Portal’s Starburst-1 reaches orbit, testing its manoeuvrable spacecraft
Portal Space Systems’ first free-flying Starburst spacecraft reached orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission, GeekWire reports. Portal said the desk-sized craft established communications, stabilised itself and deployed its solar array within hours; it carries experimental equipment from three partner companies.
Bottom line — Starburst-1’s flight data will inform Portal’s larger Supernova spacecraft.
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GeekWire reports that the launch took place from Cape Canaveral and the craft separated from the rocket about 57 minutes later.
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Portal describes Starburst as an ESPA-class craft designed for rapid manoeuvres within a specific orbital regime.
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Zenno Astronautics’ Supertorquer will test magnetic attitude control and whether its magnetic field can shield electronics from radiation, GeekWire reports.
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TRL11’s Fovea M1 camera is providing live video, including visual confirmation of the solar-array deployment, according to GeekWire.
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Atomic-6’s Space Armor tiles are being tested as protection against orbital debris, GeekWire reports.
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Portal said it self-funded the mission to demonstrate its hardware in flight.
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GeekWire reports that Portal plans a dedicated 2028 Falcon 9 mission carrying multiple Starburst spacecraft and the first Supernova.