Tag: Portal Space Systems
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Portal Space Systems brings its solar thermal propulsion system up to full power during test
Portal’s heat exchanger thruster, known as Flare, fires up during a test in a vacuum chamber. (Portal Space Systems Photo) Bothell, Wash.-based Portal Space Systems says it has successfully tested its solar thermal propulsion system at operational temperatures inside a vacuum chamber, marking a first for the commercial space industry. The test marks a key…
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Portal Space Systems plans to put spacecraft manufacturing facility near Seattle-area hub
Portal CEO Jeff Thornburg says the company is expanding its footprint in Bothell, Wash. (Portal Space Systems Photo) Portal Space Systems says it’s setting up its 50,000-square-foot spacecraft manufacturing facility just 3 miles away from its existing design and testing hub in Bothell, Wash. By the end of 2026, the factory should be ready to…
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Portal Space Systems raises $17.5M for orbital spacecraft powered by solar heating
An artist’s conception shows the Supernova spacecraft in orbit. (Portal Space Systems Illustration) Bothell, Wash.-based Portal Space Systems says it has raised $17.5 million in seed funding to accelerate the development of its Supernova space vehicle, which aims to harness the heat of the sun to power rapid-response maneuvers in orbit. The oversubscribed investment round…
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Portal Space Systems opens its doors for a sneak preview of solar propulsion system
VIPs cut the ribbon at Portal Space Systems’ HQ in Bothell, Wash. From left: U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene; Portal co-founders Prashaanth Ravindran, Jeff Thornburg and Ian Vorbach; and Bothell Mayor Mason Thompson. (GeekWire Photo / Alan Boyle) BOTHELL, Wash. — From the outside, Portal Space Systems’ headquarters looks like a standard-issue office space in a…
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Portal Space Systems comes out of stealth with satellites that’ll be fired up by the sun
An artist’s conception shows Portal’s Supernova satellite bus in orbit, using a propulsion system that focuses sunlight on a heat exchanger to produce thrust. (Portal Space Systems Illustration) A Seattle-area startup called Portal Space Systems is emerging from stealth to share its vision for a type of satellite that’s apparently never been put into space…
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Three Pacific Northwest space companies win awards from Space Force venture fund
An artist’s conception shows Gravitics’ space module in orbit. (Gravitics Illustration) SpaceWERX, which essentially serves as a venture fund for the U.S. Space Force, has awarded contracts worth as much as $1.7 million each to 18 companies — including three startups headquartered in the Seattle area. The Washington state awardees are Marysville-based Gravitics, which is…