SCOUT Space, which is developing vision-based autonomy technology for satellites, last week said it acquired Free Space Inc. in a deal to strengthen its technology and bolster its presence with the U.S. government.
Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
SCOUT, which is based in Northern Virginia, was founded in 2019 and is developing technology to allow satellites to navigate autonomously and avoid risks, thereby enhancing space domain awareness. The company’s first products and services were launched in 2021.
“This acquisition is the result of SCOUT’s business plan to strengthen the company by expanding our defense and technical capabilities with strategic acquisitions,” Eric Ingram, SCOUT’s CEO, said in a statement. “With a high market demand for our on-orbit services and mission augmentation capabilities, this acquisition uniquely positions SCOUT to respond immediately to our government customers’ needs.”
Free Space was founded in 2022. The company developed two autonomy software products, the Guardian and Trellis satellite autonomy software concepts that SCOUT said will “eventually serve as critical new space security infrastructure.”
Gil Valdes, who was the Free Space’s CEO, is now vice president of government programs at SCOUT and Vin Bisceglia, previously executive chairman of Free Space, is now vice president of growth at SCOUT.
“Through this business combination, we bring the grit, talent, and capital needed to deliver the space security infrastructure that our military, civil, and commercial space customers require, and on a much more rapid timeline,” Valdes said in a statement.
Free Space has received more than $1.5 million in U.S. Space Force contracts to develop its autonomy technology.
SCOUT is also developing the OVER-Sat spacecraft to provide real-time traffic management, detection, and tracking in space.