D-Orbit Space, Inc. Wins Defense Innovation Unit & Space Development Agency Award to Deliver Deorbit-as-a-Service (DaaS)

D-Orbit Space wins $24M DIU/SDA award to demo Deorbit-as-a-Service with TransAstra and Falcon Exodynamics, proving LEO logistics as a managed service.

BOULDER, CO, UNITED STATES, August 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Along with partners TransAstra and Falcon Exodynamics this mission will demonstrate LEO logistics as a managed service for the US government

D-Orbit Space, Inc, the U.S. arm of in-space logistics and transportation company D-Orbit SpA, today announced it has been selected by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and the Space Development Agency (SDA) for an award with a total value of $24M to demonstrate Deorbit-as-a-Service (DaaS). D-Orbit Space will deliver in-space transportation and logistics capabilities to the US government on a managed-service basis — giving the government flexible, on-demand access to orbital logistics without the cost and schedule of owning and operating the mission spacecraft. The successful demonstration of the mission’s key capabilities (rendezvous, docking, etc.) will also enable D-Orbit Space to accomplish other critical LEO logistics missions for the US government such as refueling satellites, repairing satellites, inspecting satellites, re-positioning satellites, etc.

DIU is a U.S. Department of War organization focused on accelerating the adoption of commercial and dual-use technology to strengthen national security. As an integral part of the U.S. Space Force, SDA is recognized as a constructive disruptor for space acquisition. SDA will accelerate delivery of needed space-based capabilities. Through DaaS, D-Orbit Space intends to demonstrate how a service-based model — rather than a traditional hardware purchase — can shorten timelines, lower cost, and give U.S. Government customers repeatable, responsive options for logistics across a variety of orbits.

What DaaS Delivers

The DaaS model draws on D-Orbit’s flight-proven orbital transfer vehicle heritage to offer last-mile payload delivery, orbital relocation, and hosting as a subscription-style service. Rather than procuring and integrating a dedicated vehicle, the customer defines the mission outcome — where a payload needs to go and what it needs to do — and D-Orbit Space delivers that result. This approach is designed to give the US government a resilient, commercially sustained capability that can scale with mission demand.

A Team Approach

D-Orbit Space will execute DaaS as prime contractor alongside two key mission partners: TransAstra, a provider of advanced space transportation and orbital capture solutions, and Falcon Exodynamics, a developer of responsive spacecraft and space systems. Together, the team combines D-Orbit’s proven in-space transportation heritage with complementary partner capabilities to deliver a flexible, resilient service tailored to national security needs.

Leadership Perspective

“Being selected by the Defense Innovation Unit for DaaS is a strong validation of our belief that space logistics should be delivered as a service, not just as hardware,” said Mike Cassidy, CEO, D-Orbit Space, Inc. “Our team is proud to bring D-Orbit SpA’s proven in-space transportation heritage to the US government, and, together with our partners TransAstra and Falcon Exodynamics, to demonstrate a faster, more flexible, and more affordable way to move and support payloads on orbit. We look forward to executing this prototype and showing what commercially provided orbital mobility can do for the national security mission.”

Additional details, including program milestones and demonstration objectives, will be shared as the effort progresses and as approved for public release.

About D-Orbit Space, Inc.

D-Orbit Space, Inc. is a market leader in the space logistics and transportation services industry. D-Orbit designs and delivers in-space infrastructure and services — including its ION orbital transfer vehicle — that move, deploy, and host payloads across orbits for commercial and government customers. D-Orbit Space, Inc. extends these capabilities to U.S. government and commercial partners. For more information, visit www.dorbit.com.

About Falcon Exodynamics

Founded in 2017, Falcon ExoDynamics is a small, non-trditional space system provider focused on delivering autonomy-enabling, low size, weight, and power open system payload solutions to spacecraft. Falcon’s products and services include mission systems engineering; open interface sensing and processing payloads; and edge-based embedded, real-time mission software. For the DaaS program, Falcon is providing its integrated multi-phenomenology rendezvous and proximity operations payload capable of autonomous end-to-end operations (inertial flight through capture).

About TransAstra

TransAstra will supply the mission’s capture technology: a 4-meter Mantis capture hand capable of securing non-cooperative debris objects for removal. TransAstra’s capture systems are designed to grapple objects that were never built to be serviced or captured, making them well-suited to the growing challenge of orbital debris. “Debris removal is one of the defining challenges of operating safely in orbit, and it demands hardware that can grapple objects never designed to be touched again,” said Joel Sercel, Founder and CEO of TransAstra. “We’re proud to bring our Mantis capture technology to this mission alongside D-Orbit Space, and to support the Space Development Agency’s mission of a safer, more sustainable space domain.”

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Mike Kaplan
D-Orbit Space, Inc.
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