Colorado Springs – 8 April 2025 – Katalyst Space Technologies and LMO announced a new mission to demonstrate “assisted rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO)” – a new architecture that will dramatically reduce the cost of docking spacecraft. According to Ghonhee Lee, CEO of Katalyst, this is the first step toward achieving more complex operations:

“We’re going to see more complex operations in space. That’s going to start with docking spacecraft together more often and it’s going to evolve into applications like in-space manufacturing or mining on the moon.”

The mission proposes combining existing technologies in a new way:

An orbit transfer vehicle (OTV) will house both a hosted payload and a deployable payload. The deployable payload (freeflyer) will collect close range imagery of the docking target, while the hosted payload collects range data from a second vantage point. 
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By fusing the data, then applying LMO’s flight-proven software based on machine learning algorithms, the mission will demonstrate the ability to dock spacecraft without LIDAR and without a robotic servicer.

The architecture, created by Katalyst, is called assisted RPO, because the hosted payload on the OTV assists the free flyer. As a result, the free flyer design can rely on lower cost, widely available sensors. While the hosted payload has higher performance sensors, this assembly can be reused for multiple missions, reducing total cost of ownership and operation.

Recognizing the unique approach, US Space Command and AFWERX selected Katalyst’s submission as the winner of the Sustained Space Maneuver (SSM) Challenge, selecting the Arizona-based startup for a $1.9M contract earlier this year. 

According to USSPACECOM, “Current space assets were not designed nor are they flexible enough to address today's threats effectively.” Spacewerx created SSM to fund concept development and rapid prototyping of technology because “to counteract these challenges, it is vital to strategically relocate and sustain our assets to deter our adversaries.”

“Spacecraft docking has many useful applications, but due to the complexity and the cost, most applications are rarely operationalized. This architecture has the potential to dramatically change those economics,” explains Lee. “The mission will produce real data that validates the architecture, which will pave the way toward implementing this docking mechanism on an operational scale.”

The SSM contract will allow Katalyst to develop the architecture, while the partnership with LMO will provide an opportunity to quickly demonstrate its capabilities in space.

The mission will also be the first to demonstrate ML vision-based pose estimation in an operational context in GEO: 

“We are excited to demonstrate in GEO LMO’s VISION & SPECTRE edge-processing capabilities, which are designed to enhance Space Situational Awareness and In-Orbit Servicing,” says Michel Poucet, CEO of LMO.
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Katalyst and LMO expect to launch the demo mission within the next twelve months:

“By leveraging commercial partnerships like this one, we are accelerating the deployment of advanced capabilities to address national security needs,” explains Lee.

Poucet adds: “This mission underscores the growing need to leverage commercial innovations to support national defense efforts in space. The partnership between LMO and Katalyst also highlights the strength of Luxembourg’s technology in supporting critical U.S. defense and space initiatives.”

About LMO:
LMO is a leading space technology company based in Luxembourg and UK, specializing in on-edge payloads for In-Orbit Services and Space Situational Awareness. With a focus on innovation and international collaboration, LMO is committed to supporting space agencies and defense forces worldwide.
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About Katalyst Space Technologies:
Katalyst upgrades satellites that are already in space with new hardware, like sensors, using in-space servicing. Katalyst offers a range of hardware and software upgrades, including several products for space domain awareness (SDA).

For media inquiries, please contact:

Ghonhee Lee – ghonhee@katalystspace.com

Michel Poucet – m.poucet@lmo.space

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