Turion Space

Turion Space is an Irvine, California-based in-space logistics and debris removal startup founded in 2020 developing the Droid spacecraft — a multi-mission vehicle designed to perform a spectrum of on-orbit services including active debris removal (ADR), satellite life extension, orbital transportation, and space domain awareness (SDA) imaging. The Droid vehicle's architecture is built around flexibility: a standardized spacecraft bus with modular mission payloads that can be reconfigured between flights for different service types, allowing Turion to address multiple customer segments with a single vehicle design.

For debris removal, Droid approaches defunct satellites and rocket bodies and performs rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) before capture and controlled deorbit. For life extension, Droid docks with operational GEO satellites whose propellant is depleted but whose payload is still functional, providing station-keeping propulsion to extend revenue-generating satellite life by 5-10 years. For SDA imaging, Droid can serve as an on-orbit inspector for government and commercial customers who need close-range imagery of satellites or debris objects.

Turion Space raised seed funding from angels and early-stage space investors and has conducted ground demonstration testing of proximity operations sensors and propulsion systems. The company participates in DARPA and USSF commercial space programs aligned with the growing U.S. government interest in commercial in-space services — the Space Force's CRADA and Commercial Space Act contracting vehicles enable direct government investment in this capability. Turion competes with Astroscale (ELSA-d magnetic ADR), Northrop Grumman's MEV (Mission Extension Vehicle) for GEO life extension, and D-Orbit in the broader in-space services market.