Startup Fortastra raised a $30 million Series A round as the company aims to establish “persistent, multi-orbit security coverage” in orbit.
Founder Mike Smayda, a SpaceX alum who also co-founded high-speed aircraft manufacturer Hermeus, told Via Satellite this round will fund the build-out of the company’s next two spacecraft, which he describes as larger and more capable operational prototypes.
The company moved from announcing its seed round in December of last year to assets on orbit in less than a year. Fortastra launched the Watchdog V0 pair of spacecraft on last week’s Transporter-18 mission. Fortastra has not disclosed the full capabilities and aim of the Watchdog V0 mission, but Smayda said it includes rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO).
Fortastra describes its plans for maneuverable spacecraft that are designed to “hold position near critical assets, evaluate surrounding activity, and respond to potential threats in real time.”
Smayda said there is increased interest in these capabilities. He pointed to Air Force Secretary Troy Meink recently confirming publicly for the first time that the U.S. has orbital space weapons.
“It’s no secret at this point that space is getting more congested, and everyone has understood that it’s becoming more contested for quite some time. That’s a big part of why this company exists,” he said.
The company aims to develop a manufacturing capability to build large numbers of satellites, as well as autonomy capability to control large numbers of satellites. While in-orbit defense is a national security priority, Smayda sees it becoming a priority for commercial operators in space as well.
“I think scale is going to be a big part of the space defense mission because the number of things that need protection is increasing as access to space continues to proliferate. It will proliferate for everybody — including bad guys,” he said. “Physical security is part of how humanity is going to operate off our surface, just like we do in every other domain.”
First In led the Series A round, with participation from Upfront, Space Capital, Rsquared, Side Door Ventures, ATX Ventures, and other investors including existing investors.
Fortastra plans to use the funds to increase its engineering team to focus on flight software, GNC, and autonomy, and expand its manufacturing infrastructure to build a modular spacecraft bus.
Smayda said the company currently has 18 employees and plans to double or triple the team and move into a new space with this funding.
