Arkisys

Company Information

Arkisys is a company developing one of the first commercial robotic orbiting platforms and a business model for long-duration space IaaS.

Headquarters

Los Alamitos, California, USA

Year Founded

2014

Website

Sector

Industries

Aerospace, Robotics, Satellite Servicing, Space Infrastructure, Advanced Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, Materials Science, Defense, Space Research

What Is Arkisys?

Arkisys is a space technology company developing modular robotic platforms and reusable orbital infrastructure for commercial, government, and research missions. Its technology combines spacecraft systems, robotic manipulation, payload integration, and mission operations software to support activities in low Earth orbit. The company’s Port platform is designed to accommodate experiments, spacecraft components, and hosted payloads that can be installed, serviced, or replaced after deployment. Arkisys is also developing orbital transportation and autonomous assembly capabilities that support longer-lasting and reconfigurable space infrastructure.

What Does Arkisys Do?

Arkisys develops infrastructure that allows organizations to conduct space missions without building and operating a dedicated spacecraft for every payload. Its services cover payload preparation, integration, orbital transportation, hosting, robotic servicing, and mission operations.

The company’s Port platform is designed to provide orbital facilities where customers can install instruments, test technologies, and perform research or manufacturing activities. Its Cutter spacecraft supports payload transportation and delivery between orbital locations, while Bosuns Lockers provide protective enclosures for equipment and experiments.

Arkisys also provides payload onboarding and robotic research services, including access to NASA’s Astrobee robotic system aboard the International Space Station. These capabilities support hardware testing, spacecraft technology demonstrations, and the development of reusable orbital systems.

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Arkisys Technology

Arkisys develops modular orbital infrastructure and robotic spacecraft servicing technology intended to support the integration, operation, and modification of hardware after launch. Its Port architecture uses standardized mechanical, electrical, and data interfaces to accommodate different customer payloads. The system is designed to provide power, communications, structural support, and robotic access for equipment operating in the space environment.

Robotic manipulation is central to the platform’s proposed servicing capabilities. The Port incorporates robotic systems designed for payload handling, spacecraft assembly, component replacement, and maintenance. Arkisys demonstrated an autonomous assembly sequence in a terrestrial test environment in 2023, including spacecraft docking, cargo transfer, and assembly operations.

The company’s Cutter orbital transport spacecraft incorporates attitude determination and control, propulsion, communications, onboard data storage, and precision navigation. These systems are designed to support payload hosting, orbital transfers, and eventual rendezvous with Port infrastructure.

Arkisys also develops its Applique interface technology, which translates between different spacecraft and payload communication protocols. Its PILOT software assists with payload readiness, documentation, and integration requirements, while digital-twin tools support preflight testing. Together, these technologies address the technical challenges of connecting equipment from different manufacturers within a reusable orbital infrastructure system.

Why Arkisys Matters

Most satellites and orbital payloads are designed around fixed configurations established before launch. Upgrading equipment, replacing components, or adapting a spacecraft to new requirements can be difficult once it reaches orbit. Arkisys is developing serviceable and reconfigurable space infrastructure that could allow organizations to extend the useful life of orbital hardware.

Its approach is relevant to the emerging market for in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing, where robotic systems and standardized interfaces could reduce the need to launch entirely new spacecraft for every mission.

By combining reusable orbital platforms with payload transportation, testing, and robotic operations, Arkisys is exploring a model in which space infrastructure can accommodate changing commercial and research requirements. Its involvement with NASA’s Astrobee program also connects its development work with practical robotic operations aboard the International Space Station.

Arkisys Products & Platforms

The Port — Modular Orbital Infrastructure

The Port is a modular robotic space platform designed to host payloads, support spacecraft servicing, and provide facilities for orbital research and manufacturing. Its architecture includes standardized payload interfaces, robotic manipulation systems, and expandable infrastructure intended to accommodate equipment additions and modifications after deployment.

The Cutter — Orbital Transport Spacecraft

The Cutter is a reusable spacecraft bus designed for last-mile orbital payload transportation and independent missions in low Earth orbit. It incorporates propulsion, attitude control, navigation, communications, and onboard data storage. The platform is designed to transport payloads to Port infrastructure and support orbital operations.

Bosuns Locker — Payload Storage Modules

Bosuns Locker is a family of protective payload enclosures designed for equipment that requires environmental protection or cannot connect directly to Port interfaces. The modules are available in different sizes and support power connections for experiments, instruments, and other hosted hardware.

PILOT — Payload Integration Software

PILOT is a software toolkit for spacecraft payload preparation, integration, and launch onboarding. It uses AI-assisted documentation and engineering verification workflows to help organizations evaluate technical requirements, prepare compliance information, and assess mission readiness before hardware integration.

Astrobee — ISS Robotic Research Services

Through its agreement with NASA, Arkisys supports commercial access to Astrobee, a free-flying robotic system aboard the International Space Station. The service enables researchers and technology developers to conduct experiments involving autonomous robotics, software, sensors, and microgravity operations using existing orbital infrastructure.

Arkisys Applications

Arkisys technology supports satellite servicing and orbital infrastructure development, including payload installation, spacecraft upgrades, component replacement, and robotic assembly. Its Port architecture is designed for technology demonstrations, optical instrument testing, communications experiments, and research activities requiring access to the space environment.

In advanced manufacturing and pharmaceuticals, its infrastructure could support microgravity materials research and biological experiments, allowing organizations to study processes that behave differently in orbit. Its robotic systems also support research into autonomous manipulation, spacecraft maintenance, and assembly techniques.

Additional applications include payload transportation, scientific research, defense technology testing, and educational experiments. Through Astrobee, Arkisys supports robotic investigations aboard the International Space Station, while its proposed Port infrastructure is intended to accommodate longer-duration commercial activities.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Arkisys Port platform?

The Port is a modular orbital infrastructure platform designed to host experiments, integrate spacecraft components, and support robotic servicing. Its proposed architecture includes payload berths, standardized interfaces, and robotic systems for handling equipment. Customers could install, upgrade, or replace compatible hardware without launching an entirely new spacecraft for each mission.

How does Arkisys transport payloads to its orbital platforms?

Arkisys is developing the Cutter spacecraft for last-mile orbital transportation. The vehicle is designed to carry customer payloads, operate independently in low Earth orbit, and eventually rendezvous with Port infrastructure. Its systems include propulsion, precision navigation, attitude control, power management, and communications. Cutter remains part of the company’s developing orbital transportation architecture.

What is Arkisys’s role in NASA’s Astrobee program?

In 2025, NASA selected Arkisys as a commercial sustaining partner for the Astrobee robotic system aboard the International Space Station. The agreement supports continued use of the free-flying robots for research, technology demonstrations, and commercial experiments. Arkisys provides onboarding and mission integration services for organizations seeking to conduct activities using Astrobee.

How does Arkisys prepare payloads for launch and orbital operations?

Arkisys provides the PILOT toolkit to help organizations prepare payload documentation, evaluate technical requirements, and assess integration readiness. Its process includes AI-assisted documentation, engineering verification, and digital-twin testing. The company also develops Applique, an interface translation system designed to connect payloads using different communication protocols to compatible spacecraft infrastructure.

Has Arkisys demonstrated autonomous spacecraft assembly?

Yes. In 2023, Arkisys demonstrated an autonomous assembly sequence in a terrestrial test environment. The demonstration included Cutter docking, cargo unloading, and assembly of a three-axis spacecraft configuration. This was a ground-based demonstration rather than a completed orbital assembly mission. It helped validate technologies intended for future robotic servicing and assembly operations in space.

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