TAMPA, Fla. -- California's GITAI announced on January 27 that it has successfully demonstrated its first in-house developed satellite, a precursor to larger spacecraft aimed at servicing and construction in space.
The 20-kilogram, 16U-sized satellite launched on a SpaceX rideshare mission to low Earth orbit in December, meeting all testing goals, including capturing and transmitting image and video data.
Founder and CEO Sho Nakanose indicated that GITAI is expanding its product line to include 50-kilogram and 200-kilogram satellite platforms to address the growing demand for satellite constellations. The company aims to develop a 500-kilogram spacecraft equipped with a robotic arm for a rendezvous and docking demonstration in 2026, postponed from 2025, as part of its plan to become a key player in in-orbit services, including lunar infrastructure construction.
Nakanose noted that while the performance of GITAI's spacecraft is comparable to others on the market, the company intends to differentiate itself through vertical integration to lower costs and speed up production. Currently, GITAI produces approximately 60% of its 20-kilogram satellite in-house, including avionics and attitude control software, but relies on external sources for chemical propulsion.
The company plans to complete in-house development of all necessary satellite components, including electric propulsion, by the end of this year. GITAI is also in discussions with several private space firms regarding missions for satellites weighing between 20 and 200 kilograms.