AUSTIN, Texas — Apex, a satellite manufacturing startup, celebrates a milestone: its first spacecraft, Aries SN1, has successfully completed a year in orbit. Launched last March via the SpaceX Transporter-10 mission, this demonstration spacecraft, designed to carry 150 kilograms of payload, served several customers, including Anduril and Booz Allen Hamilton. Ian Cinnamon, Apex's CEO, confirmed in an interview that SN1 is operating "completely nominally." While initial operations encountered minor anomalies, these were resolved with software updates, ensuring continuous functionality.
The experience underscored a key lesson: "Software is the most important aspect of a satellite, and I think it’s often times the thing that is forgotten about a little bit because it’s not the cool, shiny hardware," Cinnamon stated. Software updates addressed ground station configuration, radio issues, and improved the guidance, navigation, and control system. "All of these things that we could do without hardware changes has really impressed me."
While initial customers are nearing the end of their use, Apex plans to utilize SN1 as an on-orbit software testbed for the remainder of its projected five-year lifespan. While other companies have expressed interest, Apex prioritizes internal testing post-customer usage. "Our software teams are itching to be able to use it more and more, so we want to fulfill our customer obligations and then use it internally," Cinnamon explained.
Apex has five more Aries spacecraft in production, three complete and two nearing completion. Launch timelines depend on customer needs, some of whom prefer to store satellites for future use. "There’s a big pull that we’re feeling right now from the government side, especially for defense-related missions," Cinnamon noted, mentioning potential involvement in the Golden Dome missile-defense system and geostationary orbit applications for space situational awareness.
Apex remains committed to its merchant supplier model, focusing on producing “productized satellite buses super quickly, with an upfront price point.” A new Los Angeles factory, currently a quarter operational, will reach full capacity in 60 days, producing 12 satellites monthly. However, Cinnamon emphasizes gradual scaling based on demand. He highlights the significance of SN1’s success, contrasting it with challenges faced by other companies with their inaugural satellites. "Our goal here is really to give folks a reliable offering for the market so that they can specialize in what would they do, and they don’t have to worry about the satellite bus side."