What Opterus Research and Development does

Opterus Research and Development is a Loveland, Colorado-based provider of advanced deployable spacecraft structures built around its proprietary High Strain Composite (HSC) technology. Founded in 2015 by Dr. Thomas W. Murphey, the company designs, fabricates, and tests booms, solar arrays, deployable antennas, and integrated flight systems that compactly stow for launch and expand 10 to 1,000 times in length, area, and volume once on orbit. The product portfolio spans HSC booms (Slit Tube, Living Hinge Boom, Collapsible Tubular Mast, Trussed Collapsible Tubular Mast), solar array architectures (MOSSA, CCX-1, CCX-2, R-ROMA), spiral-wrapped deployable parabolic reflectors (SWATH in 1.3m, 2.5m, and 4m diameters, with operation up to 100 GHz), composite flexure hinges, and additive manufacturing of tubular trusses (TTAM). Opterus reports 100% deployment success across a dozen-plus on-orbit missions since 2018 and holds 15+ granted US patents plus pending applications across these technology families.

The company operates a vertically integrated 25,000-square-foot facility near the Northern Colorado Regional Airport that houses the largest space-grade composite production ovens in Colorado, a high-bay test area, metrology lab, clean room, machine shop, and 3D printers. Revenue derives primarily from phased Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts with NASA and the Department of Defense — a $10.2M NASA SBIR Phase III award for NASA's next solar sail spacecraft is the largest disclosed contract, with delivery planned for early 2028 — supplemented by custom hardware sales to commercial space companies and licensing of HSC technology and patents. Customer concentration is high: NASA, JPL, DARPA, US Space Force, US Air Force, US Army Future Command, US Naval Research Laboratory, NRO, and SOCOM are all named as customers or trusted suppliers, alongside commercial customers such as Capella Space and Flexitech. Opterus is AS9100D certified, DCAA approved, CMMC compliant, and FAR/DFAR compliant, qualifying it to act as both a government prime and subcontractor in B2B enterprise field sales.

Name

Opterus Research and Development

Legal name

Opterus Research and Development, Inc.

Website

https://opterusrd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Opterus Research and Development designs and manufactures advanced deployable spacecraft structures — booms, solar arrays, and antennas — using proprietary High Strain Composite technology for NASA, the US Department of Defense, and select commercial space companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Deployable Spacecraft Structures & Components

NAICS

Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641)

SIC

Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)

akta.pro primary industry

Space Structures, Mechanisms & Thermal Control (IMABACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Spacecraft & Satellites (Civil/Commercial) (IMABACAB), Space Payloads & Instruments (Sensors, Comms, EO/IR) (IMABACAD)

Keywords

• Deployable spacecraft structures
• High strain composites
• Spacecraft booms and masts
• Deployable satellite antennas
• Solar array structures

Headquarters

HQ city

Loveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government SBIR Contracts: Opterus derives a significant portion of revenue from Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts awarded by NASA and the DoD. These are non-dilutive, phased development contracts (Phase I, Phase II, Phase III) that fund technology maturation from research through flight-qualified hardware. The $10.2M NASA SBIR Phase III contract for the solar sail structural deployment system is a flagship example.
2. Custom Spacecraft Components & Systems: Design, manufacture, and delivery of advanced deployable spacecraft structures (booms, solar arrays, antennas, reflectors) to government primes and commercial space companies. Revenue is project-based, typically tied to mission milestones and delivery schedules.
3. Licensing of HSC Technology & IP: Opterus holds over 15 patents related to high-strain composites and deployable space structures. The company commercializes its IP through licensing arrangements with partners and customers seeking to incorporate HSC technology into their platforms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Opterus Research and Development designs, fabricates, and tests deployable spacecraft structures and components based on its proprietary High Strain Composite (HSC) technology, including deployable booms and masts, solar array systems, deployable parabolic reflector antennas, hinges, and additive-manufactured tubular trusses. The company provides full-lifecycle engineering from conception through analysis, fabrication, and testing, and sells these hardware systems to U.S. government agencies (NASA, DoD) and commercial space companies on a project/SBIR-contract basis.

Product overview

Opterus Research and Development is a provider of advanced deployable spacecraft structures and components. The company's product portfolio is built on proprietary High Strain Composite (HSC) technology and origami-inspired engineering principles. The product line includes multiple deployable boom products (Slit Tube Boom, Living Hinge Boom, Collapsible Tubular Mast, Trussed Collapsible Tubular Mast), solar array systems (MOSSA, CCX-1, CCX-2, R-ROMA), deployable antenna technologies (SWATH, Tension Membrane Antennas, Continuous Panel Antennas, Custom Antennas), deployment mechanisms (Recirculating Belt Deployer, LOC Hinge), and advanced manufacturing (TTAM, Tensioned Precision Structures). These products enable spacecraft components to fold compactly for launch and expand 10 to 1000x in length, area, and volume once on orbit. The company also provides complete deployment solutions integrating multiple products into mission-critical flight systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Slit Tube Boom Deployable composite boom using slit-tube geometry and high-strain composite technology for compact stowage and reliable on-orbit deployment; sold as a flight-qualified hardware product to government and commercial space customers.
• Living Hinge Boom (LHB) Deployable boom utilizing a living hinge design and high-strain composites for compact storage and reliable deployment; sold as a flight-qualified hardware product.
• Collapsible Tubular Mast (CTM) Large-diameter collapsible tubular mast built from HSC materials, sold as a deployable structural product for large spacecraft structures; reduces mechanical system part count by an order of magnitude.
• Trussed Collapsible Tubular Mast (T-CTM) Lightweight, trussed composite boom architecture proven through SBIR awards; designed to remain stiff and thermally stable after being tightly coiled for launch and to spool out autonomously in an X-shaped configuration. Sold to government customers, including NASA for the next solar sail mission.
• Recirculating Belt Deployer Boom deployment mechanism using recirculating belt technology to reliably deploy composite booms; sold as a standalone deployment subsystem.
• LOC Hinge (Lenticular Offset Composite Flexure Hinge) Composite flexure hinge for spacecraft mechanisms, providing flexible articulation in deployable structures; sold as a standalone mechanism product.
• Modular Self Stiffening Array (MOSSA) Next-generation solar array structure leveraging HSC booms for lightweight, high-performance deployment; self-stiffens upon deployment and is designed for LEO satellite applications; sold as a complete solar array product.
• Closed Cross-section Array 1 (CCX-1) Solar array product with a closed cross-section design for enhanced structural performance; sold as a deployable solar array hardware product.
• Closed Cross-section Array 2 (CCX-2) Second-generation closed cross-section solar array with improved structural characteristics; sold as a deployable solar array hardware product.
• Retractable Rollable Mast Array (R-ROMA) High-performance retractable-rollable mast array supporting solar arrays several hundred meters across; sold as a large-scale deployable solar array system.
• Spiral Wrapped Antenna Technology (SWATH) Deployable Reflector Fully continuous, solid-surface deployable parabolic reflector utilizing high-strain composites and origami principles; available in 1.3m, 2.5m, and 4m diameters and capable of operations up to 100 GHz. Sold as a deployable antenna hardware product to government and commercial space customers.
• Tension Membrane Antennas Deployable antenna using tensioned membrane technology for RF applications; sold as a deployable antenna hardware product.
• Continuous Panel Antennas Antenna product with a continuous panel design for high-frequency RF operations; sold as a deployable antenna hardware product.
• Custom Antennas Custom antenna solutions designed and built to meet specific mission RF and communications requirements; sold as a bespoke deployable antenna offering.
• Tubular Truss Additive Manufacturing (TTAM) 3D-printed tubular truss structures for space applications, enabled by an AON M2+ industrial 3D printer and out-of-autoclave prepregs; sold as a manufacturing and prototyping service and end-use part offering.
• Tensioned Precision Structures (TPS) Precision structures designed for tensioned applications requiring high accuracy and stability; sold as a deployable structural hardware product.
• Solar Sail Propulsion System Deployment System Structural deployment system for NASA's next solar sail spacecraft, designed to deploy and control a 1,600-square-meter solar sail using four 30-meter HSC composite booms; sold as a mission-critical integrated flight system to NASA.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% deployment success across over a dozen space missions since 2018
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature12 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Applied Aerospace & DefensecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026Applied Aerospace & Defense is supplying the sail membrane for NASA's next solar sail spacecraft under Opterus' $10.2M SBIR Phase III contract. Applied's proprietary advanced thin-polymer membrane has flight heritage from previous solar and drag sail systems. Both companies are preparing for integrated system testing before delivering the system to NASA, planned for early 2028.
• Catalyst Space Accelerator (AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2019Opterus was selected as one of seven companies in the 2019 Catalyst Space Accelerator cohort, a collaborative 12-week program designed to transfer technology from commercial market to government and vice versa. The 2019 cohort focused on Resilient Commercial Space Communications. Opterus contributed its deployable solid-surface parabolic reflector antenna technology to the program.
• AON3DsupportingTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2019AON3D provided Opterus with an AON M2+ industrial 3D printer acquired in 2019. Opterus uses the AON M2+ throughout its product development lifecycle, from concept development to end-use composite parts, leveraging high-temperature composite 3D printing for tooling, prototypes, and end-use versions of foldable CFRP satellite structures.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Redwire Corporation: Public space infrastructure company with significant deployable structures heritage through its acquisitions of Roccor and Deployable Space Systems. Directly comparable to Opterus as a supplier of deployable booms, hinges, solar arrays, and antennas for NASA and DoD missions, but at much larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Northrop Grumman (Space Systems): Large aerospace prime with extensive deployable structures work (e.g., AstroMesh reflectors, solar array mechanisms, JWST sunshield). Competes with Opterus for NASA and DoD deployable structure awards but as part of a much broader space portfolio.
• L3Harris Technologies: Diversified defense and space prime supplying deployable antennas, mesh reflectors, and space structures to military and intelligence customers. Comparable to Opterus in mission profile but at significantly greater scale and with broader system offerings.

Direct peers

• L'Garde: Specialized deployable space structures company with deep NASA heritage in large solar sails, inflatable antennas, and rigidizable booms. Closely matches Opterus' product focus (HSC booms, deployable antennas, solar arrays) and customer set (NASA, DoD).
• Deployable Space Systems (DSS): Long-standing supplier of deployable solar arrays, boom structures, and ultra-lightweight space structures to NASA and DoD. Operates in the same deployable structures niche as Opterus with overlapping customer programs (including solar sail and large-array missions).
• Roccor: Deployable space structures specialist (now part of Redwire) known for slit-tube booms, high-strain composites, and deployable solar arrays. Directly competes with Opterus in HSC-type boom technology and deployable solar array products.
• SENER Aeroespacial: Spanish space engineering firm with a dedicated deployable structures division producing booms, hinges, and antennas for ESA, NASA, and commercial missions. Closely comparable to Opterus as a specialized deployable structures supplier with strong agency-customer orientation.
• Honeybee Robotics: Space mechanisms and deployable systems specialist (now part of Blue Origin) supplying actuators, drills, and deployable structures to NASA and DoD. Overlaps with Opterus in space mechanisms, deployable booms, and government contract posture.

Emerging players

• Apex Space: Commercial satellite bus manufacturer designing deployable solar arrays and structures for LEO constellations. Represents the commercial-customer end of Opterus' addressable market rather than direct head-to-head competition, but competes for commercial deployable-structures mindshare.

Others

• Capella Space: Commercial SAR constellation operator that is itself an Opterus customer (Capella antennas and solar arrays). Included as a peer because it is a key commercial reference customer for Opterus' HSC deployable structures and demonstrates the SmallSat commercial adoption pathway.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/opterus

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Opterus Research and Development