launch and deployment more flexible. This includes its FANTM-RiDE family of products, which are advanced payload adapters and deployment systems. These adapters allow multiple satellites of different sizes to be integrated onto a single rocket more efficiently. For sustained maneuver, this technology is part of the “responsive” side of the equation. It allows the Space Force to rapidly reconfigure a launch, quickly integrating the exact satellites needed to respond to a new threat or to replenish a depleted constellation.

Digital Spaceport of the Future

The launch process is one of the most complex and time-consuming parts of any space mission. A traditional spaceport relies on thousands of manual processes, physical checklists, and disconnected data systems. The “Digital Spaceport of the Future” cohort is dedicated to completely overhauling this paradigm. The goal is to create a fully integrated, automated, and data-driven spaceport. This “digital twin” of the launch base would allow for virtual testing, AI-driven scheduling, autonomous range safety, and rapid mission processing. This transformation is essential for enabling the Space Force to launch assets on-demand in days or hours, not months.

Beast Code

Beast Code is a software company that specializes in aggregating and visualizing complex data. Their platform, Beast Core, is designed to take information from many different sources – such as engineering blueprints (CAD models), maintenance manuals, and sensor metadata – and combine it into a single, intuitive 3D viewer. For a digital spaceport, this is a foundational technology. It would allow launch crews, engineers, and commanders to see a complete, interactive “digital twin” of a rocket, its payload, and all the ground support equipment in one place. This streamlines training, maintenance, and pre-launch checks, replacing paper binders with an augmented-reality-ready digital model.

Black Rock

Black Rock Engineering & Technology focuses on modernizing complex government systems, especially in the realm of cybersecurity and compliance. A digital spaceport isn’t just about cool visuals; it’s a piece of critical infrastructure that must be secure. Black Rock’s expertise lies in helping Department of Defense (DoD) systems achieve their “Authority to Operate” (ATO), which is the formal certification that a system is secure and safe to use. They help navigate the complexities of Zero Trust architecture and other security standards, ensuring that the new digital spaceport is resilient against cyber-attacks from day one.

Colvin Run

Colvin Run is an artificial intelligence and data science company. Their specialty is turning massive, complex datasets into actionable insights. A modern spaceport generates a staggering amount of data, from weather patterns and telemetry from the rocket to the status of thousands of ground-level sensors. Colvin Run builds the AI software that can analyze all of this information in real-time. This could be used to predict the best time to launch, identify a failing component before it breaks, or optimize the flow of personnel and equipment on the launch pad, making the entire operation more efficient and predictable.

Federated Wireless

Federated Wireless is a leader in wireless technology, particularly in shared spectrum services like CBRS(Citizens Broadband Radio Service). A digital spaceport needs a digital infrastructure, and that means reliable, high-speed, and secure wireless connectivity everywhere. Wires are impractical on a vast launch complex. Federated Wireless provides the technology to build a private 5G network across the spaceport. This network would connect everything from handheld tablets and augmented reality headsets to autonomous vehicles and sensors on the launch tower, providing the essential data link that makes a truly digital and mobile operation possible.

Lifescale Analytics

Lifescale Analytics is a full-service data and technology consulting firm. They specialize in helping large organizations, including government agencies, build the foundational strategy for their data. Creating a digital spaceport is not just a technical problem; it’s a human and organizational one. Lifescale Analytics helps design the “data-driven” culture, figuring out what data needs to be collected, how it should be stored and governed, and how to ensure its quality. They build the strategic roadmap that aligns the people, processes, and technology, ensuring the digital transformation is successful and sustainable.

Parry Labs

Parry Labs is a key player in what is known as Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA). This is a DoD-wide initiative to stop building “closed” systems where all the hardware and software are proprietary. Parry Labs creates the open-architecture digital backbone for mission systems. For a digital spaceport, their technology would act as a universal translator, allowing new software, sensors, or communications gear from any vendor to be “plugged in” to the spaceport’s main operating system. This prevents vendor lock-in and allows the spaceport to be rapidly upgraded with the best new technology as it becomes available.

Rise 8

Rise 8 is a software development company that partners with government agencies to deliver “mission-critical” software at startup speed. They are experts in modern software practices like DevSecOps, which integrates security and testing directly into the development process. This is essential for a digital spaceport, which cannot tolerate buggy code. Rise 8 helps build the “software factories” that allow the Space Force to continuously update and improve the spaceport’s operating system, fix bugs in hours instead of months, and rapidly deploy new applications to operators on the ground, all while maintaining the highest levels of security and reliability.

SiloTech Group

SiloTech Group is a digital transformation and modernization firm with a strong focus on cybersecurity, cloud services, and 5G technology. Their role in a digital spaceport is to build and secure the underlying IT infrastructure. This includes migrating legacy systems to a modern cloud environment, which makes the data accessible from anywhere and scalable. They also provide expertise in API security, ensuring that all the different software components of the digital spaceport can communicate with each other without opening up vulnerabilities. They help build the secure, resilient cloud foundation upon which the entire digital spaceport operates.

UTSI International

The University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI) is a graduate education and research institution. As an academic partner in this cohort, UTSI brings world-class expertise in aerospace engineering, propulsion, and systems modeling. Their role is to provide the deep technical and research-driven insights needed to build a digital spaceport. This could include creating high-fidelity physics-based models of rocket launches, developing new AI algorithms for autonomous systems, and acting as a testbed for new digital-twin concepts. They provide the foundational science and workforce development that underpins the entire effort.

Veteran Enterprise Technology Services

Veteran Enterprise Technology Services (VETS) is a company that provides specialized technical and engineering solutions to the DoD. They are positioned to deliver cost-effective and specialized solutions for the digital spaceport. This could involve providing the on-site technical experts and engineers who help install, integrate, and test the new digital systems. They bridge the gap between the software developers and the physical hardware of the launch range, providing the hands-on expertise needed to make the digital vision a physical reality.

Alternative Positioning, Navigation, & Timing

Modern civilization runs on Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) data, which is provided almost exclusively by the Global Positioning System (GPS) and other Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). This reliance on a single, space-based signal creates a critical vulnerability. These signals can be jammed, spoofed, or simply unavailable in dense urban canyons or indoors. The Alternative PNT (AltPNT) cohort is tasked with developing a suite of new technologies that can provide PNT information without relying on GPS. This involves quantum sensors, new types of satellites, and clever software that can use “signals of opportunity” (like TV or Wi-Fi) to determine a location.

AOSense

AOSense is a leader in quantum sensing. The company is commercializing “atom-optic” technology, which uses lasers to cool and manipulate atoms to measure acceleration, rotation, and time with exquisite precision. They are building portable atomic clocks and inertial measurement units (IMUs) that are far more accurate than traditional systems. An advanced IMU can “dead reckon” a user’s position from a known starting point, but tiny errors add up quickly. AOSense’s quantum sensors reduce this “drift” significantly, allowing a missile, ship, or soldier to navigate accurately for long periods in a GPS-denied environment.

ASEI

Applied Systems Engineering Inc. (ASEI) is a specialist in GPS and Inertial Navigation System (INS) engineering. They are on the front lines of creating practical AltPNT solutions for military systems. Their “Advanced Tactical Navigator” (ATACNAV) is a high-accuracy navigation system designed specifically to work in GPS-denied environments. It’s a hybrid solution that fuses data from multiple sources. It integrates a high-quality IMU with M-Code GPS (the military’s encrypted signal) and a GNSS receiver that can access non-GPS constellations like Galileo or GLONASS. It can even produce a “pseudo-GPS” signal to keep other onboard systems functioning.

Devorito Corporation

Devorito Corporation is one of the companies participating in the AltPNT cohort. As a member of this group, its work is focused on contributing to the development of new sensors, data sources, or processing techniques to improve the resilience of PNT for the U.S. Space Force. The company is collaborating with SpaceWERX and Space Systems Command to explore new ways to complement and enhance the current GPS architecture, ensuring that military and commercial users can maintain access to accurate positioning and timing even when traditional signals are compromised.

Infinity Systems Engineering

Infinity Systems Engineering is a company with deep expertise in mission operations, payload integration, and space systems. Their role in the AltPNT cohort is likely focused on the systems integration side. A robust AltPNT solution isn’t just one sensor; it’s a “system of systems.” Infinity Systems Engineering provides the expertise to integrate these new PNT technologies – such as quantum clocks, LEO PNT receivers, and advanced software – onto existing satellites and ground systems. They ensure all the new components can talk to each other and work reliably as a unified, resilient PNT architecture for the Space Force.

ISSI

Innovative Scientific Solutions, Inc. (ISSI) is a research and development company with a diverse portfolio. While they are known for advanced sensor systems, their nuclear division has explicit expertise in “guidance, navigation, and control (GNC), position navigation and timing (PNT)” for strategic military systems. ISSI has proposed a “robust, multi-sensor ALT-PNT system” that integrates high-precision IMUs, multiple GNSSreceivers, radar-based navigation, and advanced sensor-fusion algorithms. This hybrid approach is designed to provide a continuous and reliable PNT solution by seamlessly blending all available data.

M Squared

M Squared is a leading developer of photonic and quantum technologies. Their core business is building advanced laser systems that are the heart of quantum technology. These lasers are used to power quantum gravimeters (which measure gravity), accelerometers, and atomic clocks. As a member of the AltPNT cohort, M Squared provides the foundational hardware for the next generation of quantum navigation. Their compact, stable, and robust laser systems are what enable companies like AOSense to build field-deployable quantum sensors that can operate outside of a pristine lab environment, bringing this revolutionary navigation technology to the warfighter.

NAVSYS Corporation

NAVSYS Corporation is a small business that has been a pioneer in PNT technology for decades. They are experts in every facet of the problem. Their work includes developing high-performance GPS/inertial software (InterNav®) that can be embedded into customer systems. They are also leaders in “Network Assisted PNT,” which uses tactical radios and other communication networks to distribute PNT data and aid GPS receivers in jammed environments. They also develop “Signals of Opportunity” (SoOP) receivers, which can use non-navigational signals (like Iridium satellite broadcasts) to calculate a position, providing a completely independent backup to GPS.

nou Systems

nou Systems, Inc. is a systems engineering and data analysis company that supports the DoD in areas like missile defense, cybersecurity, and space control. Their role in the AltPNT cohort is to provide the high-level modeling, simulation, and assessment of these new PNT architectures. They can model how a new AltPNT system will perform in a full-scale battlefield scenario, how vulnerable it is to new threats, and how it integrates with existing military command and control systems. They help the Space Force make data-driven decisions about which technologies to invest in and how to deploy them.

Polaris Sensor Technologies

Polaris Sensor Technologies, Inc. specializes in optical systems, particularly those related to polarization. This expertise in light and optics is a key part of the AltPNT solution set. Navigation isn’t just about radio signals. Optical systems like star trackers are used on spacecraft to determine their orientation (attitude) with incredible precision. This can be extended to navigation, using cameras to identify landmarks on the ground (terrain navigation) or the positions of stars (celestial navigation). Polaris develops the advanced optical sensors and processing techniques that enable these “vision-based” navigation methods, which cannot be jammed like GPS.

Rhoman Aerospace

Rhoman Aerospace develops innovative flight control software for drones and other autonomous vehicles. A key feature of their technology is “Synthetic GPS & Vision Navigation.” This is an AltPNT solution that allows a drone to continue its mission when its GPS signal is lost. Their software seamlessly fuses data from an IMU with information from a camera. By tracking features on the ground (a technique called visual-inertial odometry), the system can build a synthetic picture of its own movement and location, allowing it to navigate and hold its position with high precision, completely independent of GNSS.

Slingshot Aerospace

Slingshot Aerospace is a company focused on space domain awareness (SDA) and space traffic coordination. They build platforms that ingest data from a global network of sensors to create a “common operating picture” of everything in orbit. This data is itself a powerful PNT tool. By tracking all objects in space, including satellites and debris, Slingshot’s platform provides the foundational data for “space PNT” – knowing where every asset is at all times. This is essential for collision avoidance, but it also provides a global reference grid that can be used by other spacecraft for navigation.

StarNav

StarNav is a company dedicated to building the hardware and software to convert “signals of opportunity” (SoOP) into a reliable navigation source. Their receivers are designed to listen for any available radio signal in the environment – such as Wi-Fi, cell phone towers, or satellite communication broadcasts – and use them to calculate a position. This is a very resilient form of AltPNT because an adversary cannot jam all of these signals at once. StarNav’s technology provides a robust “backup to the backup,” ensuring that a PNT signal is available from the multitude of signals already in the air.

Terasense

Terasense is a company that develops cameras and sensors that operate in the terahertz (THz) frequency range of the electromagnetic spectrum. Terahertz waves fall between microwaves and infrared, and they have unique properties. They can pass through materials like dust, fog, and even some clothing, making them useful for security screening and non-destructive testing. For AltPNT, this technology could be used to build advanced landing sensors. A terahertz radar or imager could allow a helicopter or spacecraft to navigate and land safely in a complete “brownout” caused by dust or smoke, an environment where GPS is unreliable and traditional optical or lidar sensors would fail.

Trident Sensing

Trident Sensing develops state-of-the-art satellite communications and data systems. They are a partner with Iridium, whose constellation of LEO satellites provides global voice and data services. These LEO signals are much stronger than GPS signals and come from satellites moving rapidly across the sky, making them harder to jam. The signals themselves can be used as an alternative source for PNT. Trident Sensing’s expertise in building the receivers and terminals for these satellite systems makes them a key partner in harnessing this LEO constellation as a robust and resilient AltPNT solution.

TRL11

TRL11 is a company that specializes in advanced, space-based video solutions. They are developing high-definition, low-latency video systems designed for the space environment. This technology is a critical component of vision-based navigation. For rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking (RPOD), a high-quality video feed is essential for both autonomous and human-in-the-loop control. TRL11’s “Triclops” three-camera system is designed for these missions, providing the “eyes” for a servicing spacecraft. This same technology can be used for AltPNT by tracking stars (celestial navigation) or ground features (terrain navigation).

Trustpoint

Trustpoint is developing a fully commercial “GPS alternative” to provide secure and high-accuracy PNT services from low Earth orbit (LEO). Their LEO constellation will broadcast next-generation signals that are stronger, more secure, and more accurate than existing systems. They are also developing a “Proof-of-Position” service, which is a new security capability that allows a user to cryptographically prove their location to a third party. This is a complete, end-to-end AltPNT architecture designed to complement GPS and provide a trusted, resilient, and commercially available PNT source for both military and civilian applications.

Xairos

Xairos is a quantum technology company focused on one of the hardest parts of PNT: timing. They are developing a “global resilient space-based timing architecture” using a patented protocol called “Quantum Time Transfer” (QTT). This system uses entangled photons to synchronize atomic clocks around the world with sub-nanosecond accuracy. This “timing-as-a-service” is a fundamental utility. It can provide a GPS-independent time standard for critical infrastructure like 5G networks, power grids, and financial systems, and it provides the ultra-precise time baseline required for all other AltPNT solutions to function.

Xona

Xona is another company building a next-generation PNT service from LEO. Their Pulsar constellation is designed to deliver “navigational intelligence” with centimeter-level accuracy. The LEO-based signals are encrypted, authenticated, and over 100 times more powerful than GPS, making them highly resistant to jamming and spoofing. The unique LEO architecture also allows their signal to be received in difficult environments like urban canyons or even indoors, where traditional GNSS fails. This is a commercially-driven, high-performance solution that provides a robust alternative and augmentation to existing PNT systems.

Tactically Responsive Space

The Space Force mission requires the ability to respond to on-orbit events at “tactical” speeds, meaning days or hours, not months or years. The Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) cohort is focused on building the complete ecosystem for this capability. This goes beyond just launching a rocket quickly. It includes the rapid manufacturing of satellites, the ability to process and fuel them at a moment’s notice, the autonomous software to command them, and the ground systems to support them. This is a “whole-of-industry” effort to create an “end-to-end” responsive capability, from the factory floor to orbit.

Agile Space Industries

Agile Space Industries is a key partner for the TacRS cohort due to its specialization in rapid, in-house manufacturing of chemical propulsion systems. They use additive manufacturing (3D printing) to design, build, and test rocket engines and thrusters in weeks instead of years. This “rapid iteration” philosophy is the essence of TacRS. They provide the high-performance, custom thrusters that allow a satellite to perform its mission, and they can deliver them on a timeline that matches the “responsive” mandate. This means the Space Force can develop and deploy a new satellite for a specific, urgent need without waiting for a traditional, long-lead propulsion system.

Apex Space

Apex Space & Defense Systems contributes to the TacRS mission through its long history of manufacturing advanced spacecraft components. With over 40 years of experience, Apex builds critical composite structures, such as solar array panels, structural supports, and even landing legs for reusable rockets. For a responsive space capability, the ability to manufacture these core structural components quickly, reliably, and domestically is essential. Apex provides the high-performance, lightweight structures that form the “bus” or chassis of the satellite, enabling the rapid assembly of spacecraft that are the heart of the TacRS mission.

Argo Space Corp

Argo Space Corp is developing a reusable, water-propelled orbital transfer vehicle (OTV). Their vision is to decouple “transport through space from transport to space.” This is a key concept for TacRS. A responsive mission may require a satellite to be placed in a very specific, hard-to-reach orbit. Argo’s “space tug” would be able to pick up a satellite after a “responsive launch” to LEO and quickly move it to its final destination, whether that’s geostationary orbit (GEO) or cislunar space. This provides the in-orbit maneuverability that complements the rapid launch on the ground.

Gravitics

Gravitics is building large-scale space infrastructure, and its “Orbital Carrier” concept is a direct answer to the TacRS challenge. An Orbital Carrier is a large spacecraft designed to pre-position multiple, smaller maneuverable vehicles in orbit. It acts as an “aircraft carrier in space” for “emergency response, and threat protection.” This allows the Space Force to have assets already in space, ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice to a crisis area without the delay of a launch. This “in-space rapid response” is a core tenet of a fully realized TacRS architecture.

Impulse Space

Impulse Space, founded by a co-founder of SpaceX‘s propulsion division, is a leader in “last-mile” in-space transportation. They are building a family of high-performance OTVs, including “Mira” and “Helios,” which are designed to perform the orbital maneuvers that a launch vehicle cannot. For TacRS, Impulse provides the agile “kick stage” that can take a responsively-launched payload and precisely insert it into any orbit, or move an existing asset to a new location. This provides the in-space logistics and maneuverability needed to make a responsive launch tactically useful.

K2 Space

K2 Space is developing a new class of large, high-capability satellite buses designed for low-cost, high-volume production. Their stated goal is to go from “procurement to spacecraft readiness” in under three months. This rapid production schedule is a fundamental enabler of TacRS. If a conflict or crisis requires a new satellite with a specific capability, the Space Force can’t wait two years for a traditional satellite to be built. K2 Space is re-engineering the satellite manufacturing process to deliver “mega-class” satellites on a timeline that supports a responsive posture.

MapLarge

MapLarge provides a “Location Intelligence” software platform that is a key component of the TacRS ground segment. Their platform is designed to visualize and analyze massive, real-time datasets for “Aerospace & Defense” clients. It can “support the production operations of… every satellite in orbit.” For a TacRS mission, commanders need to see the complete operational picture: where are the assets, what is the threat, and what is the status of the launch? MapLarge provides the data-fusion and visualization engine that gives operators the situational awareness needed to command and control a rapid response.

O circle

O circle is a member of the Tactically Responsive Space cohort. As a participant in this initiative, the company is focused on developing technologies that contribute to the “end-to-end” ecosystem for rapid space operations. This involves working alongside other cohort members to build the infrastructure, hardware, and software necessary to reduce U.S. Space Force response times from months to days. The company’s project is aimed at enhancing the nation’s ability to replenish assets, deploy new capabilities, and augment existing systems during a crisis.

Portal Space

Portal Space is developing advanced spacecraft designed for high maneuverability and refueling in orbits from Earth to the Moon. Their flagship vehicle, “Supernova,” is engineered for high delta-v (change in velocity), which is the measure of a spacecraft’s ability to maneuver. This technology would allow a responsively-launched asset to perform significant orbital changes once in space, such as chasing a threat or relocating to a new vantage point. Their focus on refuelability also aligns with the “sustained” aspect of TacRS, enabling a responsive asset to remain operational for extended periods.

SpaceRigs

SpaceRigs provides the critical “ground-side” infrastructure for TacRS. They are building a “space vehicle processing, testing and handling service” for an era of frequent and responsive launch. Their innovative products include a fully transportable thermal vacuum (TVAC) chamber and rapid, automated propellant-loading systems. This means that instead of a satellite having to be shipped to a large, fixed processing facility, the facility can be brought to the satellite or the launch pad. This “launch pad as a service” capability drastically cuts down on ground processing time, which is one of the biggest bottlenecks in responsive launch.

True Anomaly

True Anomaly is a defense technology company “focused exclusively on space defense” and a central player in the TacRS concept. They are building the “Jackal,” a multi-role “tactical fighter-interceptor” for space, and “Mosaic,” the autonomous software platform to control it. Their approach is to build “spacecraft, software, and payloads” designed from the ground up for a contested environment. This provides the Space Force with a purpose-built “tactical” asset that can be responsively launched to perform rendezvous, inspection, and space-superiority missions.

Varda Space Industries

Varda Space Industries is pioneering in-space manufacturing, but a key part of their business model is reentry. They are one of the few companies in the world focused on building reentry capsules that can bring products manufactured in orbit back to Earth. This “return” capability is a unique but important part of the TacRS ecosystem. It not only enables an in-space manufacturing pipeline but also provides a “rapid return” capability. This could be used to bring back reconnaissance data, experimental results, or other critical items from orbit on a responsive timeline.

Xtenti

Xtenti is a space logistics company whose inclusion in the TacRS cohort (as “Xenti”) underscores the importance of flexible launch integration. As in the SSM cohort, Xtenti’s expertise in building payload adapters and deployers is critical. For TacRS, a launch vehicle may need to be “manifested” (loaded) in hours. Xtenti’s “FANTM-RiDE” family of hardware provides the modular, “plug-and-play” interfaces that allow payloads to be quickly and securely attached to a rocket, eliminating a major time-sink in the traditional launch-preparation process.

Orbital Prime

The “Orbital Prime” cohort is one of the most ambitious initiatives, operating as an alumni cohort to transition its technologies. It is focused on invigorating the market for On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (OSAM). This is the “blue sky” future of space operations. “Servicing” involves repairing, refueling, or upgrading satellites in orbit. “Assembly” means building large structures in space, like space stations or massive antennas, that are too big to launch on a single rocket. “Manufacturing” involves using the unique microgravityenvironment to produce materials, like fiber optics or pharmaceuticals, that are impossible to make on Earth. Orbital Prime is building the foundational technologies for this new in-space economy.

Above Space

Above Space (formerly Orbital Assembly) is working to build the large-scale infrastructure for the in-space economy. The company is developing scalable, automated platforms and, as its long-term vision, commercial space stations with artificial gravity. For Orbital Prime, their “Prometheus” and “Archimedes” platforms are designed to be the on-orbit factories and testbeds for ISAM. They provide the power, communications, and robotic capabilities to host manufacturing payloads or assemble new structures, acting as the on-orbit “workbenches” that other Orbital Prime companies can use.

Acellent Technologies

Acellent Technologies provides a critical enabling technology for in-space assembly: Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). When a structure is assembled in space, it’s impossible to “knock on it” to see if it’s sound. Acellent’s “SMART Layer®” technology is a thin film packed with sensors that can be permanently attached to or embedded within a structure. This sensor network acts as a nervous system, constantly monitoring the structure’s integrity, detecting damage from impacts (micrometeoroids), and assessing its condition. This is essential for certifying that any in-space-assembled structure is safe and operational.

Altius Space Machines

Altius Space Machines, a subsidiary of Voyager Space, is a leader in the robotic hardware that makes ISAM possible. Their most famous technology is their Electropermanent Magnet (EPM) docking system. EPMs are “switchable” magnets that require no power to stay “on” or “off,” making them perfect for space. This technology allows a robotic servicer to firmly grasp a client satellite without complex mechanical latches. Altius has built an entire suite of ISAM hardware around this, including their “DogTag™” universal grapple fixture and tools for “in-space propellant transfer,” making them a foundational hardware provider for the entire servicing industry.

Antaris

Antaris is a software company that is streamlining the design and operation of satellites. Their cloud-based platform provides tools for “rapid mission and spacecraft design,” a “TrueTwin™” simulation environment, and a satellite operating system (SatOS™). For ISAM, this is a revolutionary software-first approach. It allows engineers to design, simulate, and “fly” a complex robotic servicing or assembly mission entirely in a digital environment before a single piece of hardware is built. This drastically reduces the cost and risk of these complex missions, making ISAM more accessible and commercially viable.

Arkisys

Arkisys is developing “The Port,” a modular and robotic orbital outpost that acts as a “lighthouse on orbit” for the in-space economy. The Port is designed from the ground up to support ISAM. It’s a reconfigurable platform where other spacecraft can dock. It will use robotic arms to service, repair, and refuel client satellites. It will also be used to “assemble and integrate” new, larger space platforms from smaller, modular components. Arkisys is, in effect, building the orbital construction yard and service depot that Orbital Prime envisions.

Atomos Space

Atomos Space is an in-space logistics company building orbital transfer vehicles (OTVs) to move satellites between orbits. Their “Quark” OTVs are designed to perform the “last-mile” delivery, but their technology is also critical for “servicing.” The company is actively working on rendezvous technology under Orbital Prime contracts. This autonomous rendezvous and docking capability is the first and most difficult step in any servicing mission. Atomos is also developing advanced propulsion, including nuclear-based systems, that will give its OTVs the power to move large assets, supporting future assembly and servicing missions.

Big Metal Additive

Big Metal Additive (BMA) is a ground-based company with a capability directly relevant to in-space assembly. BMA has one of the world’s largest and most sophisticated “metal hybrid additive manufacturing” systems. They can 3D-print and machine massive metal parts, like structural components for rockets and spacecraft, with a 6-by-12-foot work envelope. Their expertise in large-scale, automated “hybrid” manufacturing (which combines additive printing and subtractive machining) provides the essential knowledge base and pathfinding for how to build large, load-bearing metal structures in orbit.

City Labs

City Labs provides a unique enabling technology for long-duration space missions: nuclear batteries. Their “betavoltaic” batteries use Tritium, a safe isotope of hydrogen, to generate small amounts of continuous, reliable power for over 20 years. This is a game-changer for ISAM. Robotic platforms, autonomous sensors on assembled structures, or lunar outposts need to operate for decades without maintenance. City Labs’ batteries can provide this “always-on” power for critical systems, especially in dark, cold environments like the lunar poles where solar power is unreliable.

ControlX

ControlX Engineering is an industrial automation and control systems integrator. They specialize in the high-reliability programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and SCADA systems that run on-ground manufacturing plants, robotic assembly lines, and power grids. This expertise is directly applicable to ISAM. A robotic arm assembling a space station or a system processing regolith on the Moon is an industrial process. ControlX provides the expertise to build the robust, reliable, and standards-based control software that will be the “industrial operating system” for these in-space factories and robots.

Critical Innovations

Critical Innovations is a medical research and development company, which makes it a unique member of the Orbital Prime cohort. Their focus is on creating cutting-edge medical devices for military and emergency environments, such as automated trauma-care systems. Their inclusion in an ISAM cohort points to the “Assembly” portion of the mission: the assembly of human-rated space stations. A long-duration human presence in space, which ISAM will enable, requires advanced medical facilities. Critical Innovations’ expertise in “task-shifting” complex medical procedures to automated devices is a key technology for providing autonomous medical care to astronauts.

Exploration Laboratories (ExLabs)

ExLabs is a deep-space company building a modular and autonomous spacecraft called SERV (Science, Exploration and Resource Vehicle). SERV is a “nuclear-ready” platform designed to operate from GEO to cislunar space and beyond. This is an ISAM platform. Its modular design means it can be configured for different missions, including rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO), asteroid prospecting, and hosting payloads. It is a prime example of an “assembled” system, a foundational piece of infrastructure that will enable servicing, resource utilization, and other ISAM activities in deep space.

GreenSight

GreenSight is a robotics and AI company whose primary business is autonomous drones for agriculture. However, their core technology, developed with significant Air Force funding, is in “resilient networked distributed mosaic communications” and autonomous inspection. This is the technology for coordinating “swarms” of autonomous robots. For ISAM, this is critical. Assembling a large structure in space will require multiple robotic arms and servicing vehicles to work together. GreenSight’s “mosaic” communications and AIprovide the “beehive mind” to coordinate these multiple assets, allowing them to collaborate on a single assembly task.

GridRaster

GridRaster provides a cloud-based platform for “spatial computing” and “digital twins,” specifically for the aerospace and defense industry. Their technology combines AI with augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR). For ISAM, this allows an operator on Earth to wear a headset and “see” a photorealistic, real-time 3D model of the robotic servicer and client satellite in orbit. They could plan a complex repair or assembly maneuver in this “digital twin” simulation, or even control the robot remotely in an intuitive, immersive 3D environment, as if they were floating right next to it.

iMetalx Group

iMetalx Group is a space technology company explicitly “focused on providing In-space servicing solutions for governments and businesses.” They are developing the core technologies for ISAM, including AI-driven reinforcement learning for autonomous control, and the “Guidance, Navigation, and Control” (GNC) systems that allow a satellite to operate autonomously. Their work provides the “brains” for a servicing spacecraft, enabling it to rendezvous with, inspect, and interact with a client satellite without moment-to-moment control from a human on the ground.

Inversion Space

Inversion Space provides the “return” capability for the in-space manufacturing economy. The company is building autonomous reentry vehicles, “Ray” and “Arc,” that act as orbital shipping containers. These capsules are designed to “enable precision delivery of cargo and effects from space… to anywhere on Earth in under an hour.” For the “Manufacturing” part of ISAM, this is the missing link. A company can use the microgravityenvironment to manufacture valuable goods (like perfect crystals or fiber optics), but they need a way to get them back. Inversion provides this high-cadence, affordable “down-mass” capability.

Kall Morris Inc. (KMI)

Kall Morris Inc. (KMI) is a space solutions company focused on the “Servicing” part of ISAM, with a specialty in “rendezvous, retrieval, and relocation services.” Their primary focus is on managing the risk of orbital debris. They are developing the hardware and software to capture and de-orbit “dead” satellites and other hazardous objects. This “orbital debris removal” is a key servicing mission, as it protects high-value assets (like an assembled space station) from catastrophic collisions. KMI is, in effect, the “tow-truck” and “waste management” service for the in-space economy.

Lexset.ai

Lexset.ai is an AI company that creates high-fidelity “synthetic data” for training computer vision models. Computer vision (CV) is what allows a robot to “see” and understand its environment. For an ISAM robot, the CV model must be able to identify a specific bolt, fuel port, or grapple fixture on a client satellite. It’s too expensive to launch satellites just for training. Lexset’s “Seahaven” platform generates physically-accurate, simulated sensor data (RGB, infrared, etc.) to train these AI models on the ground, so the robot’s “eyes” work perfectly the first time it’s in orbit.

Lunar Outpost

Lunar Outpost is a leader in developing robotics and infrastructure for the lunar surface. They are building the “MAPP” robotic rovers for exploration and the “Eagle” vehicle to support a “sustainable human presence on other planetary bodies.” Their work is the “Assembly” and “Servicing” part of ISAM, just applied to the Moon. They are developing the technologies to build and maintain a lunar base, perform resource extraction, and support human crews. This is a key part of Orbital Prime’s vision, which extends ISAM beyond Earth orbit.

Lunar Resources

Lunar Resources, Inc. is an industrial technology company focused on “in-situ resource utilization” (ISRU), which means living off the land in space. Their primary focus is on “Welding In space” and “Extraction of Metals and Oxygen from Lunar Soil.” They are developing the industrial processes (like advanced electrochemistry) to turn lunar regolith (soil) into usable materials: oxygen (for breathing and propellant), aluminum, iron, and silicon. This is the ultimate “Manufacturing” in space, creating the raw materials for in-space assembly from local resources.

Martian Sky

Martian Sky Industries is a space robotics company that is “working directly with government and industry partners to progress the satellite servicing market.” Their expertise is in the software that enables ISAM: “advanced computer vision, machine learning, data generation, and mission simulations.” Like Lexset and GridRaster, they are building the AI-driven “brains” and simulation tools that allow autonomous robots to make decisions, navigate complex environments, and perform critical servicing tasks, enhancing “situational awareness” for mission-critical scenarios.

Metis Design Corp

Metis Design Corporation is a structural health monitoring (SHM) company, similar to Acellent. They develop “Novel distributed sensor networks” and “Nanoengineered Materials” to monitor the health of advanced composite structures. For “Assembly” in space, this technology is essential. As large, lightweight composite structures are assembled in orbit, Metis Design’s sensors would be integrated to provide a real-time data feed on the structure’s health, stress, and integrity, ensuring the safety and longevity of these new, large-scale orbital assets.

Orbit Fab

Orbit Fab is one of the most visible companies in the ISAM sector, building “Gas Stations in Space™.” They are a “spacecraft refueling” company. They have developed the “RAFTI™” refueling interface, a “gas cap” that they are providing to satellite manufacturers, and they are building a fleet of “fuel shuttles” to deliver propellant to these RAFTI-equipped spacecraft in orbit. This “in-space fuel delivery” is the most fundamental “Servicing” mission, and it’s the technology that will “break the single-use satellite paradigm,” enabling all other sustained operations.

Orbital Composites

Orbital Composites is focused on the “Manufacturing” part of ISAM. They are developing “autonomous manufacturing systems” that can 3D print high-performance, large-scale structures using advanced polymers and composites. Their technology is designed to be “forward deployable,” meaning the robotic 3D printer itself can be placed in a factory, at a military base, or in orbit. This would allow the Space Force to “print” “space grade components,” antennas, or structural trusses in space, enabling the “Assembly” of massive systems.

Outpost

Outpost is a company focused on both in-space manufacturing and return. They are developing “reusable orbital shipping containers” (reentry vehicles) that can deliver cargo from orbit to any location on Earth in under 90 minutes. Their second business line is using the microgravity environment to “manufacture ultra-high-performance fiber optics” in space, which are 10-20 times better than terrestrial fiber. Outpost thus provides a complete, end-to-end ISAM service: the in-orbit platform for manufacturing valuable materials, and the reusable vehicle to bring those products home.

Polaron Analytics

Polaron Analytics is a data analytics and AI company that specializes in “computational modeling and simulation services” for government clients. Like Sedaro, their role in Orbital Prime is to provide the high-powered software tools needed to design and de-risk ISAM missions. They build the digital models and run the complex simulations that answer key questions: What is the optimal way to assemble this structure? How will the robot’s arm move? What happens if one component fails? This simulation-first approach saves millions in hardware testing.

Quidient

Quidient is a deep-tech AI company that has developed a “Generalized Scene Reconstruction” (GSR) platform. Their technology can take images from any camera and instantly create a “relightable,” high-accuracy 3D model, complete with information about “shape, dimensions, lighting, and materials.” For a servicing robot in space, this is a superpower. It can approach an unknown or tumbling satellite, take a few pictures, and instantly generate a perfect 3D “digital twin” of it. This allows the robot to “inspect” for damage and precisely plan its grappling or repair maneuvers.

Rebel Space Technologies

Rebel Space Technologies provides the cybersecurity for ISAM. As multiple spacecraft (servicers, clients, assembly robots) begin to interact and dock in orbit, they create new “attack surfaces” for hackers. Rebel Space provides the “enhanced observability and cyber solutions” for these space systems. Their “Seer-Space Solution” is designed to provide “autonomous authentication and secure interoperability” for on-orbit servicing, ensuring that a servicing vehicle is securely “handshaking” with the correct client and that their communications cannot be hijacked or spoofed.

Rogue Space

Rogue Space is an end-to-end “in-space logistics” and servicing company. They are developing a fleet of robotic servicing vehicles called “Orbots™.” These Orbots are designed to perform the full suite of ISAM missions: “Inspection, Observation, & Diagnosis” of other satellites; “Relocation, Debris Removal, & Mission Extension”; and “Co-Location, Manufacturing & Logistics.” They are building the robotic platforms and offering the “turn-key operations” to repair, refuel, move, and de-orbit assets, as well as host in-space manufacturing payloads.

Scientific Systems Company, Inc. (SSCI)

Scientific Systems Company, Inc. (SSCI) is an AI and autonomy company that develops “intelligent autonomous systems” for the DoD. Their key contribution to ISAM is their software for “autonomous, peer-to-peer collaboration and orchestration.” Assembling a large space station will require a “team” of robots. SSCI writes the “teamwork” AI, allowing multiple, distributed robotic assets (servicers, assemblers, inspectors) to coordinate their actions and work together to complete a complex task, all without direct human supervision.

Sedaro

Sedaro provides a cloud-native software platform for “Mission Simulation at Scale.” They are specialists in creating “digital twins” of complex systems. For ISAM, their platform allows an entire organization to collaboratively model and simulate a mission. Engineers can build a “digital twin” of the servicer, the client, and the robotic arm, and then run “faster-than-real-time” simulations of the entire servicing mission in a shared, browser-based environment. This “digital thread” connects the design, testing, and operations phases, dramatically accelerating development.

Simocenter

Simocenter (listed as Simocenter/Orionsol) is an engineering company that provides “end-to-end solutions – from design, analysis, and simulation to manufacturing and testing.” They have in-house capabilities in advanced simulation (like Computational Fluid Dynamics) as well as physical manufacturing (like laser cutting and welding). This “design, simulate, manufacture” vertical integration makes them an ideal partner for Orbital Prime, as they can rapidly prototype, test, and build the custom hardware (like brackets, tools, or structural components) needed for new ISAM missions.

ThermaSat

ThermaSat is an in-space mobility and OSAM (On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing) provider with a unique propulsion technology: steam. They are developing water-based propulsion systems that are “green,” safe, and efficient. More importantly, they are designing a modular spacecraft system called “HotSwap.” This is an open-standard architecture that allows spacecraft subsystems (like propulsion modules, batteries, or sensors) to be “swapped out” in orbit. This is the very definition of “Servicing” and “Assembly,” enabling rapid in-space repairs, upgrades, and construction.

Toyon Research Corp

Toyon Research Corp is a technology development and defense systems analysis company. Their contribution to ISAM comes from their deep expertise in “Algorithm and AI Solutions” and “Autonomous Systems.” They design “advanced multi-platform control systems to support complex, autonomous military missions.” For Orbital Prime, they are developing the advanced AI and GNC algorithms that will give robotic servicers and assemblers their autonomy, allowing them to perceive their environment, make intelligent decisions, and perform precise, complex manipulation tasks.

Wallaroo.ai

Wallaroo.ai provides an “AI inference platform” that is a critical piece of the ISAM software puzzle. It’s one thing to train an AI model (like the computer vision models from Lexset) in the cloud; it’s another thing to run it on the “edge” – in this case, on the low-power computer aboard a spacecraft. Wallaroo’s platform is an “inference engine” that “automates and streamlines deployment across any environment,” including “fully air-gapped” ones. It allows the AI “brains” to run efficiently on the satellite itself, enabling real-time, autonomous decision-making.

Summary

The SpaceWERX Accelerate cohorts represent a focused, strategic effort to solve the U.S. Space Force‘s most significant challenges. The companies and institutions participating in these cohorts are not working in isolation. Their technologies are interconnected, creating a web of innovation.

The propulsion and refueling systems from the Sustained Space Maneuver cohort will be used by the “Orbots” and “OTVs” from the Orbital Prime and Tactically Responsive Space cohorts. The digital-twin and AI software from the Digital Spaceport cohort will be adapted to run the mission-simulation and autonomous-control systems for ISAM. And the resilient hardware and software from the Alternative PNT cohort provides the bulletproof navigation and timing that all of these future, dynamic space systems will depend on.

Together, these innovators are building the foundational hardware, software, and infrastructure for a new era of space operations – one defined by mobility, responsiveness, and a sustainable, in-orbit industrial economy.