Orbital Composites, founded in 2015 and based in Campbell, CA, is an advanced manufacturing company specializing in robotic 3D printing and composite materials for space and aerospace applications. They are developing in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) technologies to fabricate large structures like antennas and solar panels directly in space. Orbital Composites partners with organizations like the U.S. Space Force, Axiom Space, Northrop Grumman, and Virtus Solis, focusing on satellite-based cellular broadband, space-based solar power, and quantum antennas. Associated keywords include additive manufacturing, composites, robotics, in-space manufacturing, and space-based solar power.
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Orbital Composites is investing in manufacturing capacity, program qualification, and autonomous production systems.
Orbital Composites combines robotics, advanced materials, and physical AI to automate production of components for extreme environment materials.
Orbital Composites is working to eliminate supply constraints on solid rocket motors.
Orbital Composites' extreme environment materials include parts used in rocket nozzles, heat shields, hypersonic vehicle structures, jet engine hot sections, and nuclear reactors.
The contract funds continued development of Orbital Composites' robotic additive manufacturing platform for extreme environment materials.
Orbital Composites is working with defense prime contractors, U.S. government program offices, and commercial space and energy providers to scale qualification and production.
SpaceWERX awarded Orbital Composites a $1.9 million Tactical Funding Increase contract.
Orbital Composites will develop robotic additive manufacturing technology for components engineered to withstand temperatures exceeding 3,000 degrees Celsius under the SpaceWERX contract.
Amolak Badesha, Orbital Composites co-founder and CEO, declined to disclose the cost of the planned 2027 demonstration.
Orbital Composites plans to conduct a space-based solar power demonstration in 2027 with partner Virtus Solis Technologies.
Orbital Composites and Virtus Solis plan to locate the 2027 demonstration in medium-Earth Molniya orbit to enable continuous solar power generation without atmospheric interference.
Orbital Composites and Axiom Space will design an in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing laboratory that resides outside the Axiom space station under the direct-to-Phase II Orbital Prime contract.
SpaceLogistics, a Northrop Grumman subsidiary, is partnering with Orbital Composites on geostationary applications for in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing.
Orbital Composites is working with Axiom Space, Northrop Grumman, and the Southwest Research Institute to test robotic technology to 3D print antennas for satellite-based cellular broadband and kilometer-scale antennas for space-based solar power.
Orbital Composites plans to establish its first Space Factory within three to five years.
Southwest Research Institute will contribute software to enable Orbital Composites’ in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing technology to operate with a high degree of autonomy.
Orbital Composites will space qualify technology to manufacture antennas in orbit under the $1,700,000 SBIR contract.
Orbital Composites announced a partnership with Michigan-based Virtus Solis Technologies in June to develop a megawatt-scale space-based solar power station.
Elements of the Axiom space station could be 3D printed in the external in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing laboratory designed by Orbital Composites and Axiom Space.
Orbital Composites received a $1,700,000 U.S. Space Force Small Business Innovation Research contract through the SpaceWERX Orbital Prime program on 2023-07-13.