Turion Space: Advancing Autonomous Spacecraft Docking and Maneuvering System Technologies with NASA Funding

Turion Space, a California-based startup, has been awarded a $1.9 million contract from SpaceWERX, the technology arm of the U.S. Space Force, to develop an autonomous spacecraft docking and maneuvering system. The goal of the contract is to advance technologies for dealing with uncooperative space objects and aiding in the deorbit of inactive satellites.

The CEO and co-founder of Turion, Ryan Westerdahl, stated in an interview that the company is concentrating on in-space mobility and non-Earth imaging. In June 2023, Turion launched its first satellite, Droid.001, a 32-kilogram spacecraft meant for space situational awareness. The data from this satellite is being included in the Space Force’s Unified Data Library.

Westerdahl has disclosed plans for a demonstration in 2026 that will showcase a Droid mothership carrying “micro-Droid” satellites that have been designed under the SpaceWERX contract. These micro-Droids will use grapplers to capture debris objects and are partially funded by NASA.

Turion’s ultimate objective is to provide a debris removal service but for now, the company is concentrating on hosting space domain awareness payloads to generate constant revenue. Turion intends to provide three payload hosting options: Droid Alpha Mini, Droid Alpha Enhanced Mobility with ion thrusters and Droid Alpha Mini+ with enhanced mobility ion thrusters.

Turion’s next satellite launch, scheduled for February, will demonstrate the larger Droid Alpha bus featuring enhanced mobility ion thrusters co-produced with Desert Works Propulsion -a specialist in electric propulsion for space applications. By 2027, Westerdahl predicts that Turion will be manufacturing 45 satellites annually.