Source: Found hereK2 Space Corporation, a leading innovator of high-power, low-cost satellites, announced the completion of two major milestones on the path to its first full satellite launch, the K2 GRAVITAS Mission in early 2026 to Medium Earth Orbit (MEO).
K2 Space test fires its 20kW Krypton-fueled, Hall-effect thruster at its headquarters in Torrance, California
K2 Space successfully completed the company's first in-space demonstration mission, launched in January 2025. In order to produce some of the highest power satellites ever fielded at constellation scale, K2 Space structured its business model around vertical integration.
Many of the satellite components designed and built in-house achieved heritage on this mission, including the flight computer, reaction wheel, embedded avionics, and flight software—all optimized for the harsh radiation environments of MEO. The successful validation of these components in space significantly reduces the technical risk for the company's 2026 GRAVITAS mission.
This unique capability will allow K2 Space to deploy MEO constellations in a way not previously possible. By increasing the number of satellites deployed per launch by 4x, each of which can rapidly raise itself to orbit, K2 Space is able to minimize the number of launches and time required to field a MEO constellation.
The thruster was test fired at the company's Torrance headquarters in a custom-built propulsion test chamber, one of the largest such chambers in the world.
GRAVITAS, K2's 2026 mission, will operate a K2 Mega-Class satellite at several different altitudes in MEO—a largely untapped orbital regime with unique value for both national security and commercial applications.
The Mega-Class satellite platform leveraged for this mission will pair an unprecedented 20kW of onboard power with true multi-orbit capabilities. GRAVITAS is supported by a $60 million STRATFI award from the U.S. Space Force and will carry multiple national security and commercial payloads.
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