Satellite for MEO mission will launch in February 2026
NewsDecember 19, 2024
TORRANCE, Calif. K2 Space signed a contract worth as much as $60 million with the U.S. Space Force to launch its first Mega Class satellite on a mission that is codenamed "Gravitas."
Under the terms of the agreement, the Gravitas mission is slated to demonstrate the ability of the Mega Class satellite bus to proliferate across all orbits, with key demonstrations in low Earth orbit (LEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO).
According to the company's announcement, the K2 satellite bus represents a step change in satellite capabilities, delivering 10 times more power than any other low-cost bus in its class, with a large 3-meter by 3-meter payload deck, and able to operate in multiple orbits: LEO, MEO, geosynchronous, and cislunar space.
K2 Space, say company officials, will be one of the first commercial companies to demonstrate operations for government and commercial customers in MEO, a a fact that prompts thoughts of proliferating satellites beyond LEO in programs such as resilient GPS.
