Marysville, Wash.-based Gravitics says it has won a $125 million contract from Axiom Space to provide a pressurized spacecraft for Axiom’s yet-to-be-launched commercial space station.
The hardware would play a utility role by providing a variety of support services for Axiom Station.
Axiom Station’s first space module is being built by Thales Alenia Space. That habitation module would be attached to the International Space Station in the 2026 time frame, and when it’s time for the ISS to be retired, Axiom plans to detach its hardware to serve as a standalone orbital outpost.
Gravitics would help Axiom build out its orbital infrastructure. The startup, founded in 2021, offers a product line of spacecraft ranging in diameter from 3 meters (10 feet) to a Starship-sized 8 meters (26 feet). The spacecraft to be built for Axiom will be 4 meters (13 feet) in diameter, with its own propulsion system and power system.
Gravitics’ deal with Axiom points the way toward an ecosystem for building and operating commercial space stations.
“Axiom Space and Gravitics are working together to develop space infrastructure to enable a sustainable global space economy in low-Earth orbit,” Matt Ondler, president of Axiom Space, said today in a news release. “Our next-gen platform, Axiom Station, will provide new pathways to space for traditional space users and non-traditional industries. We are expanding commercial opportunities in space, from in-space manufacturing to technology demonstrations to research and innovative solutions that will advance civilization.”
Gravitics CEO Colin Doughan said his company aims to provide spacecraft for a variety of customers. “Gravitics is building a common set of products to support both commercial and national security needs,” he said. “We combine next-gen products with competitive prices and reduced time to market. Customers consider this a winning combination.”
In June, Gravitics struck a deal with NASA to provide engineering consultation for verifying and validating large space station structures. And in April, the company won a $1.7 million contract from the U.S. Space Force to adapt its space station architecture for national security needs.
The startup raised $20 million in seed funding in 2022 to advance its plans to build orbital hardware at its 42,000-square-foot facility in Marysville.
Gravitics and Axiom aren’t the only companies in the space station business. Jeff Bezos’ space venture, Kent, Wash.-based Blue Origin, is leading a space station consortium called Orbital Reef in partnership with Colorado-based Sierra Space, Boeing and other companies.
Another consortium — led by Voyager Space, Airbus and Mitsubishi — is working on a private-sector outpost called Starlab. And California-based Vast Space says it’s planning to launch its Haven-1 space station next year.