NEWS | January 13, 2025
Boulder, CO –ThinkOrbital Inc. announces it has been selected by AFWERX for a STTR contract in the amount of $109,980 focused on the Orbital Staging of Assets to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF). The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now on January 13, 2025, ThinkOrbital will start its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.
Quote From Company
“This commitment by AFWERX to ThinkOrbital’s concept for forward deploying assets in-space demonstrates the need for innovative approaches in projecting combat power at a time and place of our choosing. Pre-positioning assets in strategic locations has proven to be a critical requirement for every other military service. Enabling this capability for the US Space Force is critical to maintaining and enhancing our nation’s asymmetric advantage in space.” -Col (Ret.) Lee Rosen, Co-Founder/CEO of ThinkOrbital.”
“The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.”
About ThinkOrbital
Think Orbital is the world’s first space construction company; defending, servicing and building space. On-orbit servicing and construction are critical to the new space economy and enabling the next generation of space companies to flourish at scale. From space domain awareness using their X-ray inspection technology, to real satellite diagnosis & maintenance, to huge infrastructure platforms in space (up to 4X ISS volume on a single launch, assembled in weeks), Think Orbital is leading the way in constructing the future of the current $570B space economy.
ThinkOrbital launched its first spacecraft in May 2024, demonstrating for the first time in human history the ability to autonomously weld in space with results validated by NASA & the European Space Agency.
NEWS | MAY 17, 2024
We are thrilled to announce that we’ve achieved the majority of our Flight-1 objectives, marking a significant leap forward in space innovation! Our journey has been nothing short of extraordinary, from the groundbreaking first-ever autonomous in-space weld to the historic return of flown-in-space Electron-beam welder samples. These samples will be meticulously analyzed by NASA and the European Space Agency, paving the way for groundbreaking discoveries.
Throughout this milestone-filled journey, we have:
This is just the beginning of our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of possibility in space exploration. Stay tuned for more exciting updates as we chart a course towards new frontiers!
Video of the launch and the system created by XTEND
Photo of the payload with ThinkOrbital team.
Photos of the payload in the facility and rocket.
About ThinkOrbital
ThinkOrbital Inc. is a leading space infrastructure developer that is revolutionizing the industry with its cutting-edge autonomous in-space assembly and welding capabilities. The company’s flagship product, the ThinkPlatform, is a single-launch configured multi-mission space platform that can support a wide range of private and public sector needs, including satellite servicing, space debris removal, in-space manufacturing, research missions, on-orbit storage and refueling, and even space tourism. With its scalable and cost-efficient technology, ThinkOrbital is poised to play a major role in the commercialization of the new space economy. To learn more about the company and its innovative solutions, visit thinkorbital.com.
