Orbital Operations Announces $8.8M Seed Round

Orbital Operations Has Announced a $8.8M Seed Round

Orbital Operations is a Y Combinator startup founded by Benjamin Schleuniger and Ross Doherty, and is developing high-thrust orbital vehicles for national security missions.

The round was led by Initialized Capital with participation from Harpoon Ventures, DTX Ventures, Rebel Fund, TRAC.vc, Karman Ventures, Immad Akhund, and other investors.

The company is developing Astraeus, a hydrogen- and oxygen-propelled vehicle designed to loiter in orbit for extended periods while maintaining readiness for rapid maneuvering. Its active cooling system keeps cryogenic propellants at operational temperatures for months or years, addressing a challenge that has traditionally limited high-performance space vehicles to stays of only a few days.

Astraeus will be built around a proprietary 10,000-pound-thrust engine and is designed to deliver 10 km/s of delta-v, enabling it to remain in low Earth orbit before repositioning quickly to target orbits. 

Orbital Operations sees the vehicle as a “third stage” platform for the US Space Force, with applications in interception, deterrence, and space domain awareness. While the system has potential commercial uses as an orbital transfer vehicle, the initial focus is on defence missions.

The interceptor concept emphasizes non-kinetic counterspace capabilities such as high-power microwave, spoofing, and other energy-based methods. By providing the ability to rapidly deploy and operate in contested orbital environments, the platform aims to offer a credible deterrent and a flexible response tool for critical satellite protection.

Funding will support team expansion, facility growth, and demonstrations of the company’s propulsion system and long-duration cryogenic propellant management technology.

Image Credit: Orbital Operations