Developed to enable the deployment of hundreds or even thousands of satellites, Condor-Ultra has been optimised for mass launch aboard spacecraft such as SpaceX Starship while also remaining compatible with current medium-lift rockets including Falcon 9 and Neutron.
The announcement represents the latest step in Muon Space’s rapid development cycle, coming less than a year after the company introduced its Condor-XL platform. The new spacecraft has been engineered to support missions requiring significant onboard power generation, large payload apertures, and high-capacity data transfer while maintaining the cost efficiencies required for constellation-scale deployment.
Condor-Ultra will provide up to 20 kilowatts of power, more than 18 square metres of nadir-facing payload space, network connectivity of up to 25 gigabits per second via the Starlink network, and the company’s proprietary Starlight propulsion system. The first pathfinder spacecraft is expected to be delivered in 2028.
According to Muon Space CEO Jonny Dyer, the platform has been designed to meet the growing demand for integrated space infrastructure capable of supporting communications networks, remote sensing systems, and distributed computing architectures in orbit.
“The most ambitious space infrastructure projects of the coming decade require spacecraft that are powerful, scalable and cost-effective to deploy in large numbers,” Dyer said.
“Condor-Ultra combines those capabilities with a flight-proven satellite architecture, operational framework and software ecosystem already trusted by our customers.”
A major focus of the platform’s design has been the emerging orbital data centre market. Muon said Condor-Ultra’s power, thermal management, and networking systems were developed specifically to support compute-intensive workloads, autonomous operations, and constellation-scale data management.
The company also revealed plans for higher-powered variants capable of generating up to 100 kilowatts of power, positioning the platform as a foundation for future space-based artificial intelligence and distributed computing networks.
Condor-Ultra has been designed to integrate next-generation AI hardware, including the NVIDIA Space-1 Vera Rubin Module, which is purpose-built for AI inference applications in orbit. Muon claims the system’s Rubin graphics processing unit could deliver up to 25 times the AI computing performance of the widely used H100 architecture for space-based workloads.
The company said its experience working with hyperscale computing providers on the feasibility of orbital AI infrastructure projects had directly informed the platform’s architecture and operational requirements.
In parallel with the launch of Condor-Ultra, Muon is continuing to expand its vertically integrated manufacturing model. The company plans to bring all critical spacecraft subsystems in-house, extending an approach already applied to avionics, propulsion, communications, guidance and navigation systems, flight software, and networking technologies.
Muon believes greater control over the spacecraft supply chain will enable improved mission optimisation, stronger quality assurance, more predictable delivery schedules, and lower recurring costs for operators seeking to deploy large satellite constellations.
As commercial and government demand for communications, sensing, and space-based computing continues to grow, Condor-Ultra represents Muon’s most ambitious attempt yet to position itself at the forefront of the rapidly emerging orbital infrastructure market.
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