Turion Space
Turion Space builds vertically integrated satellites (DROID), spacecraft software (StarfireOS, TMPL), and ion propulsion (TIE-20) for U.S. defense and intelligence customers, focused on space domain awareness, non-Earth imaging, and on-orbit services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersIrvine, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Turion Space does
Turion Space Corp., founded in 2021 and headquartered in Irvine, California, develops spacecraft, propulsion, and software for space domain awareness, non-Earth imaging, and on-orbit services for U.S. defense and intelligence customers. The company is built on a vertically integrated stack: the DROID satellite platform family (DROID.alpha Mini, Chem, and EP variants), the StarfireOS™ spacecraft operating system, the Turion Mission Planning Library (TMPL) astrodynamics software, and the TIE-20 krypton gridded ion thruster developed with Desert Works Propulsion. As of 2026, the company employs approximately 200 people, has delivered over 40,000 images from its first two DROID missions, and operates under 28 U.S. government contracts spanning NASA, U.S. Space Force, the Space Development Agency, and the National Reconnaissance Office.
The company monetizes through a mix of government prime and subcontract work (including OTA and IDIQ awards such as the Golden Dome SBI program and the Andromeda/RG-XX 10-year, $1.8B GEO surveillance vehicle), satellite platform sales and reservations with flexible Turion-operated or customer-operated service models, per-mission TMPL licensing, and the cloud-native Starfire NEXUS on-orbit compute service that lets customers upload and execute software in orbit. Turion holds the first NOAA commercial license for resolved non-Earth imaging in the United States, was designated Awardable through DARPA's ERIS Marketplace in 2025, and closed a $75M+ Series B in April 2026 led by Washington Harbour Partners.
The go-to-market is enterprise field sales supplemented by API-first onboarding for software customers, with distribution concentrated in U.S. federal procurement channels (OTA/IDIQ) and a stated intent to extend to allied government customers. Production capacity is targeted to expand from 8 to 40 spacecraft per year, and the company has consolidated software capabilities through the January 2026 acquisition of Tychee Research Group, integrating TMPL and the Tychee team (including founder Rob Brady as Chief Product Officer) into the Starfire platform.
Turion Space firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Turion Space
- Legal name
- Turion Space Corp.
- Website
- https://turionspace.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Turion Space builds vertically integrated satellites (DROID), spacecraft software (StarfireOS, TMPL), and ion propulsion (TIE-20) for U.S. defense and intelligence customers, focused on space domain awareness, non-Earth imaging, and on-orbit services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Turion Space industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Small Satellite Systems and Space Domain Awareness
- NAICS
- Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing (336415), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419)
- SIC
- Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Spacecraft & Satellites (Civil/Commercial) (IMABACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Spacecraft Avionics, Flight Computers & Software (IMABACAI), Spacecraft Propulsion (In-Space) & Thrusters (IMABACAE), Spacecraft Integration, Assembly & Test (IAT) (IMABACAK), Space Logistics & In-Orbit Servicing (Refueling, Tug, Debris Removal) (IMABACAM)
Keywords
Where Turion Space is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Irvine
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Turion Space business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- U.S. Government Contracts: Direct prime contracts and subcontracts with U.S. Department of Defense and intelligence community agencies. Examples include $32.6M Space Force contract for in-orbit space surveillance, Space-Based Interceptor OTA awards (part of $3.2B Golden Dome program), and STRATFI program work. 28 U.S. government contracts across NASA, USSF, SDA, NRO.
- Satellite Platform Sales / Reservations: Sale or reservation of DROID satellite buses (DROID.alpha Mini, Chem, EP) to commercial and government customers. Customers can select Turion-operated or customer-operated (cloud or on-premises) service models. Options for customer-supplied or Turion-supplied payloads.
- Space-Based Services and Mission Operations: Provision of sovereign-grade orbital intelligence, space domain awareness, and on-orbit services. Includes non-Earth imaging (NEI) products. Turion is the first NOAA-licensed commercial provider of resolved NEI in the United States, with operational satellites delivering real-time intelligence from orbit.
- StarfireOS / TMPL Software Licensing: Software product licensing: TMPL is purchased per mission and is positioned as 'the most advanced multi-target trajectory tool available commercially'. StarfireOS applications (Fleet Command, Archive, Nexus, Virtual Command) are available as UI access or API integration for customers and third-party constellations.
- Starfire NEXUS On-Orbit Compute as a Service: Cloud-native on-orbit compute service that lets customers upload, test, and execute their own software payloads on Turion DROID satellites. Turion retains satellite flight operations while customers focus on software/edge workloads. Demonstrated with Critical Software's Karvel flight software reaching TRL-8.
- Propulsion System / TIE-20 Thruster Sales: Sale or licensing of the TIE-20 krypton gridded ion thruster developed in partnership with Desert Works Propulsion. Featured as a standalone product line on the company website.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | TMPL — Per-mission purchase model |
| Other | Multi-year contract | DROID.alpha Mini — Reserve / Quote-based |
| Other | Multi-year contract | DROID.alpha Chem — Quote-based enterprise pricing |
| Other | Multi-year contract | DROID.alpha EP — Quote-based enterprise pricing |
| Subscription | Annual | StarfireOS / Software Plans — Quote-based |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Turion Space product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Turion Space develops and operates an integrated stack of spacecraft, software, and propulsion products for space domain awareness, in-orbit operations, and satellite servicing. The company builds and sells the DROID.alpha satellite platform family (Mini, Chem, and EP variants), the StarfireOS spacecraft operating system, the TIE-20 krypton gridded ion thruster, and the Turion Mission Planning Library (TMPL). Turion also delivers space-based services including non-Earth imaging data products and the Starfire NEXUS on-orbit compute service to U.S. government, allied, and commercial customers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- StarfireOS: Operating system for space infrastructure, integrating mission planning, fleet command, autonomous tasking, and constellation command and control across Turion's DROID satellites and third-party constellations; product family includes TMPL, Fleet Command, Archive, and Nexus.
- DROID
- Turion Ion Engine (TIE-20)
Products and services
- DROID.alpha Mini Satellite Platform A configurable small satellite platform variant for LEO missions with a current lead time of 12 months. Supports optional Type 1 NSA Encryption or AES 256 (default), optical communications terminal (OCT) crosslink, Turion or customer-supplied payloads, and Turion or customer-operated service models (cloud or on-premises).
- DROID.alpha Chem Satellite Platform A configurable satellite platform variant offering single-degree or 6-degree of freedom options with a 40 N thruster. Current lead time is 18 months and is sold on a quote-based enterprise model for LEO and GEO missions.
- DROID.alpha EP Satellite Platform A high-power configurable satellite platform variant with thrust range of 15 mN to 52 mN, a krypton gridded ion engine, and a 2,200 Wh battery. Sold on a quote-based enterprise model for LEO and GEO missions.
- StarfireOS Spacecraft Operating System An advanced spacecraft operating system offering real-time capabilities for managing satellite operations and mission-critical tasks with high reliability, scalability, and flexibility. Integrates Fleet Command, Virtual Command, Nexus, and Archive applications with associated UI and library of APIs for secure integration with existing ground systems. Supports both Turion-owned spacecraft and third-party constellations.
- Starfire NEXUS On-Orbit Compute Service A cloud-native on-orbit compute service hosted on Turion's DROID satellites that allows customers to integrate, test, and execute their own software payloads in space without procuring or operating a spacecraft. Combines SITL and HITL environments for fast lab-to-orbit transition. Demonstrated by elevating Critical Software's Karvel flight software to Technology Readiness Level 8 (TRL-8) aboard DROID.002.
- Turion Mission Planning Library (TMPL) A high-fidelity, high-performance C++ astronautics library designed for proliferated space architectures and autonomous onboard operations, currently operational on-orbit aboard the DROID.002 satellite. Provides Python bindings validated vs NASA GMAT with less than 1 meter LEO accuracy and internal speedups of approximately 25x in LEO and up to 200x in GEO. Purchased per mission and positioned as the most advanced multi-target trajectory tool available commercially.
- Turion Ion Engine (TIE-20) Gridded Ion Thruster A krypton-optimized gridded ion thruster developed in partnership with Desert Works Propulsion, leveraging heritage designs from NASA DS-1 and DAWN missions. Delivers high specific impulse (2,150 to 4,265 seconds) and high thrust (up to 52 mN) with a wide power throttling range of 300 to 1,500 W. Carbon-based longevity components minimize erosion.
- Non-Earth Imaging (NEI) Data Products Sovereign-grade resolved Non-Earth Imaging data products delivered from orbit as the first NOAA-licensed commercial offering of its kind in the United States. Operational satellites provide real-time intelligence for space domain awareness, missile warning and tracking, orbital surveillance, and multi-spectral remote sensing missions.
Quantifiable outcome
- 20+ months of reliable on-orbit operation of DROID.001
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Turion Space
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Turion Space technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability4 records
Feature8 records
Turion Space partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship (consortium award), flagship (10-year idiq award), flagship (acquired), core (strategic payload partner), core (tie-20 co-development partner), flagship (starfire nexus customer and technology partner), core (ground comms partner) and minor (component supplier).
- U.S. Space Force / Space Systems Command (Golden Dome SBI consortium)flagship (consortium award)Selected as one of 12 companies for the Space-Based Interceptor (SBI) program under the Golden Dome for America missile defense initiative. Turion is part of a 20-agreement Other Transaction Authority (OTA) award set worth up to $3.2 billion. Consortium includes Anduril, Booz Allen Hamilton, General Dynamics, GITAI USA, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Quindar, Raytheon, Sci-Tec, SpaceX, and True Anomaly. Initial capability demonstration targeted for 2028.
- Andromeda / RG-XX Consortium (Space Systems Command)flagship (10-year idiq award)Turion was selected for the U.S. Space Force's Andromeda / RG-XX IDIQ program — a 10-year, $1.8B contract vehicle through Space Systems Command for next-generation proliferated surveillance and reconnaissance in GEO, with 14 companies participating. RG-XX aims to replace the GSSAP constellation with new requirements for enhanced maneuverability and on-orbit refueling capability.
- Tychee Research Groupflagship (acquired)Acquired by Turion in January 2026. Tychee's flagship TMPL (Tychee Mission Planning Library) is being integrated into Turion's Starfire software ecosystem, uniting mission planning, maneuver optimization, and autonomous operations into a single software-defined platform. Tychee founder Rob Brady joined Turion as Chief Product Officer. Tychee was founded in 2018 in Los Angeles, California.
- Aretécore (strategic payload partner)Partnership to fly Areté's next-generation event camera on a Turion DROID.alpha™ spacecraft as a hosted payload, scheduled for launch in 2027. Supports the Air Force Research Laboratory's effort to develop a next-generation star-tracker and provides critical capability for a future Space Domain Awareness Optical Fence in LEO. Event camera automatically detects pixel changes in parallel, imaging up to 10,000 frames per second with major power and data bandwidth reductions. Integrated with Turion's Starfire™ platform.
- Desert Works Propulsioncore (tie-20 co-development partner)Joint development partner for the Turion Ion Engine (TIE-20), a krypton-optimized Gridded Ion Thruster. Successfully tested prototype cathodes in June 2025 per SpaceNews. TIE-20 combines Gridded Ion Thruster advantages with the higher thrust density of a Hall-Effect Thruster.
- Critical Softwareflagship (starfire nexus customer and technology partner)Strategic investment and integration partnership. Critical Software's Karvel flight software platform was uploaded to Turion's DROID.002 satellite via the Starfire NEXUS on-orbit compute service and elevated to Technology Readiness Level 8 (TRL-8). Demonstrated mission profiles for resilient communication constellations, space-based situational awareness, and dual-use in-space logistics. Critical Software is a flagship NEXUS customer.
- Amphinicy Technologies (Blink software modem)core (ground comms partner)Turion selected the Blink software modem (from Amphinicy Technologies) to provide ground communications for its DROID satellites. Blink is deployed in AWS cloud to handle real-time, high-speed X-band downlink communications for processing and analyzing mission data from the DROID satellites.
- Barum & Dewarminor (component supplier)Awarded a second contract by Turion Space. Barum & Dewar supplies machined components for Turion Space satellites.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Turion Space competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Turion Space social profiles
Digital presenceTurion Space financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Turion Space leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Turion Space subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Turion Space funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds7 records
Investors37 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Turion Space M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Turion Space
What does Turion Space do?
Turion Space develops and operates an integrated stack of spacecraft, software, and propulsion products for space domain awareness, in-orbit operations, and satellite servicing. The company builds and sells the DROID.alpha satellite platform family (Mini, Chem, and EP variants), the StarfireOS spacecraft operating system, the TIE-20 krypton gridded ion thruster, and the Turion Mission Planning Library (TMPL). Turion also delivers space-based services including non-Earth imaging data products and the Starfire NEXUS on-orbit compute service to U.S. government, allied, and commercial customers.
Is Turion Space a public or private company?
Turion Space is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Turion Space founded?
Turion Space was founded in 2021. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Turion Space based?
Turion Space is headquartered in Irvine, United States, in the North America region.
How does Turion Space make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. U.S. Government Contracts are the primary driver. The others are satellite Platform Sales / Reservations, space-Based Services and Mission Operations, starfireOS / TMPL Software Licensing, starfire NEXUS On-Orbit Compute as a Service and propulsion System / TIE-20 Thruster Sales.
Does Turion Space have an API?
Yes. StarfireOS™ exposes libraries of APIs for each application; customers may use the StarfireOS™ UI or integrate the APIs directly. APIs enable mission planning, autonomous tasking, constellation command and control, and secure integration with existing ground systems with encrypted data transfer. TMPL provides Python bindings (validated vs NASA GMAT with <1 meter LEO accuracy), with on-prem deployment available. Web/CZML output is supported for collaboration. Developer documentation is at starfire.turionspace.com/login?from=%2F.
What industry is Turion Space in?
Turion Space's product category is Small Satellite Systems and Space Domain Awareness. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABACAB, Spacecraft & Satellites (Civil/Commercial), with a secondary code of IMABACAI, Spacecraft Avionics, Flight Computers & Software. Its NAICS code is 336414 and its SIC code is 3760.