Portal Space Systems

Portal Space Systems designs and manufactures the Supernova spacecraft bus, a payload-agnostic platform built for high-delta-v, multi-orbit maneuverability using proprietary solar-thermal propulsion. The system concentrates sunlight via deployable mirrors onto a 3D-printed heat exchanger thruster, heating storable monopropellant to deliver approximately six kilometers per second of delta-v. This architecture enables transfers from low Earth orbit to geostationary orbit in hours and to cislunar space in days, while supporting collision avoidance, proximity operations, and on-orbit refueling for missions lasting five or more years. The platform accommodates payloads up to 500 kilograms.

The company also produces Starburst, an ESPA-class maneuverable satellite bus with one kilometer per second of delta-v, sharing core subsystems with Supernova. Starburst-1 is scheduled to launch on SpaceX Transporter-18 in Q4 2026 to demonstrate rendezvous and proximity operations. Portal operates from Bothell, Washington, with an 8,000-square-foot R&D facility and a 50,000-square-foot manufacturing facility opened in 2025. The company serves U.S. Department of Defense, Space Force, and commercial satellite operators, and has received a 45 million dollar Strategic Funding Increase award from the Space Force.