SpaceTREx Laboratory

What SpaceTREx Laboratory does

SpaceTREx Laboratory (Space and Terrestrial Robotic Exploration) is an academic research laboratory within the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Arizona in Tucson, established in 2013. The lab develops systems engineering design and control solutions for space, planetary, and asteroid exploration using small spacecraft, robots, and sensor network devices, with a research focus on enabling technologies for extreme environment exploration, interplanetary CubeSat explorers, and on-orbit servicing spanning spacecraft constellations, propulsion, power, and communications. Its technical portfolio spans six named programs: SphereX (3-5 kg spherical rocket-propelled hopping robots for cave and lava tube exploration), AOSAT1 (the first on-orbit CubeSat centrifuge and planetary science laboratory), Photovoltaic Electrolysis Propulsion (PVEPS) for water-electrolysis CubeSat propulsion, inflatable antennas for interplanetary communications (developed with NASA JPL), a Europa CubeSat concept selected by JPL for Europa Clipper feasibility study, and the Lunar Ark concept for cryogenic biodiversity storage in lunar lava tubes. The lab integrates bio-inspired Artificial Neural Tissue controllers and machine learning for multi-robot cooperative control, with stated superior performance over standard neural network approaches for multi-robot excavation tasks.

The laboratory is led by Dr. Jekan Thanga (Associate Professor, AIAA Associate Fellow, PhD from UTIAS, postdoc at MIT FSRL, with Minor Planet (20406) JekanThanga named in his honor by the International Astronomical Union) alongside Professor Erik Asphaug from Planetary Science. Through Thanga, the lab has secured more than $17 million in competitive research funding across 28 grants, produced 195 publications with 1,246 citations, filed 13 patents and inventions, and trained over 300 students supported by an alumni network of approximately 150.

The business model is grant-funded academic research: SpaceTREx does not sell products or services commercially. Revenue streams consist of competitive research grants (primarily from NASA, including the ASTEROIDS Laboratory, CubeSat Launch Initiative, MIRO program, and a $3 million asteroid research award), with additional support from the U.S. Air Force via SWIMSat and historical collaboration with MDA Space Missions. Distribution occurs through NASA and space-agency mission integration, peer-reviewed publication, open academic sharing, and student placement into industry. The lab serves space agencies and government customers seeking low-cost interplanetary CubeSat and extreme-environment robotics solutions, academic research institutions requiring affordable space experimentation platforms, and emerging terrestrial applications in climate, security, water, and energy.

Name

SpaceTREx Laboratory

Legal name

SpaceTREx Laboratory, University of Arizona

Website

https://spacetrex.arizona.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

SpaceTREx Laboratory is an academic research lab at the University of Arizona developing systems engineering solutions for space, planetary, and asteroid exploration using CubeSats, planetary robotics, and bio-inspired neural network controllers. It serves NASA and other agencies through grant-funded research spanning propulsion, communications, and extreme-environment mobility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerospace Research and Spacecraft Systems Engineering

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 & Satellites (Civil/Commercial) (IMABACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Spacecraft Avionics, Flight Computers & Software (IMABACAI), Space Payloads & Instruments (Sensors, Comms, EO/IR) (IMABACAD)

Keywords

• CubeSat spacecraft design
• Planetary robotics research
• Small satellite engineering
• Extreme environment robotics
• Interplanetary spacecraft research

Headquarters

HQ city

Tucson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Competitive Research Grants: The laboratory secures competitive research funding from NASA and other government agencies. Professor Thanga has secured more than $17 million in competitive research funding.
2. NASA Mission Funding: Funding through NASA-supported programs including the ASTEROIDS Laboratory, CubeSat Launch Initiative, and MIRO program.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SpaceTREx Laboratory develops systems engineering design and control solutions for space, planetary, and asteroid exploration using small spacecraft, robots, and sensor network devices. Its portfolio centers on enabling technologies for interplanetary CubeSat explorers, extreme-environment planetary robotics (including the SphereX spherical hopping robot and AOSAT1 on-orbit CubeSat centrifuge), photovoltaic electrolysis propulsion, inflatable antennas, and bio-inspired neural network controllers for multi-robot systems. The laboratory delivers research outputs as flight-ready technology prototypes, peer-reviewed publications, and trained researchers to NASA and partner space agencies.

Product overview

SpaceTREx Laboratory is a university research laboratory developing systems engineering solutions for space, planetary and asteroid exploration. The portfolio includes multiple CubeSat-based products: SphereX (spherical hopping robots for extreme environments), AOSAT1 (on-orbit CubeSat centrifuge laboratory), PVEPS (photovoltaic electrolysis propulsion), Inflatable Antennas (for interplanetary communications), Europa CubeSat (for Europa Clipper reconnaissance), and the Lunar Ark concept for planetary biodiversity preservation. These products share a common focus on miniaturized spacecraft and robotics for interplanetary exploration, leveraging shared enabling technologies in propulsion, power systems, communications, and mobility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SphereX SphereX is a spherical rocket-propelled robot (3-5 kg) designed for extreme environment exploration of caves, lava tubes, and skylights on the Moon and Mars, using hopping, flying, and rolling mobility. Each unit carries a smartphone-sized computer, stereo cameras, laser rangefinders, and a science payload, and uses miniaturized thrusters with safe, clean, non-cryogenic, long-shelf-life propellants.
• AOSAT1 (Asteroid Origins Satellite 1) AOSAT1 is the first on-orbit 3U CubeSat (34 x 10 x 10 cm, 4 kg) centrifuge and science laboratory dedicated to planetary science research. It houses crushed meteorites and enables experiments under artificial gravity simulating asteroid surface conditions, and was developed in collaboration with the University of Arizona's Planetary Formation Laboratory.
• PVEPS (Photovoltaic Electrolysis Propulsion System) PVEPS is an innovative low-thrust propulsion system for CubeSats that uses on-board photovoltaic panels to electrolyze water, producing combustible hydrogen and oxygen. Water's high storage density provides sufficient fuel within CubeSat volume constraints, enabling lunar and Martian orbital capture and other interplanetary maneuvers.
• Inflatable Antennas for CubeSats Inflatable membrane antenna structures for interplanetary CubeSat communications, developed in collaboration with NASA JPL. The design achieves large surface area with low storage volume, with the goal of integrating a fully capable system onto a CubeSat occupying no more than 0.5U.
• Europa CubeSat Concept A 3U CubeSat concept for the Europa Clipper mission, designed to operate at extreme distances from Earth under low insolation, extreme temperatures, and high radiation. It is intended to conduct reconnaissance for landing sites and supplement the parent mission with scientific observations through planned Europa flybys.
• Lunar Ark Project Lunar Ark is a concept for preserving 6.7 million species of Earth's biodiversity by using lunar lava tubes as natural shelters for cryogenic storage of seeds, spores, sperm, eggs, and DNA. It is designed as a modular, robotically-operated system for planetary backup and future colonization scenarios.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than $17 million in competitive research funding secured
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on inflatable antennas for CubeSats. SpaceTREx was selected by NASA JPL to study the feasibility of sending a CubeSat on the Europa Clipper mission, designing a 3U CubeSat to supplement the mission with invaluable scientific contributions.
• NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASA-supported ASTEROIDS Laboratory, multiple NASA programs including CubeSat Launch Initiative, MIRO program, and $3M funding for asteroid research. CatSat student-led mission selected for flight by NASA.
• Planetary Formation Laboratory (PFL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with PFL on AOSAT1 (Asteroid Origins Satellite I) development, combining spacecraft engineering with planetary science expertise.
• U.S. Air ForceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with U.S. Air Force on satellite design for monitoring space threats through the SWIMSat project.
• MDA Space MissionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical collaboration with MDA Space Missions on Canadarm, Canadarm2, and DARPA Orbital Express space robotics programs (prior to academia for Dr. Thanga).

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• MIT Space Systems Laboratory: MIT's flagship space robotics and small spacecraft research lab. Highly comparable as an academic group developing CubeSats, autonomous space systems, and formation-flying/robotics technology with a similar mix of NASA-funded research, student training, and novel flight demonstrators.
• Cornell Space Systems Design Studio: Cornell's undergraduate-led CubeSat and small spacecraft development group. Directly comparable in mission scope (student-driven interplanetary CubeSat development, NASA-funded missions such as Mars Cube One) and academic/non-commercial operating model.
• Stanford Space Rendezvous Laboratory: Stanford's SLAB focuses on autonomous space robotics, on-orbit servicing, and multi-spacecraft control. Comparable on on-orbit manipulation, GNC, and swarm robotics research, which overlaps with SpaceTREx's ANT controllers and on-orbit servicing work.
• University of Colorado Boulder - Colorado Space Grant Consortium / BioServe: BioServe Space Technologies at CU Boulder develops payloads and CubeSat experiments with strong NASA funding, similar student-driven model, and a comparable focus on enabling microgravity and space biology research via small spacecraft.
• Caltech / Keck Institute for Space Studies: Caltech's small spacecraft and planetary science groups run analogous CubeSat and asteroid mission concept research. Comparable as an academic peer in interplanetary smallsat concepts, with overlap on asteroid mission concepts and small spacecraft instrument development.

Broad incumbents

• NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory: JPL is a core partner of SpaceTREx (Europa CubeSat, inflatable antenna collaborations). Comparable as a much broader incumbent operating across the full spacecraft value chain but with deep overlap on interplanetary CubeSat concept studies.
• Planet Labs: Operator of the largest commercial CubeSat constellation. Comparable in the CubeSat platform and constellation domain, though Planet is a commercial Earth-observation incumbent rather than an academic research lab.
• MDA Space Missions: Canadian space robotics prime and former employer of Dr. Thanga (Canadarm/Canadarm2/Orbital Express). Comparable on space robotics, on-orbit servicing, and planetary mission technology at significantly larger scale.

Emerging players

• Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems (a Terran Orbital company): Commercial CubeSat bus and integration provider whose products overlap with SpaceTREx's CubeSat design and smallsat subsystems work. Comparable as a CubeSat platform/subsystem provider; differs in being commercial rather than academic.
• Blue Canyon Technologies: Smallsat and CubeSat component supplier (attitude control, propulsion, buses). Comparable on the satellite hardware side, especially CubeSat avionics, propulsion and components that intersect with SpaceTREx's PVEPS and avionics research.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about SpaceTREx Laboratory