Exclusive: Trusted Space buys FalconExoDynamics
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Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios
Trusted Space, a space software company, has purchased Falcon ExoDynamics, a firm that builds technology for maneuverable satellites.
Why it matters: As the number of satellites surges, there likely won't be enough Space Force guardians to monitor and operate them all.
- Investors see autonomous software and dynamic satellites as key developments in orbital warfare.
Between the lines: The purchase, guided by Washington Harbour Partners, puts autonomy-focused hardware and software together.
What he's saying: Trusted Space CEO Robert MacMillan told Axios "there are a small number of guardians that are flying an ever-increasing number of satellites." The cognitive load will eventually become a burden, he said.
- "Have we reached that tipping point yet? I don't think so," MacMillan said. "Is it coming, as we go to more and more proliferated constellations? Certainly."
Follow the money: Trusted Space and Falcon ExoDynamics have both netted space contracts recently.
- In August, the Air Force Research Laboratory awarded an almost $15 million contract to Virginia-based Trusted Space for autonomous satellite experiments.
- That same month, California's Falcon ExoDynamics was part of a team that secured a $24 million joint Defense Innovation Unit and Space Development Agency award to pull dead satellites out of orbit.
What's next: MacMillan said Trusted Space is focused on building out a new satellite prototype and is working towards orbital experiments.
- "We've got to move quickly, demonstrate our capability, establish that trust and autonomy with our operators, so that we can meet the national security needs for the United States," he said.
