Portal Space Systems is set to revolutionize satellite operations with its new Starburst, a highly maneuverable satellite bus, with a planned launch in late 2026. Announced on November 5th, the Starburst is designed as a small satellite boasting a one kilometer per second delta-V, facilitating significant orbital maneuvers.
The company characterizes Starburst as “ESPA-class,” indicating its compatibility with the EELV Secondary Payload Adapter, a common component for rideshare payloads. The inaugural Starburst mission, named Starburst-1, is scheduled for launch in the fourth quarter of 2026 aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare mission. During its year-long operation in a sun-synchronous orbit, Starburst-1 will demonstrate capabilities like rendezvous and proximity operations, rapid orbital adjustments, and task reassignments.
Starburst-1 will also host payloads from two companies. TRL11 will contribute cameras and edge processing systems dedicated to spacecraft health monitoring, while Zenno Astronautics will showcase superconducting magnets for attitude control. The design of Starburst aims to complement Portal’s Supernova vehicle, which employs solar thermal propulsion for both high thrust and high delta-V during orbital transfers. Select systems initially developed for Supernova, including thrusters, will undergo testing on Starburst. These thrusters will serve as the reaction control system for Supernova and the primary translational propulsion for Starburst.
“Our strategy is to deliver what customers need now and accelerate what they’ll need next,” said Jeff Thornburg, chief executive of Portal Space Systems, in a statement. “Starburst gives operators a maneuverable bus that supports proliferated architectures in the orbit that matters to them. Supernova brings the trans-orbital reach.”
He further added, “Flying Starburst-1 in 2026 lets us field capability quickly and advance the shared systems that raise confidence for Supernova’s 2027 debut.”
Portal had previously announced intentions to test Supernova technologies in early 2026 on a Vigoride tug provided by Momentus. That mission will evaluate avionics, sensors, and other systems distinct from Supernova’s propulsion system, as mentioned by Thornburg in June. At that time, he outlined plans for a second test flight later in 2026 with similar objectives, “but in a more robust way.”