WASHINGTON — Startup Turion Space has been awarded a $32.6 million contract by the U.S. Space Force to launch three small satellites designed to monitor and track objects such as space debris.
The contract is part of a Strategic Financing Initiative (STRATFI) agreement from SpaceWERX — the Space Force’s technology innovation arm — that matches government funds with private investment to accelerate the development and deployment of commercial space systems.
SpaceWERX first announced the agreement with Turion Space in August, with the formal contract award on Dec. 18.
Based in Irvine, California, Turion Space specializes in satellites and software solutions for space situational awareness, debris removal, and other in-orbit services. The company won prior Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts from SpaceWERX and NASA to advance its technology.
Space domain awareness missions
Under the STRATFI agreement, Turion Space will develop three small satellites scheduled for launch in 2026 and 2027, said the company’s CEO and co-founder Ryan Westerdahl. They will perform missions in both low Earth orbit (LEO) and geostationary orbit (GEO), carrying payloads for space surveillance and debris tracking.
He said the satellites will be equipped with commercial optical communication terminals for high-data-rate, real-time command and control capabilities. “Each vehicle will carry three space domain awareness payloads and a long-range imager for non-Earth imaging,” Westerdahl said. “Get your Apple Vision Pro ready for live debris capture feed,” he added, referencing Apple’s mixed-reality headset.
Turion launched its first small satellite, Droid.001, in June 2023. The spacecraft was designed for space situational awareness and data it collected has been integrated into the Space Force’s Unified Data Library — a centralized repository of commercial and government data. The new STRATFI contract enables Turion to scale its technology for more complex missions and operational scenarios.
The Space Force contract focuses on demonstrating rendezvous and proximity operations which are key capabilities for potential debris removal missions. These operations require precise maneuvering near other objects in space.
Sandra Erwin writes about military space programs, policy, technology and the industry that supports this sector. She has covered the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for nearly two decades as editor of NDIA’s National Defense…
More by Sandra Erwin