Washington’s space industry is expanding again, with a Bothell-based company preparing to test key spacecraft technology in orbit as soon as this month.Portal S
Washington’s space industry is expanding again, with a Bothell-based company preparing to test key spacecraft technology in orbit as soon as this month. Portal Space Systems has set up operations in Snohomish County, citing Washington’s workforce as a major reason for putting down roots.
The company, led by CEO Jeff Thornburg, is developing two space vehicles it says are designed to move items quickly through space. “We're providing a unique spacecraft that doesn't exist that can do things that a lot of our customers wish they could've done five or ten years ago,” Thornburg said. About four years ago, Thornburg and his co-founders began building a spacecraft in his garage called the Supernova. The company describes Supernova as a space transport vehicle designed to carry items in space and move quickly around orbits between the Earth and the moon. In November, Portal Space Systems decided to make a smaller version of Supernova called Starburst, designed to operate within a single orbit. “It was really about us trying to be super responsive to our defense customers that specifically need capability on orbit as fast as possible,” Thornburg said. The company is building both vehicles in western Washington and is expanding its footprint. Portal Space Systems is working out of a 6,000-square-foot facility and has leased an additional 5,200-square-foot manufacturing space to ramp up production. “We’re going to build 12 Supernova and 16 Starburst spacecraft a year in that facility as we bring it up to speed, so it will be a gradual process through next year and early 27 as we close 27 into 28 ... we’ll be manufacturing at full capacity and serving our customers needs, again growing beyond 100-plus people headed towards 200 as we bring that facility online,” Thornburg said. To prepare for future launches, Portal Space Systems is beginning a space test this month using a payload it calls “mini-nova.” “We have a payload we call mini-nova, which is the brains of all of our spacecraft. It has a lot of critical sensors and features that we want to test on orbit as fast as possible,” Thornburg said. The mini-nova payload is set to launch on a Falcon 9 rocket on March 29 and will spend six months in space testing critical systems. The first Starburst is expected to launch in October, and Supernova is scheduled to launch in 2027.Portal Space Systems also received $350,000 from the Governor’s Strategic Reserve Fund. The company plans to use the money to accelerate its manufacturing facility, which it expects to have ready by this summer.The DEA says it has made the largest drug seizure in the history of the Eastern District of Washington after seizing nearly 370 pounds of illicit substances.Authorities discovered over 1,000 pounds of meth, worth around $25 million, hidden in a 62-year-old man's tractor trailer.Drivers who travel north on the First Avenue South Bridge in Seattle should prepare for longer commute times and explore different routes starting Monday morninA motorcycle rider who ran from deputies was tracked down and arrested after a K-9 team followed a trail of discarded clothing and gear to a tarp where the susp
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
This Week In Space podcast: Episode 200 — Our 200th Episode Listener Special!Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists.
Read more »
California colleges spend millions on faulty AI systems: ‘The chatbot is outdated’CalMatters is a nonpartisan and nonprofit news organization dedicated to serving the state of California.
Read more »
Apple TV’s Best Sci-Fi Completely Rewrites American History in Surprising WaysTyner Rushing in a space suit in space in For All Mankind
Read more »
KKR eyes multibillion-dollar sale of CoolIT Systems: reportToday's Business Headlines: 03/06/26
Read more »
Türkiye deploys six F-16s, defence systems to Northern Cyprus amid US-Israeli war on IranTürkiye reinforces Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus with fighter jets and air defence systems as regional tensions increase and threats rise.
Read more »
Congress wants the International Space Station to keep flying until 2032. Here's whyMichael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, 'Out There,' was published on Nov. 13, 2018.
Read more »