Muon Space debuted a new, higher power satellite platform on Wednesday, targeting orbital data centers as an key application. The first pathfinder mission is planned for delivery in 2028.
Condor-Ultra adds to Muon Space’s Condor lineup of satellite platforms, which also includes Condor-M and Condor-XL. The platform is designed to provide much more power for payloads than the other designs — 20 kW and even up to up to 100 kW, compared to 4 kW for the Condor-XL.
Muon Space says the Condor-Ultra is designed to enable orbital compute and networking, and the company has worked with hyperscalers on operational requirements for orbital data centers. It’s also the latest manufacturer to offer the new Nvidia Space-1 Vera Rubin module as an option for customers, which Sierra Space and Cowboy Space have also planned to adopt.
As a larger satellite platform, Condor-Ultra has a stackable launch configuration for the platform to launch on SpaceX’s Starship vehicle. But Muon also notes there are other configurations compatible with medium launch vehicles.
“The most compelling space infrastructure missions of the next decade – from global communications networks to scaled remote sensing to distributed orbital compute – require a managed and integrated platform that is powerful, stackable, and built to scale cost effectively. Condor-Ultra delivers exactly that,” Muon Space CEO Jonny Dyer said in a statement.
Other features include inter-satellite optical mesh networking, and internet connectivity via Starlink. Muon previously announced plans to integrate Starlink laser terminals onboard its satellites to give its constellation customers near real-time data transmission.
