An illustration of the Orbital Carrier.
Credit: Gravitics
An aerospace startup in the state of Washington has been awarded $60 million via the US Space Force for its rapid satellite deployment system. Referred to as the Orbital Carrier, the system works a bit like an orbiting aircraft carrier, keeping new satellites positioned for quick launch in the case that a vital satellite becomes inoperable. A demonstration could launch as early as 2026.
Gravitics, which originally aimed to build space habitats for more established aerospace enterprises, announced the deal on its website on Wednesday. Its new funding comes via SpaceWERX, the Space Force’s innovation-focused partnership arm, which is fed by government funds, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) reserves, and private grants and investments.
The partnership will reportedly enable Gravitics to demonstrate and fly its Orbital Carrier. Gravitics has been fairly mum about system specifics, saying only that it’s a “pre-positioned launch pad in space.” The vehicle contains 60 cubic meters (2,119 cubic feet) of volume and can launch up to 10,000 kilograms (22,046 pounds) of cargo; it also looks quite similar to the company’s experimental space station modules, though we’ve mostly seen renderings of both.
Credit: NASA
But the Orbital Carrier is designed to house satellites, not humans. As the lines between space infrastructure and defense continue to blur, the newest branch of the US military is keen on finding a way to launch new satellites when important ones go down (or when they’re targeted by an adversary). The Space Force has figured out how to get a satellite from warehouse to orbit in just 27 hours, but keeping a satellite on deck in orbit could shorten that timeline significantly.
If all goes according to plan, Gravitics’ Orbital Carrier will preposition backup satellites in orbit, keeping them in an unpressurized module until they’re needed. Gravitics hasn’t said how long a satellite could sit there, only that the module will protect the satellite from the harsh thermal realities of space as well as some radiation. The company also claims other nations won’t be able to observe or detect what’s inside the Orbital Carrier at a given time.
“In many ways it’s kind of like what an aircraft carrier does,” Jon Goff, the firm’s director of advanced concepts, told Ars Technica.
Neither Gravitics nor the Space Force have publicly stated a timeline for the Orbital Carrier demonstration, but the former told Ars Technica that the earliest possible launch would be in 2026.