Tag: Portal Space Systems
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How the SpaceX IPO effect could send the Seattle area’s space industry to a higher orbit
SpaceX’s Seattle connection dates back to 2015, when CEO Elon Musk announced at Seattle Center that the company’s satellite operation would be based in the region. “What this represents is the official opening of SpaceX Seattle,” he said at the time. (GeekWire File Photo) SpaceX’s initial public offering is likely to boost the company’s valuation…
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Portal Space Systems Raises $50M for Maneuverable Spacecraft
How will Portal Space Systems use its $50M funding to advance spacecraft maneuverability? Portal Space Systems closed a $50 million Series B funding round on April 9, 2026, positioning the space mobility company to accelerate development of its highly maneuverable spacecraft platforms. The Los Angeles-based startup plans to use the capital to scale manufacturing, expand…
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Portal Space Systems raises $50M as it gets set to launch its first orbital vehicle made for rapid maneuvers
An artist’s conception shows Portal’s Starburst spacecraft in the foreground with its Supernova space vehicle and three more Starbursts (plus Earth) in the background. (Portal Space Systems Illustration) Bothell, Wash.-based Portal Space Systems has raised $50 million in a funding round aimed at speeding up development of the Seattle-area startup’s highly maneuverable space vehicles. The…
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Portal Space’s ‘Mini-Nova’ payload goes into orbit to test technologies for maneuverable space vehicles
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket sends Portal Space Systems’ “Mini-Nova” technology demonstration payload and more than 100 other payloads into orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. (SpaceX Photo) Bothell, Wash.-based Portal Space Systems has made its first foray into Earth orbit, in the form of a piggyback payload that will test technologies for…
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Got space junk? Portal and Paladin team up to create an orbital trash disposal service
An artist’s conception shows Portal Space Systems’ Starburst spacecraft at left and its larger Supernova platform in the distance at right, both outfitted with Paladin Space’s Triton payload for orbital debris tracking and removal. (Portal Space Systems Illustration) Bothell, Wash.-based Portal Space Systems is partnering with an Australian venture called Paladin Space on a commercial service that would round…
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Atomic-6 Hopes for Debris Strike to Prove New Satellite Protection Technology
Space technology start-up Atomic-6 is preparing for an unusual milestone: hoping one of its protective tiles is struck by space debris during its first flight, a test the company says is essential to proving a new approach to shielding satellites in orbit. The company’s Space Armor tile system is scheduled to fly for the first…
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Washington state will provide $350K to support Portal Space System’s satellite factory in Bothell
An artist’s conception shows Portal Space Systems’ Supernova spacecraft in orbit. (Portal Space Systems Illustration) Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson is setting aside $350,000 from an economic development fund to support Portal Space Systems’ expansion into a new 50,000-square-foot satellite manufacturing facility in Bothell, Wash. Ferguson announced today that he’s directing the state Department of Commerce…
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Uncommon Thinkers: How Portal’s Jeff Thornburg plans to harness the heat of the sun in the cold of space
Portal Space Systems CEO Jeff Thornburg checks out the vacuum chamber where space hardware is tested. (GeekWire Photo / Alan Boyle) Editor’s note: This series profiles six of the Seattle region’s “Uncommon Thinkers”: inventors, scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs transforming industries and driving positive change in the world. They will be recognized Dec. 11 at the GeekWire Gala. Uncommon Thinkers is presented in…
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Portal Space Systems Unveils Starburst Spacecraft to Boost Maneuverability for Satellite Constellations
Portal Space Systems has introduced a new spacecraft, Starburst, designed to bring rapid maneuverability to small satellite constellations and national security missions. The vehicle builds on technologies from the company’s larger Supernova satellite platform. The Starburst-1 mission is scheduled to launch in 2026 aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare, marking Portal’s first free-flying spacecraft carrying live payloads.…
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Portal Space Systems introduces Starburst, a new breed of maneuverable spacecraft
An artist’s conception shows Portal’s Starburst spacecraft in the foreground with its Supernova space vehicle (and Earth) in the background. (Portal Space Systems Illustration) Bothell, Wash.-based Portal Space Systems has added another spacecraft to its product line: a rapid-maneuverability vehicle called Starburst, which takes advantage of technologies that are being developed for its more powerful…