Space Information Laboratories

What Space Information Laboratories does

Space Information Laboratories (SIL) is a Santa Maria, California-based developer and manufacturer of space-qualified batteries, GPS tracking systems, autonomous flight termination systems (AFTS), and consolidated avionics for the aerospace and defense industries. The company operates as a small Women-Owned LLC with 11-50 employees and a 12,000 square foot engineering, manufacturing, and environmental testing facility located near Vandenberg Air Force Base. SIL was founded in 2006 by Edmund Burke, an 18-year US Air Force veteran who previously served as Metric Track Lead for Space Lift Range Systems at Vandenberg and Cape Canaveral.

SIL's product portfolio comprises five patented core technologies: the Li-Ion Polymer Intelli-Pack® Battery (200-250 Wh/Kg energy density with advanced Battery Management System); the Vehicle Based Independent Tracking System (VBITS), the first fully integrated GPS Metric Tracking and AFTS compliant with RCC 319; Intelli-Avionics®, an open, modular, stackable avionics platform that consolidates multiple black boxes into a single reduced SWAP-C unit; the CHAMELEON 6U to 27U OMSR Bus for nano/micro satellites engineered to MIL-STD; and VBIRS, a LEO Ka/Ku-Band Space Based Range system transmitting telemetry at 1-100 Mbps anywhere on Earth. These technologies share common GPS L1/L2 and IMU building blocks and target the same SWAP-C reduction value proposition.

The company generates revenue primarily as a subcontractor to major US defense primes (Lockheed Martin, Aerojet Rocketdyne Coleman Aerospace, L3-Coleman Aerospace, Parsons) and directly to US government agencies including MDA, DARPA, USAF, NAVAIR, USSF, and NASA through SBIR/STTR contracts and competitive procurements. A smaller commercial revenue stream serves European launchers (Avio) and commercial space companies (Nanoracks). All sales flow through negotiated government procurement and prime subcontract processes; no public pricing is disclosed. Distribution is exclusively direct B2B engagement via the company's website RFQ process and field sales.

Name

Space Information Laboratories

Legal name

Space Information Laboratories LLC

Website

https://spaceinformationlabs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Space Information Laboratories (SIL) develops and manufactures space-qualified Li-Ion batteries, GPS tracking, autonomous flight termination systems, and consolidated avionics for US DoD, NASA, defense primes, and commercial space customers from its Santa Maria, California facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerospace and Defense Electronics

NAICS

Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Spacecraft Avionics, Flight Computers & Software (IMABACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Space Payloads & Instruments (Sensors, Comms, EO/IR) (IMABACAD), Spacecraft Integration, Assembly & Test (IAT) (IMABACAK)

Keywords

• Space-qualified avionics
• Lithium-ion battery systems
• Autonomous flight termination
• Satellite bus platforms
• Aerospace defense subsystems

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Maria

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, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Defense Subcontracts: SIL serves as a subcontractor to major defense primes including Lockheed Martin, Aerojet Rocketdyne Coleman Aerospace, L3-Coleman Aerospace, and others, providing battery, GPS tracking, and avionics systems for MDA, USAF, and other DoD programs. Revenue flows through competitive subcontract awards.
2. Government SBIR/STTR Contracts: SIL receives direct SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) and STTR awards from agencies including MDA, DARPA, USAF, NAVAIR, and USSF. These are multi-phase government R&D contracts that transition into production.
3. Commercial Aerospace Products: SIL sells its products to commercial space companies including Nanoracks (for Outpost Demo Mission) and Avio (Italian launchers). International commercial customers funded by ESA and national programs such as Italy's PNRR.
4. Direct Government Contracts: SIL holds direct contracts with MDA, NASA Johnson Space Center, USAF, and other U.S. government agencies for development and production of flight-qualified hardware.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Space Information Laboratories (SIL) develops, manufactures, and integrates space-qualified avionics, lithium-ion polymer battery systems, GPS metric tracking, autonomous flight termination systems (AFTS), and modular satellite buses for aerospace and defense platforms including rockets, missiles, hypersonic vehicles, small satellites, UAVs, and aircraft. Core focus is on reduced SWAP-C (Size, Weight, Power, Cost) solutions delivered through patented Open, Modular, Stackable, and Reconfigurable (OMSR) architectures.

Product overview

Space Information Laboratories offers a portfolio of five core aerospace products that work together to provide comprehensive mission-critical solutions: Li-Ion Polymer Intelli-Pack® Battery provides high-energy-density power storage with built-in BMS; Space Based Range (VBIRS) enables global telemetry transmission via LEO satellites; Vehicle Based Independent Tracking System (VBITS) delivers GPS tracking and autonomous flight termination capabilities; CHAMELEON satellite bus provides a modular platform for 6U to 27U nano/micro satellites; and Intelli-Avionics® consolidates avionics functions into a single reduced-size unit. These products share common technology elements including GPS receivers, IMU systems, and communication subsystems, and are designed to reduce SWAP-C (Size, Weight, Power, and Cost) for aerospace vehicles and ranges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Li-Ion Polymer Intelli-Pack®: Modular and scalable smart battery technology for aerospace platforms including launch vehicles, missiles, small satellites, and UAS/RPA. Features high energy density (200-250 Wh/Kg), advanced BMS, and rapid recharge capability.
• VBITS (Vehicle Based Independent Tracking System)
• Intelli-Avionics®
• CHAMELEON 6U to 27U OMSR BUS
• VBIRS (Vehicle Based Independent Range System)
• Consolidated Avionics®

Products and services

• Li-Ion Polymer Intelli-Pack® Battery High energy density (200-250 Wh/Kg) Li-Ion polymer smart battery with advanced Battery Management System (BMS) for launch vehicles, missiles, hypersonic vehicles, strike weapons, interceptors, reentry vehicles, small satellites, and UAS/RPA. Features rapid recharge, thermal runaway protection, cell balancing, and real-time monitoring.
• Space Based Range (VBIRS) LEO satellite Ka/Ku-Band and 5G high-speed communication system that transmits telemetry data (1-100 Mbps) from launch vehicles, missiles, hypersonic vehicles, and UAVs anywhere on Earth, eliminating ground-based range instrumentation dependencies.
• Vehicle Based Independent Tracking System (VBITS) First fully integrated GPS Metric Tracking and Autonomous Flight Termination System (AFTS) for launch vehicles, missiles, hypersonic vehicles, and reentry vehicles. Provides time, space and position information (TSPI), real-time S-Band data link, beyond line-of-sight tracking, and meets RCC 319 range safety compliance.
• CHAMELEON 6U to 27U OMSR Bus Open, Modular, Scalable and Reconfigurable (OMSR) satellite bus for nano/micro satellites in 6U to 27U form factors engineered to MIL-STD. Features GPS L1/L2 receiver, ADCS for precise attitude pointing (<0.1 degrees), PC104/RadHard processor, S-Band and Ka-Band SDR, deployable solar panels, and integrated Li-Ion Polymer EPS.
• Intelli-Avionics® Open, modular and stackable avionics technology that consolidates multiple avionics functions (GPS receiver, IMU/INS, signal conditioning, encoder, S-band transmitter, A/D and D/A converters, I/O) into a single reduced SWAP-C unit for launch vehicles, small satellites, and UAS/RPA.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200Wh/Kg energy density vs. 60Wh/Kg for Ni-Cad and 100Wh/Kg for Silver Zinc - 2x to 3x improvement
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Pacific Scientific Energetic Materials Company (PacSci EMC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 March 2020PacSci EMC (Hollister, CA) and SIL signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide plug-and-play Autonomous Flight Safety System (AFSS) for launch vehicles, missiles, hypersonic vehicles, reentry vehicles, strike weapons and unmanned aerial systems. PacSci EMC Safe and Arm high voltage electronics are integrated with SIL's VBITS AFTU (with internal GPS L1/L2 Receivers and IMU) into a Consolidated Avionics unit. The architecture is RCC-319 compliant.
• Lockheed MartincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSIL is the SBIR Phase II technology transition partner for Lockheed Martin on MDA programs. Lockheed Martin serves as the prime contractor and commercialization partner for SIL's VBITS AFTS technology onto MDA programs of record, including the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI). SIL was awarded a $6.875 million subcontract through Lockheed Martin for MDA NGI AFTS development.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Northrop Grumman: Major defense prime with deep exposure to missile defense (GBI, NGI competitors), launch vehicles, and space avionics. Comparable both as an approved-supplier customer of SIL and as a competing developer of GPS-based range safety and integrated avionics solutions.
• Honeywell Aerospace: Established supplier of inertial measurement units, GPS/inertial navigation, and integrated avionics for aerospace and missile platforms. Comparable as an incumbent alternative to SIL's Intelli-Avionics and GPS tracking offerings on large missile-defense and launcher programs.
• L3Harris Technologies: Large defense prime with major positions in space avionics, guidance and navigation, telemetry, and range instrumentation. Comparable as a broader incumbent competing against SIL's VBITS AFTS and avionics subsystems for MDA/USAF range-safety and missile-defense content.
• Raytheon (RTX): Large defense prime with significant missile, interceptor, and range-safety systems exposure. Comparable both as a potential integrator of SIL components and as a competing supplier of GPS/range instrumentation and missile avionics.

Direct peers

• Saft (TotalEnergies): Manufacturer of advanced lithium-ion and specialty batteries for aerospace, defense, and space applications. Directly comparable to SIL's Intelli-Pack line in space-qualified cells and battery management systems for launch vehicles, satellites, and missiles.
• Blue Canyon Technologies: Supplier of small-satellite buses, attitude determination and control systems, and integrated avionics for DOD and commercial missions. Directly comparable to SIL's Chameleon OMSR and Intelli-Avionics product families serving nano/micro-satellite integrators.
• EaglePicher Technologies: Long-standing U.S. manufacturer of space- and defense-qualified battery and power systems for missiles, launch vehicles, and satellites. Directly comparable as a battery-focused subsystem supplier to the same defense-prime and MDA/USAF customers that SIL serves with Intelli-Pack.
• York Space Systems: Developer of standardized satellite buses and integrated avionics platforms for DOD and commercial smallsat programs. Comparable as a peer in the smallsat and modular-bus market overlapping SIL's Chameleon OMSR and Intelli-Avionics offerings.

Emerging players

• Rocket Lab USA (Space Systems): Through its Sinclair Interplanetary/space systems business, supplies satellite buses, reaction wheels, and avionics for smallsats. Comparable as a growing alternative provider of smallsat platforms and avionics subsystems competing with SIL's Chameleon/Intelli-Avionics family.

Others

• Aerojet Rocketdyne / L3Harris Combat Propulsion: Defense propulsion and energetics prime (formerly Aerojet Rocketdyne Coleman Aerospace) — listed as both a SIL customer (missile batteries and VBITS integration) and as a related subsystem peer providing integrated range-safety and propulsion-stage electronics in adjacent program scopes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Space Information Laboratories