Portal Space Systems announced the successful launch of its Starburst-1 mission, carrying its first free-flying spacecraft of the same name, just seven months after launching its pioneer test spacecraft, Mini-Nova.
The company said that the self-funded Starburst-1, which also carries three experimental technology payloads from outside partners, is designed to demonstrate Portal’s ability to successfully launch and test emerging space technologies in a short timeframe. The mission will also test critical Starburst systems that will be part of the company’s future Supernova spacecraft scheduled to launch in 2028.
Portal Space’s Starburst Free-Flying Spacecraft Reaches Orbit
According to a statement emailed to The Debrief, Starburst-1 lifted off on Tuesday, October 20th, at 7:04 a.m. EDT aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. 56 minutes and 52 seconds after launch, SpaceX confirmed deployment of the free-flying spacecraft.
“Starburst is an ESPA-class spacecraft designed to maneuver rapidly within an orbital regime, giving defense and commercial operators greater freedom to move where they want, when they want, without regret,” the company explained.
Within hours of that confirmation, Portal engineers established communications with Starburst-1. Stable communication allowed the team to stabilize the spacecraft and deploy its solar array successfully.
“Starburst-1 is now power positive, marking a series of critical early achievements on its first day in orbit,” Portal announced.
With these early milestones achieved, the company also said that Starburst-1 is “awaiting its next mission objectives.”
Mission Will Test Three Experimental Technologies
Along with its own test regime, Starburst-1 includes technologies from three partners that will be tested in space.
One tantalizing technology from Zenno Astronautics is called a Supertorquer. According to Portal, this novel system is a “superconducting magnetic attitude-control system designed to orient the spacecraft using Earth’s magnetic field.”
The company said this technique should theoretically conserve a spacecraft’s limited onboard propellant for maneuvering. The Starburst-1 mission will also evaluate if the Supertorquer magnetic field the system generates offers some level of protection for the free-flying spacecraft’s onboard electronics.
Starburst-1 carries an onboard camera designed by TRL11 called the Fovea M1. Portal said the camera will “provide live video of Starburst-1 and its surroundings,” including already providing visual confirmation of the spacecraft’s successful solar-array deployment.
To protect the company’s free-flying spacecraft from high-speed orbital debris that can damage or disable a spacecraft, Portal enlisted Atomic-6 and its Space Armor® protective tiles. Critically, this test technology is also designed to limit additional debris created by the shielding material.
Future Supernova Spacecraft Tapped for 2028 Launch
Although the mission carries payloads from other customers, Portal said they self-funded Starburst-1 to “accelerate” the company’s flight experience and demonstrate overall mission capabilities for future customers
“We put our own capital behind Starburst-1 because proving hardware in flight is how we earn their confidence,” explained Jeff Thornburg, co-founder and CEO of Portal Space Systems.
Next, Portal will continue to prepare for the 2028 launch of the recently announced Motus Via Sol mission. Along with several Starburst free-flying spacecraft, that mission will feature the first launch of Portal’s Supernova spacecraft.
When discussing the significance of the Starburst-1 mission’s successful launch and power-positive status, the company pointed to its rapid turnaround, from the Starburst vehicle’s introduction last November and the successful launch of Mini-Nova in March to the latest successful launch.
“In March, we sent critical systems to space. Today, our first free-flying spacecraft is stable and power positive with its solar array deployed,” Thornburg said, adding, “that’s the pace we intend to keep.”
Christopher Plain has spent the last six years as Associate News Editor and Head Science Reporter at The Debrief. Follow and connect with him on X, learn about his novels at plainfiction.com, or email him at christopher@thedebrief.org.