Tyvak

Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems
Company typePrivate
IndustryAerospace
Founded2011; 13 years ago (2011) in Irvine, California
Founders
Defunct2014 (acquisition), 2022 (name phased out)[1]
FateAcquired by Terran Orbital Corporation
Headquarters,
Key people
Marc Bell (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer)
ParentTerran Orbital Corporation Edit this on Wikidata
Websitewww.tyvak.com

Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems was an American company that designed and built satellites. It started as a designer, builder and provider of nanosatellite and CubeSat space vehicle products and services for government and commercial customers. Tyvak was based in Irvine, California. It was a subsidiary of Terran Orbital Corporation.[3] In 2022, it was announced that Tyvak would transition into larger satellites from nanosats and cubesats and the name Tyvak would be phased out in favor of the name of the parent company Terran Orbital.[1]

In 2011, Jordi Puig-Suari, co-inventor of the CubeSat design, and Scott MacGillivray, former manager of nanosatellite programs for Boeing Phantom Works, established Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems in San Luis Obispo, California, to sell miniature avionics packages for small satellites, with the goal to increase the volume available for payloads.[4]

On 18 November 2019, Tyvak was one of five companies selected to be eligible to bid for the NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS).[5]

In 2022, Terran Orbital company, the company that owns Tyvak, entered public stock market through a SPAC merger. At the time it was announced that the name Tyvak would be phased out and the focus of the whole company (that is, both Tyvak and Terran Orbital) would be transitioned into larger satellites from nanosats and cubesats.[1]

At the end of October 2024, Lockheed Martin acquired Terran Orbital, becoming the sole owner of the company. The company continues its existence as part of Lockheed Martin (rebranded as “Terran Orbital, a Lockheed Martin Company”) and continues to produce smallsats.[6]

  1. ^ a b c Erwin, Sandra (14 November 2022). "Terran Orbital sees staff departures as it turns focus to military satellites". SpaceNews.
  2. ^ "Tyvak | Defining Agile Space". Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  3. ^ "KSAT to support NASA LunIR mission". SpaceNews. 10 February 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  4. ^ Werner, Deborah (13 August 2012). "Builders Packing More Capability into Small Satellites". SpaceNews. Archived from the original on 2 February 2013.
  5. ^ Karen Northon (18 November 2019). "New Companies Join Growing Ranks of NASA Partners for Artemis Program" (Press release). NASA. Retrieved 18 November 2019. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. ^ Erwin, Sandra (30 October 2024). "Lockheed Martin completes acquisition of smallsat manufacturer Terran Orbital". SpaceNews.