Portal Space Systems Secures $3 Million Space Force Award to Launch Supernova Satellite Bus

Portal Space Systems Secures $3 Million Space Force Award to Launch Supernova Satellite Bus

Portal Space Systems, a Seattle-based space startup, announced its emergence from stealth with over $3 million in funding from the Department of Defense and Space Force to support the development and launch of its revolutionary Supernova satellite bus. Led by industry veteran Jeff Thornburg, architect of SpaceX’s Raptor engine, former head of Mechanical Engineering & Manufacturing at Amazon’s Project Kuiper, and former Chief of Engineering at Commonwealth Fusion, Portal Space Systems will empower the next generation of space operators to maintain space superiority.

Portal Space Systems was founded by industry leader Jeff Thornburg, alongside COO Ian Vorbach and VP of Engineering Prashaanth Ravindran, and is dedicated to solving the emerging need for rapid and long-range mobility in space. Their flagship product, the Supernova satellite bus, is engineered from the ground up for maneuverability and features a novel solar-thermal propulsion system. With a payload-agnostic design and 500 kg mass, Supernova boasts a remarkable 6 km/s delta-v, setting a new standard for in-space mobility with 50 times the range of existing products on the market. 

That means that the system can perform currently impossible mission needs, like moving from Low Earth Orbit to geostationary orbit in hours or even the moon in just days.

“The space industry hasn’t fundamentally improved satellite bus technology in decades. Our nation is developing 6th-generation fighter aircraft technology but still uses 1st-generation satellite buses. Portal's Supernova is designed around the customer need for unparalleled mobility and extended mission life," said Jeff Thornburg, CEO of Portal Space Systems and former architect of SpaceX's Raptor Engine. "Our novel solar-thermal propulsion system and bus design, combined with our compatibility to support any customer payload, sets us apart. We provide an over 50x improvement in current spacecraft mobility. For our customers, that means the ability to have spacecraft on orbit that are able to respond in real-time to events in any orbital regime.”

Portal Space Systems has garnered significant support from the United States Space Force, positioning the company as a key partner in advancing national interests in space. "We are proud to develop solutions that enhance our nation's space capabilities by building in constant collaboration with our government partners," said Ian Vorbach, COO of Portal Space Systems. Portal Space Systems' vision for dynamic space operations, tactical responsiveness, and maneuverability without regret is set to redefine the future of space. They are targeting the first launch of its Supernova system in late 2025.

Click here to learn about Portal Space Systems' Supernova Satellite Bus.

Publisher: SatNow

GNSS Constellations - A list of all GNSS satellites by constellations

beidou

Satellite NameOrbit Date
BeiDou-3 G4Geostationary Orbit (GEO)17 May, 2023
BeiDou-3 G2Geostationary Orbit (GEO)09 Mar, 2020
Compass-IGSO7Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)09 Feb, 2020
BeiDou-3 M19Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)16 Dec, 2019
BeiDou-3 M20Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)16 Dec, 2019
BeiDou-3 M21Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)23 Nov, 2019
BeiDou-3 M22Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)23 Nov, 2019
BeiDou-3 I3Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)04 Nov, 2019
BeiDou-3 M23Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)22 Sep, 2019
BeiDou-3 M24Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)22 Sep, 2019

galileo

Satellite NameOrbit Date
GSAT0223MEO - Near-Circular05 Dec, 2021
GSAT0224MEO - Near-Circular05 Dec, 2021
GSAT0219MEO - Near-Circular25 Jul, 2018
GSAT0220MEO - Near-Circular25 Jul, 2018
GSAT0221MEO - Near-Circular25 Jul, 2018
GSAT0222MEO - Near-Circular25 Jul, 2018
GSAT0215MEO - Near-Circular12 Dec, 2017
GSAT0216MEO - Near-Circular12 Dec, 2017
GSAT0217MEO - Near-Circular12 Dec, 2017
GSAT0218MEO - Near-Circular12 Dec, 2017

glonass

Satellite NameOrbit Date
Kosmos 2569--07 Aug, 2023
Kosmos 2564--28 Nov, 2022
Kosmos 2559--10 Oct, 2022
Kosmos 2557--07 Jul, 2022
Kosmos 2547--25 Oct, 2020
Kosmos 2545--16 Mar, 2020
Kosmos 2544--11 Dec, 2019
Kosmos 2534--27 May, 2019
Kosmos 2529--03 Nov, 2018
Kosmos 2527--16 Jun, 2018

gps

Satellite NameOrbit Date
Navstar 82Medium Earth Orbit19 Jan, 2023
Navstar 81Medium Earth Orbit17 Jun, 2021
Navstar 78Medium Earth Orbit22 Aug, 2019
Navstar 77Medium Earth Orbit23 Dec, 2018
Navstar 76Medium Earth Orbit05 Feb, 2016
Navstar 75Medium Earth Orbit31 Oct, 2015
Navstar 74Medium Earth Orbit15 Jul, 2015
Navstar 73Medium Earth Orbit25 Mar, 2015
Navstar 72Medium Earth Orbit29 Oct, 2014
Navstar 71Medium Earth Orbit02 Aug, 2014

irnss

Satellite NameOrbit Date
NVS-01Geostationary Orbit (GEO)29 May, 2023
IRNSS-1IInclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)12 Apr, 2018
IRNSS-1HSub Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (Sub-GTO)31 Aug, 2017
IRNSS-1GGeostationary Orbit (GEO)28 Apr, 2016
IRNSS-1FGeostationary Orbit (GEO)10 Mar, 2016
IRNSS-1EGeosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)20 Jan, 2016
IRNSS-1DInclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)28 Mar, 2015
IRNSS-1CGeostationary Orbit (GEO)16 Oct, 2014
IRNSS-1BInclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)04 Apr, 2014
IRNSS-1AInclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)01 Jul, 2013