Trusted Space buys Falcon ExoDynamics to pair autonomy with hardware
What's the deal? Trusted SpaceDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a space software company, has acquired Falcon ExoDynamics, a California firm that builds technology for maneuverable satellites. Terms were not disclosed. The deal was guided by Washington Harbour PartnersDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.
Why now? As satellite numbers surge, Trusted Space argues there won't be enough US Space Force guardians to monitor and operate them all. "There are a small number of guardians that are flying an ever-increasing number of satellites," chief executive officer Robert MacMillan told Axios.
What's the endgame? The purchase combines autonomy-focused software and dynamic satellite hardware under one roof. MacMillan said the company is building a new satellite prototype and working toward orbital experiments.
Follow the money: Both firms have won recent defense contracts. In August, the Air Force Research Laboratory awarded Virginia-based Trusted Space an almost $15 million contract for autonomous satellite experiments. That same month, Falcon ExoDynamics joined a team that secured a $24 million Defense Innovation Unit and Space Development Agency award to pull dead satellites out of orbit.
What he's saying: MacMillan sees the operator burden growing with larger constellations. "Have we reached that tipping point yet? I don't think so," he said. "Is it coming, as we go to more and more proliferated constellations? Certainly."
The signal: The deal fits a wave of space-sector consolidation aimed at building more vertically integrated businesses, echoing moves such as York Space's bid for All.Space and MDA SpaceDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →'s planned purchase of Blue Canyon TechnologiesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. Investors increasingly view autonomous software and maneuverable satellites as central to orbital warfare.
Read more: finance.yahoo.com
Image credit: NASA Goddard Photo and Video
