Rendezvous Robotics raises $20 million for spacecraft that assemble in orbit

A satellite's design usually starts with a stubborn limit: it must fit inside a rocket. Rendezvous Robotics, a company developing spacecraft that assemble themselves in orbit, has raised $20 million to pursue a different approach. Its separate modules would use electromagnets to move together and connect, sharing power and data after launch.

The company plans a demonstration with seven spacecraft modules that join, separate, and reconnect in a new arrangement. It has reserved a launch slot for no earlier than April 2028, with other tests planned before then. The idea extends beyond building something larger than a rocket can carry. The company's chief executive says a failed component could eventually be replaced by sending up a new module, rather than building an entirely new satellite.