Space

Exclusive: DoD Taps Orbital Operations for Cryogenic Spacecraft Demo

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 23/10/2026, 13:05:24 UTC.

Briefings

Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft and variants have historically hauled cargo and refueled military jets. Orbital Operations, a Long Beach startup, secured a prototype Other Transaction Agreement with the DoD to fly a full-scale in-orbit demo of its cryogenic-maneuvering vehicle, Astraeus. The company raised approximately $16M in total funding, including a $7M seed extension. CEO Ben Schleuniger stated the mission aims to provide reusable third-stage propulsion for on-orbit operations, enabling maneuvers within single-digit hours. The vehicle is designed to keep liquid hydrogen and oxygen from boiling off, allowing for multi-year missions in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) rather than the typical week-long disposable stage lifetimes. Schleuniger noted demand for space maneuver capabilities was already high, citing recent incidents involving Russia's Cosmos 2612 and US radar imagery satellites. The company's ~13-person team is currently focused on engine hot-fires, refrigeration-cycle work, and qualification before flight, with more fundraising expected but the government award serving as the primary catalyst for the first flight.

Key points

• Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft and variants have historically hauled cargo and refueled military jets.
• Orbital Operations secured a prototype Other Transaction Agreement with the DoD to fly a full-scale in-orbit demo of its cryogenic-maneuvering vehicle, Astraeus.

Context

Space operations require dynamic assets to transport payloads and refuel in orbit, unlike disposable stages that last only a week. The DoD awarded Orbital Operations a prototype Other Transaction Agreement to demonstrate this capability using a vehicle similar to the C-130 Hercules, which has historically performed air-to-air refueling and cargo hauling.

Limitations

Evidence is limited to the startup's funding rounds, CEO quotes, and the specific mission requirements for the demo vehicle. The article does not provide details on the actual flight timeline, specific mission outcomes, or the full scope of future fundraising beyond the confirmed seed extension.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 23/10/2026, 13:18:11 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

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