Tag: VLEO
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Kreios Space Targets 2028 VLEO Demonstration With NanoAvionics Satellite Bus
Spanish aerospace startup Kreios Space has selected Kongsberg NanoAvionics to provide the satellite platform for its first very low Earth orbit (VLEO) demonstration mission, which is targeted for launch in 2028. The mission will serve as the company’s first in-orbit test of its air-breathing electric propulsion (ABEP) technology, designed to enable satellites to operate for…
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China Launches 34-Member VLEO Alliance With 2 Satellites Below 300km
Is China Building a VLEO Constellation Program? China now has two satellites sustaining orbits below 300 kilometers simultaneously — and on June 27, 2026, formalized the industrial ecosystem behind that capability by launching a national Very Low Earth Orbit Technology Innovation and Industry Development Alliance, co-founded by 34 organizations, at a conference in Shenzhen attended…
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NewOrbit Raises $18.5 Million to Commercialize Very Low Earth Orbit Satellite Operations
European satellite manufacturer NewOrbit has closed an oversubscribed $18.5 million Series A funding round to accelerate the commercialization of very low Earth orbit (VLEO), a region of space that has historically been considered too challenging for long-term commercial operations. The funding round was led by Voyager Ventures and included participation from several new and existing…
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Bellatrix Aerospace Partners with TelePIX for VLEO Demo Mission
Will Bellatrix Aerospace’s VLEO Mission Prove Commercial Viability Below 450km? Bellatrix Aerospace has partnered with Korean optical payload manufacturer TelePIX to develop a very low Earth orbit demonstration satellite targeting a NET 2028 launch. The collaboration pairs Bellatrix’s electric propulsion expertise with TelePIX’s imaging systems to test sustained operations in the 200-450km altitude range where…
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Viridian Space Signs U.S. Air Force Deal to Develop VLEO Propulsion Technology
California-based Viridian Space has signed a cooperative research and development agreement with the US Air Force to advance air-breathing electric propulsion (ABEP) technology designed for satellites operating in very low Earth orbit (VLEO). Under the five-year agreement, the partners will jointly develop the propulsion system and study operational concepts for satellites flying at extremely low…
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Redwire Wins $44 Million DARPA Contract to Build VLEO Satellite with Air-Breathing Propulsion
Redwire Corporation has secured a $44 million Phase 2 contract from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to manufacture and deliver a very-low-Earth-orbit (VLEO) satellite equipped with air-breathing electric propulsion (ABEP) technology, the company said. The award is part of DARPA’s Otter program, which seeks to validate whether satellites can operate for more…