Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems

Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems (now Terran Orbital) is an American nanosatellite manufacturer and mission services provider founded in 2006 in Irvine, California, that became one of the United States' most prolific producers of CubeSat and small satellite platforms for government, commercial, and academic customers — before rebranding as Terran Orbital as the company expanded toward larger satellite manufacturing and ultimately was acquired by Lockheed Martin.

The company originated as a spinout closely tied to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo's CubeSat heritage, growing into a full commercial satellite manufacturer offering 3U through 12U CubeSat buses with integrated ADCS (attitude determination and control), power systems, communications, and onboard computer subsystems. Tyvak's satellite buses flew missions for NASA, DARPA, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and commercial Earth observation operators — accumulating substantial CubeSat flight heritage across LEO orbital regimes.

In 2021, the company rebranded as Terran Orbital to reflect expanded ambitions toward the medium-small satellite class (100-1000 kg). Terran Orbital went public in 2022 and was awarded contracts for the NASA TROPICS hurricane monitoring constellation (six 3U CubeSats tracking tropical cyclone intensification), US government reconnaissance satellite programs, and commercial Earth observation operators.

Lockheed Martin made a strategic 28% equity investment and later acquired Terran Orbital in 2023, bringing the company's vertically integrated satellite manufacturing capability — spanning design, procurement, assembly, integration, test, and mission operations — into Lockheed Martin's space systems portfolio.