Michigan awards KMI Space $3.5m for satellite-relocation spacecraft

(SpaceEnergy) Michigan has awarded US spacecraft developer KMI Space $3.5 million to advance its Laelaps orbital-servicing vehicle, designed to rendezvous with, capture and relocate satellites using onboard propulsion.

The funding was announced by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer on 14 October as part of a $23 million state investment programme supporting nine industrial and infrastructure projects.

KMI Space, based in Marquette, Michigan, will use the award to finalise the development, design and operations of Laelaps.

The spacecraft is being developed to retrieve and reposition satellites, potentially extending their operational lives and reducing replacement costs.

KMI Space's proposed MK1 Laelaps vehicle will test its propulsion performance while travelling towards a target orbit before attempting to rendezvous with and capture orbital debris.

The company is developing the spacecraft to perform substantial orbital manoeuvres, including changing the trajectories of objects that were not originally designed for servicing.

Its planned demonstration involves approaching uncontrolled objects, matching their motion and securing them using the company's REACCH capture system.

The newly announced Michigan award supports a project that also benefits from $34 million in funding through the US Space Force's SpaceWERX Strategic Funding Increase programme.

The federal programme was announced previously; the $3.5 million state award represents a separate funding development.

Michigan officials said the project could create 60 additional jobs at KMI Space's Marquette facility.

The company has not disclosed a revised launch date, propulsion-system specifications or new flight-test results associated with the state funding.