Kitay brings more than 20 years of experience in the space and defense sectors and has a proven track record of leadership and innovation. Prior to joining True Anomaly, he was Senior Director of Strategic Ventures and Azure Space at Microsoft, focused on emerging technologies and supporting the space industrial base through cloud-enabled technologies.

Prior to joining the private sector, Stephen served in multiple key government positions, including as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy in the Pentagon, as a Professional Staff Member on the Strategic Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Service Committee, and as a military veteran and intelligence professional to include space systems development at the National Reconnaissance Office.

Stephen played a critical role in the creation and stand-up of the U.S. Space Force, and his experience in government and industry will prove invaluable at a time of rapid growth for both True Anomaly and the broader private space sector.

This appointment underscores True Anomaly’s commitment to hiring foundational experts in the field of space defense and security. The news comes on the heels of True Anomaly’s Mission X Flight Test 2 in late December 2024, which saw the successful deployment, command, and control of its Jackal Autonomous Orbital Vehicle (AOV). 

“We are at an inflection point in the space defense industry, where the private sector is able to bring a new approach to defense systems development, delivering innovation at the pace required to meet the needs of the warfighter,” said Even Rogers, CEO and co-founder of True Anomaly. “Steve is here to help us scale our product portfolio and mission readiness infrastructure, bringing together engineering, product, strategy, and training and testing operations. He’s had a unique and impactful role in the industry as a key leader in the creation of the Space Force and shaping the national policies to enable U.S. superiority in space. We’re excited to have Steve join us and are grateful for the expertise he will bring to True Anomaly, our partners and customers.” 

“We are at a critical moment in time in the evolution of activity in space,” said Kitay. “The domain has never been more contested, while also providing unmatched opportunity for prosperity and exploration. I was drawn to True Anomaly’s mission focus on providing Guardians, national security professionals, allies, and partners with the tools to compete and win, ensuring security and safety of critical assets in space. The company has assembled an unmatched team with a differentiated approach to building a tightly integrated hardware and software platform that leverages innovative technologies including autonomy and AI. I’m thrilled to join the team and make an impact in reshaping space operations for future generations.” 

By adding space heritage multiple times, Pale Blue will diversify its offering to better meet the rising demand of on-orbit control and debris mitigation for small satellite missions with its specifications, as compared to the conventional propulsion systems.

Orbit control plays a crucial role for satellites to provide consistent service. In addition to orbit maneuvering, there is a surging demand to mitigate space debris by de-orbiting and collision avoidance, and an increasing number of small satellites are equipped with propulsion systems. Pale Blue’s 1U+ Water Ion Thruster (PBI) is a fully integrated propulsion system with its outstanding total impulse achieving 7,000 Ns, which makes it one of the highest options on market under this form factor.

By using water as a propellant, the propulsion system has a number of additional advantages such as safety, ease of handling as well as propellant availability. Furthermore, this compact system is clusterable to meet a wider range of satellite missions.

The contract with D-Orbit includes two launch opportunities and operation respectively onboard D-Orbit’s ION Satellite Carrier, a space vehicle that has demonstrated its versatility through 14 successful missions that performed multiple satellite deployment, hosted payload operations, and in-orbit demonstrations. The on-orbit demonstration mission is scheduled to launch in June and October of 2025.

Jun Asakawa (Pale Blue), Renato Panesi (D-Orbit) said, “We are incredibly excited to conduct in-orbit demonstration of the world-first water-based ion thruster that is innovative and sustainable propulsion solutions to the space industry,” said Jun Asakawa, Co-founder and CEO at Pale Blue. By partnering with D-Orbit, we are taking a significant step forward in validating the performance and reliability of our propulsion technology. This collaboration will enable us to meet the growing demand, while contributing to space sustainability. We are confident that our water-based propulsion system will redefine the future of satellite missions and open up new possibilities for space exploration.”

“Water-based propulsion technology perfectly aligns with D-Orbit’s commitment to sustainable space operations,” said Renato Panesi, co-founder and CCO at D-Orbit. “Drawing on our extensive experience in successful in-orbit demonstrations and the proven versatility of ION Satellite Carrier, we are happy to support Pale Blue in advancing their innovative propulsion solution.”

“This contract with Pale Blue marks an exciting first step in D-Orbit’s journey into the Japanese market, and we are thrilled to support the validation of such a pioneering propulsion technology,” said Ash Takao, Sales Development Manager for D-Orbit and member of Marubeni Corporation, one of D-Orbit’s main investors. “As our first collaboration with a Japanese company, this contract highlights our commitment to strengthening ties within Japan’s advanced space sector and expanding D-Orbit’s reach in the Asia-Pacific region.”

Pixxel’s hyperspectral data offers far greater spectral detail than traditional multispectral data, enabling precise analysis of the physical and chemical properties of the Earth’s surface and atmosphere.

SIIS plans to strengthen its Earth Observation (EO) business with the launch of its ultra-high-resolution satellite, SpaceEye-T, in March of 2025. Developed with domestic private technology and investment, SpaceEye-T will be Korea’s first private EO satellite capable of delivering 30 cm-class, ultra-high-resolution, spatial information. With this, SIIS aims to compete with global leaders in the geospatial industry.

Through this partnership with Pixxel, SIIS intends to enhance its market competitiveness by combining precise spatial information obtained from ultra-high-resolution imagery with the material-specific properties of hyperspectral data. The company expects this integration will enable users to leverage the unique characteristics and strengths of different data types, meeting diverse analytical demands and expanding the applications of satellite data.

Pixxel is gearing up to launch its Fireflies constellation, consisting of six commercial-grade hyperspectral satellites, in early 2025. Designed to deliver 5 meter resolution, a 40 kilometer swath, and daily revisit capabilities across hundreds of bands, this constellation will provide unparalleled global coverage and enable industries to access high-fidelity hyperspectral data for a wide range of applications, including agriculture, climate monitoring, and resource management.

SIIS CEO Kim Moon-Gyu said, “Through this collaboration with Pixxel, we will expand our offerings beyond optical and radar imagery to include hyperspectral data. We are committed to broadening the scope of satellite data applications and providing valuable insights to the Earth observation solutions market.”

Awais Ahmed, Founder and CEO of Pixxel, said, “This partnership with SIIS marks an exciting opportunity for us. Together, we aim to provide transformative insights that enable end-users across industries to tackle complex challenges. This collaboration reinforces our commitment to building a health monitor for the planet and advancing Earth observation solutions globally.”

Pixxel’s Chief Commercial Officer, Aakash Parekh, said, “We are thrilled to partner with SIIS and could not think of a better way to enter the Korean market with our groundbreaking 5-meter hyperspectral dataset.” He added, “SIIS has built a high-calibre team with deep expertise, ideally suited to educate end-users across agriculture, energy, environment, and defence on the transformative benefits of hyperspectral technology.”

The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) is investing 60 MSEK in the project SMART 6GSAT (Sustainable Mobile Autonomous and Resilient 6G SatCom), with KTH as the coordinator and project leader.

The aim is to integrate traditional land-based mobile communication with satellite communication in 6G. The vision is for mobile communication services to be seamlessly accessible to anyone with a 6G device, anywhere and anytime.

In addition to Ovzon, the industry consortium includes companies such as Ericsson, Saab, Swedish Space Corporation (SSC), Eutelsat-OneWeb, Airbus, and Viasat, as well as authorities such as the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) and the European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association (EISCAT).

Mr. Krauss, formerly Terran Orbital’s Chief Operations Officer, successfully led the company’s business operations, significantly strengthened its operational framework, and set the company on a path of improved processes and operational efficiencies.

Since assuming the role of CEO in October, Krauss is no stranger to managing complex organizations. He has overseen merger and acquisition activities, global manufacturing, and distribution networks across European, American, and other markets.

His focus now lies on creating a new era for Terran Orbital, and doing so by leaning into the following key priorities:

• Advancing Innovation: Positioning Terran Orbital at the forefront of space technology will continue building on the company’s expertise in satellite manufacturing and aerospace solutions.
• Expanding Capacity: Scaling its manufacturing operations to meet growing market demand for small satellites, with a commitment to operational excellence.
• Fostering Growth and Collaboration: Cultivating a team-driven culture where transparency and collaboration are central to success.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Krauss has a passion for racing and performance cars. He spends his weekends on the race track, trying to beat his best time – something that spills over into his professional world and inspires him to continue delivering competitive solutions in the tech industry.

With Krauss at the helm, Terran Orbital is well-positioned to enhance its impact in the aerospace and defense sectors, championing new technology and expanding its market presence.

“I am deeply honored to step into the CEO role at Terran Orbital,” Krauss said. “Our talented team is the cornerstone of our success. Together, we will continue to drive innovation, strengthen our strategic initiatives, and build a collaborative culture focused on the missions of our customers and achieving new milestones for the company.”

Gingiss is leading Millennium’s team of 1,000 employees as they execute FOO Fighter, Missile Track Custody, TRACERS and next-gen and advanced space programs. With a strong background in small sat production and development, Gingiss will oversee the company’s continued production ramp-up and expansion of national security space missions.

Gingiss earned his bachelor’s degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from Purdue University and his master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics from MIT. He was recognized with Purdue’s 2019 Outstanding Aerospace Engineer Award and was awarded a Charles Stark Draper Laboratories Fellowship.

“We’re pleased to welcome Tony back to Boeing as he takes the helm of Millennium Space Systems,” said Michelle Parker, vice president of Boeing Space Mission Systems. “Tony brings strong leadership and extensive experience that will help us scale our operations while meeting current commitments and driving growth for the business.”

“Our customers demand cutting-edge, high-quality and high-performance small satellites at an unprecedented pace,” said Tony Gingiss, CEO of Millennium Space Systems. “I am thrilled to lead this exceptional Millennium team as we deliver our national security space missions, increase our velocity and expand our market reach.”

The funding round extension included participation from funds managed by Solidium Oy, BlackRock, Seraphim, Plio Limited, and Christo Georgiev. The financing consists of a mix of debt and equity instruments and will increase investment in further developing ICEYE’s leading SAR satellite constellation, its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platform, and related systems. The extension brings the total amount raised in 2024 to $158 million. In total, ICEYE has raised over $500 million, to date.

ICEYE has achieved considerable growth during the past years and the investment announced today enables ICEYE to continue expanding its ISR capabilities to serve a global customer base while further cementing its market-leading position in the new space ecosystem. 

Susan Repo, CFO at ICEYE, said, “ICEYE has experienced unwavering momentum over the past few years. This extension of our growth funding round further bolsters ICEYE’s investment in its capabilities and enables us to respond even better to the growing demand for space-based technology in the global defense and ISR markets.”

Reima Rytsölä, CEO at Solidium, said, “Extending the growth funding to support ICEYE growth is well in line with our investment strategy. Our view is that ICEYE continues to have strong potential to grow to a nationally significant company and foster a completely new technology cluster in Finland.”

The five-year, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract, Luno A, is a $290 million follow-on to the Economic Indicator Monitoring contract, which used machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, and accelerated analytic workflows to manage commercially purchased unclassified geospatial data.

This follow-on contract adds new context to analytic assessments by characterizing items such as worldwide economic, environmental and military activities.

Under the scope of the contract, contractors will use the commercial marketplace to acquire source imagery and data, allowing the agency to leverage the multitude of commercial GEOINT sources that have not been acquired by NGA, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), or other U.S. Government entities.

That data will be used to monitor infrastructure on a continental or global scale, survey country-level areas for specific types of activity and facilities, monitor city-sized areas for changes in infrastructure, and provide frequent updates of equipment and objects at installations.

“BlueHalo is proud to expand our support to NGA as one of the vendors selected to the Luno A contract,” said Brian Morrison, BlueHalo Portfolio President and Corporate Executive Vice President. “Our mature intel capabilities – ranging from signals intelligence to open-source threat intelligence – coupled with our deep expertise in utilizing machine learning and artificial intelligence in an era of big data, make BlueHalo an ideal partner for NGA as they work to pull actionable intelligence from a deluge of unclassified data.”

About BlueHalo
BlueHalo is purpose-built to provide industry-leading capabilities in the areas of Space, C-UAS and Autonomous Systems, Electronic Warfare & Cyber, and AI/ML. The company develops and brings to market next-generaHon capabilities to support customers’ critical missions and national security.