Altius Space Machines, subsidiary of Voyager Space Holdings, has been selected to participate in a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs to develop space servicing capabilities using its patented electropermanent magnet (EPM) technology, Voyager reported on Monday.
"We are incredibly proud of the hard work our team at Altius has done to get us to this point," said Jonathan Goff, CEO and founder of Altius Space Machines. "The industry is changing at a rapid rate and it's up to us to provide the innovative solutions that can help our customers accelerate both their businesses and the larger industry as a whole."
Altius submitted proposals for the SBIR and STTR programs alongside other partners to explore the potential of its EPM technology and provide existing satellite and space launch companies with solutions that support the space economy.
These recent wins build upon other EPM related NASA efforts and continue to demonstrate the broad range of EPM technology in space servicing capabilities. The company was recently awarded a phase I STTR with JPL and partner, Virginia Tech, to develop a universal interface that enables the in-space construction, maintenance and servicing of modular structures by a team of specialized robots.
Altius will develop a universal interface using their patented EPM technology, referred to as the Experimental Swarm Construction Hardware EPM based Robotic (ESCHER) interface.
Under a phase I SBIR with Ames, Altius will leverage its "DogTag" grapple fixture and develop passive robotic magnetic interface (IVR DogTags) that can be attached to various habitat structures and objects. Altius envisions using its patented EPM based gripper for interfacing with the IVR DogTags.
"As Voyager continues to grow, so too do our portfolio companies. Altius is the first company we acquired and we couldn't be more excited as both companies generate such momentum," said Matthew Kuta, president and COO of Voyager. "Altius is making major waves in the industry and we can't wait to see how their innovations continue to move the needle forward for the space industry."
About Voyager Space Holdings
Voyager Space Holdings, Inc. is a global leader in space exploration. Voyager's long-term mission is to create a vertically integrated publicly traded NewSpace company capable of delivering any mission humans can conceive. By centralizing shared services functions at the parent company level, Voyager enables engineer founded and led subsidiaries to focus more on development of innovative products and services.