K2 Space achieves dual-milestones with completion of first in-space demonstration and successful test firing of 20kW Hall-effect thruster

TORRANCE, Calif., July 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- K2 Space Corporation, a leading innovator of high-power, low-cost satellites, today 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 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.

Following the demonstration mission, K2 Space successfully test fired its 20kW Krypton-fed Hall-effect thruster at full power, marking a pivotal advancement in electric propulsion (EP) technology. The K2 thruster will be the most powerful Hall-effect thruster ever flown in space, enabling the K2 Mega-Class satellite to complete a first of its kind orbit raise from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to MEO with EP in less than 90 days.

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.

"These milestones are a testament to our team's engineering prowess and innovation mindset," said Karan Kunjur, CEO of K2 Space. "The successful completion of our first in-space demonstration and test firing of our 20kW Hall-effect thruster paves the way for scalable, high-performance satellites that meet the demands of both national security and commercial applications."

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.

"Both government and commercial partners are demanding more power, more capability, and lower cost," said Dr. John Plumb, Head of Strategy at K2 Space. "The K2 platform is built to deliver on that promise, and these milestones bring us one step closer to unlocking a fundamentally different model for how space missions are designed, launched, and operated."

About K2 Space

K2 Space is developing a high-powered, low-cost satellite bus platform that delivers the capability of exquisite satellites at the price point and speed of small satellites. Redesigned from the reaction wheel up, the K2 stackable deployment model enables up to ten satellites per launch vehicle, is made to handle the harsh radiation environment of MEO and GEO, and has the highest power electric propulsion system ever flown – making it the platform of choice for Proliferated LEO, Proliferated MEO, and Proliferated GEO. K2 Space was started by a team of former SpaceX engineers and has raised $180M in venture capital to date, with the backing of leading funds like Altimeter Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Alpine Space Ventures, and First Round Capital. 

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SOURCE K2 Space