Space security company Lodestar developing astronaut protection system for orbital travels.

Give Me Some Space!: Lodestar Space's Mission to Revolutionise In-Space Security

Lodestar Space, a UK startup specialising in in-space security applications, is set to make a significant impact in the realm of space control. Scheduled to launch in early 2026 on Exotopic's in-orbit mission, Give Me Some Space! (GMSS), Lodestar is aiming to develop orbital-defense technology.

At the heart of Lodestar's mission is the autonomous system, Mithril. With a £45,000 (€51,700) price tag for its first flight to space, Mithril is designed to demonstrate three foundational capabilities for attack and defend missions in space: a set of eyes, a brain, and the ability to interact with the environment.

Onboard GMSS, Mithril will be sending its first iteration, which includes machine vision sensors and an edge-compute platform (the eyes and the brain). To test Mithril's ability to gain insights for objects on-orbit, a boom stick will be deployed. This tool will have a variety of materials attached to it for testing purposes, and Mithril's deployment of the boom stick will demonstrate its ability to image satellites against various backgrounds.

According to Lodestar's founder and CTO, Dr. Edward Jeffers, Mithril's data could provide "weapons-grade" information about satellites, including their location, weak points, fuel levels, and payloads. This information could be invaluable for allied space commands, as Lodestar's goal is to provide them with a fully autonomous bodyguard in orbit, capable of performing attack and defend maneuvers in contested and jammed environments.

However, Lodestar is not only focusing on defense. After demonstrating all of Mithril's planned capabilities, the company intends to assist on future civil and commercial ISAM (In-Space Aerial Manufacturing) missions. This move reflects Lodestar's commitment to contributing to the broader space industry, not just the defense sector.

The mission's objective remains to solve the first real problem in space control. As space becomes increasingly congested, the need for effective and autonomous systems to manage and protect satellites becomes more pressing. Lodestar Space sees this as their first opportunity to make a significant impact, and with future iterations of Mithril set to include effectors and a planned integration of a robotic arm for in-space RPO (Render-on-Point) capabilities, the future looks bright for this innovative UK startup.

Space security company Lodestar developing astronaut protection system for orbital travels.