Turion Space is working with the Air Force, the U.S. Space Force and others to clean up space.
Last year, the Irvine-based company launched the world’s first commercial satellite dedicated to tracking satellites and space debris.
“There’s estimated to be a million objects – satellites and large debris – in orbit that need watching, and only about 48,000 of them are being tracked,” CEO and co-founder Ryan Westerdahl says.
He intends to change that.
“Our first satellite is now fully operational and taking images of other satellites during flyby encounters,” he says.
Turion uses its tracking data to warn satellite owners of possible collisions, and soon it will have the capacity to move satellites out of harm’s way.
The U.S. Space Force recently awarded Turion a $1.9 million contract to design a satellite that can capture obsolete satellites and orbital debris for removal.
“With our new generation of satellites, we’re going to solve debris by 2030,” Westerdahl says.
In the last year, Turion has tripled the size of its workforce to 70 employees who design and build their own satellites in a newly expanded office in Irvine Spectrum District.
From there, Westerdahl expects to produce 50 satellites per year by 2026, and have 300 satellites in orbit by 2030.
“Irvine has been awesome for us,” he says. “It’s close to an insanely dense talent hub. And it’s the perfect place to raise a family. This is where we want to be.”
