Fortastra raises $30M Series A for on-orbit security spacecraft
Fortastra secured $30 million in Series A funding to scale production of its maneuverable orbital-defense spacecraft, responding to growing U.S. military demand for space-based security systems.
Fortastra raised $30 million in Series A funding to accelerate development of its on-orbit security spacecraft. The financing round was led by First In with participation from Upfront Ventures, Space Capital, Rsquared, Side Door Ventures, ATX Ventures, and existing investors.
Funds to drive engineering growth and manufacturing scale
The capital will expand Fortastra’s engineering and operations teams. It will also advance core autonomy and manufacturing infrastructure. A key goal is building a modular spacecraft bus optimized for high-rate production. The company is focused on scaling its production capacity to meet anticipated demand.
Technology aims for persistent, multi-orbit security coverage
Fortastra, based in Torrance, California, develops maneuverable spacecraft for national defense. Its vehicles are designed to operate near critical space assets. They monitor activity and can respond to potential threats in real time. The spacecraft include sensors, robust propulsion systems for movement, and onboard autonomy for responsiveness. The company aims to establish persistent security coverage across multiple orbital environments through mass deployment.
Progress builds on rapid development and demo mission success
The company moved from seed funding to an on-orbit demonstration in about one year. It has already secured government contracts and launched two demo missions. One such mission launched on SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare this month. The next spacecraft, much closer to the final product, could launch as early as the first quarter of 2028.
The work focuses on compressing the time between design, build, and flight. Engineering hires are concentrated on flight software, guidance and control, and autonomy. Developing a perception stack to identify surroundings in real time is a priority. Proximity operations are critical to all capabilities being developed.
This investment comes as government agencies and commercial satellite operators increasingly prioritize protecting space-based infrastructure. Fortastra expects large-scale orders from the Department of Defense. Commercial satellite operators are also expected to demand similar defense capabilities.
Leadership outlines vision for scalable threat response
Founder and CEO Mike Smayda leads the company. Vice President of Product Sahil Desai and Chief Technology Officer Josh Jetter are key executives. The company's goal is to provide troops with multiple options when dealing with adversarial satellites. It aims to avoid building solely high-escalatory systems that threaten other satellites.
Sahil Desai said the need for many spacecraft is due to rapidly growing threats. He noted that recent public comments from senior defense officials will help ease financial pathways for the company. "Long term for the business [is] hundreds of spacecraft a year, potentially thousands," Desai said.
The short-term goal is to launch about one spacecraft per year. The long-term vision is to ramp up to hundreds or thousands of spacecraft annually as production scales.
