Breakthrough Multi-Orbit Platform to Launch in February 2026
TORRANCE, Calif., Dec. 19, 2024 — K2 Space has signed a contract with the U.S. Space Force to launch its first Mega Class satellite on a mission code-named “Gravitas.” The contract, with a total value of $60 million, includes government funds, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) matching funds, and private funds.
The February 2026 mission will demonstrate the ability of the Mega Class satellite bus to proliferate across all orbits, with key demonstrations in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). K2 Space will be one of the first commercial companies to demonstrate operations for government and commercial customers in MEO, a regime garnering significant interest for proliferation beyond LEO in programs such as “Resilient GPS.”
The groundbreaking mission received support and funding from multiple Department of the Air Force organizations, including the Space Domain Awareness and Combat Power PEO, The Space Development Agency, the Space Warfighting Acquisition Delta, the DoD’s Space Test Program, the Space Force’s National Space Test and Training Complex, and the Air Force Research Lab.
“This mission is fortunate to enjoy support from various parts of the U.S. Space Force; these stakeholders all recognized that the K2 bus is unique in its ability to provide the capabilities needed for their future missions,” said Karan Kunjur, CEO of K2 Space.
The K2 satellite bus represents a step change in satellite capabilities, delivering 10 times more power than any other low-cost bus in its class, and a large 3-meter by 3-meter payload deck. Designed for true multi-orbit functionality, the platform is made to handle the environments of Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO), and Cislunar space, supporting future Hybrid Space Architectures. With the ability to stack 10 Mega Class satellites per Falcon 9 (or equivalent launch vehicle) to LEO, the K2 bus will make it possible to deploy constellations in a completely new way.
“As we looked at the market, we saw options for Proliferated LEO, but very few options for Proliferated MEO and GEO – the K2 bus is designed to fill this critical gap in our defense architecture,” Kunjur added.
To maintain competitive pricing while delivering superior capabilities, K2 Space manufactures 75% of satellite components in-house, including reaction wheels, flight computers, and solar arrays. The company is also developing the highest power electric propulsion system ever flown – a 20kW system that is four times more powerful than the highest power system flown to date – enabling completely new ways to populate MEO, GEO, and Cislunar constellations with rapid orbit-raise and maneuvering capabilities.
The Gravitas mission will demonstrate these revolutionary capabilities while carrying multiple National Security payloads.
Mission Timeline
- Payload Integration: May 2025
- Qualification Testing: June – September 2025
- Launch: February 2026 (SpaceX Transporter-16)
- Extended LEO Operations
- Orbit Raising to MEO Demonstration
- Extended MEO Operations
With this mission, K2 Space will fully de-risk the platform and validate on-orbit performance in LEO and MEO.
“We’ve had a number of people tell us that delivering the capabilities we’re promising while maintaining the price point of $15M per satellite is impossible – with Gravitas we intend to turn these promises into proof points,” Kunjur added.
About K2 Space
K2 Space is developing a high-powered, low-cost satellite bus platform that delivers the capability of exquisite satellites at the price point and speed of small satellites. Redesigned from the reaction wheel up, the K2 bus multi-manifests ten satellites per Falcon 9, is made to handle the harsh environment of MEO and GEO, and has the highest power electric propulsion system ever flown – making it the platform for Proliferated LEO, Proliferated MEO, and Proliferated GEO. K2 Space was started by a team of former SpaceX engineers and has raised $72M in venture capital to date, with the backing of leading funds like Altimeter Capital and First Round Capital.
About SpaceWERX
As the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force and a unique division within AFWERX, SpaceWERX inspires and empowers collaboration with innovators to accelerate capabilities and shape our future in space. Headquartered in Los Angeles, SpaceWERX employs 40 military, civilian, and contractor personnel executing an annual $457 million budget. Additionally, SpaceWERX partners with Space Systems Command’s Commercial Space Office (COMSO) as a collaborative program. Since it was aligned under AFRL in August 2021, SpaceWERX has executed 1106 contracts worth more than $897 million to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit spacewerx.us.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.
Media Contact: [email protected]
SOURCE K2 Space
