Gravitics and USSF to Flight Demonstrate Orbital Carrier Pathfinder and Viper OTX for Increased Flexibility for In-Space Operations
April 2, 2026
Seattle, WA – April 2, 2026 – Gravitics, Inc., a leading innovator in space infrastructure, announced today that it has been awarded a Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) contract by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) SpaceWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force (USSF). The STRATFI contract will accelerate development and demonstration of the Gravitics Orbital Carrier architecture, which will provide the USSF with new on-demand orbital options necessary for reacting swiftly in an increasingly dynamic and contested environment.
Orbital Carriers are designed to pre-position multiple maneuverable vehicles in orbit, maintaining a ready state for rapid deployment to address threats, respond to emergencies, and seize time-critical opportunities—delivering increased flexibility for in-space operations. This capability enhances the nation’s space defense posture by bypassing traditional launch constraints and enabling on-demand mission execution.
Under the STRATFI contract, Gravitics is slated to flight-demonstrate a pathfinder Orbital Carrier spacecraft on a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) rideshare mission to validate avionics, propulsion subsystems, flight software, and ground systems that are shared with the Viper OTX “Orbital Transfer Express” and Orbital Carrier architectures. This approach reduces technical risk across all major hardware systems and sets the stage for future Orbital Carrier missions.
Additionally, as part of the STRATFI contract, Gravitics will flight-demonstrate a Viper OTX vehicle, with supporting plans to deploy a third-party payload to a high-energy orbit. This demonstration will validate Viper’s ability to provide express delivery services to high-energy orbits for commercial, civil, and military spacecraft.
“We are proud to develop Orbital Carriers in collaboration with the U.S. Space Force,” said Colin Doughan, CEO of Gravitics. “On-demand launch from orbit will become indispensable, especially in scenarios where every minute counts.”
This FY26 contract, awarded in March 2026, represents an investment of up to $60 million through a partnership of FY25 government and private funds, building on a previously completed Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) SBIR Direct to Phase II.
About Gravitics, Inc.
Gravitics designs and manufactures Tactically Responsive Space solutions, cargo logistics spacecraft, and space station modules. By redefining space superiority, Gravitics enables a new era of capability in Earth orbit and beyond. Visit gravitics.com to learn more.
About SpaceWERX
As the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force and a unique division within AFWERX, SpaceWERX inspires and empowers collaboration with innovators to accelerate capabilities and shape our future in space. Headquartered in Los Angeles, SpaceWERX employs military, civilian and contractor personnel executing an annual $457 million budget. Additionally, SpaceWERX partners with Space Systems Command's Commercial Space Office (COMSO) as a collaborative program. Since it was aligned under AFRL in Aug. 2021, SpaceWERX has awarded over 1,470 contracts worth more than $1.46 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: spacewerx.us.
About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. Headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, AFWERX employs military, civilian and contractor personnel executing an annual $1.4 billion annual budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has awarded over 10,400 contracts worth more than $7.24 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: afwerx.com.
