{"id":"84a0f997-0306-407c-aec8-38b4772abc4a","modelId":"0d22c593-0faa-4515-b5e3-d31e89ac4381","versionId":null,"locationId":"c2b414a6-3f5d-4862-8aee-c7bf3198b271","operatorId":null,"ownerId":null,"slug":"apex-satellite-bus-low-earth-orbit","status":"operational","firstSeen":"2024-03-04T00:00:00.000Z","statusChangeReason":null,"contractType":null,"pilotOutcome":null,"endedAt":null,"unitsOnSite":null,"tasksPerformed":null,"shiftStructure":null,"hoursPerDay":null,"siteType":null,"operatorConfirmed":null,"humanSupervisionOnsite":null,"locationPrecisionTier":null,"deploymentScale":null,"siteEnvironment":null,"operatorType":null,"sourceQualityTier":null,"manufacturerSerial":null,"reviewStatus":"unreviewed","sources":[{"url":"https://spacenews.com/satellite-startup-apex-wins-45-9-million-space-force-contract/","label":"Satellite startup Apex wins 45.9 million Space Force contract","title":"Satellite startup Apex wins 45.9 million Space Force contract","mediaType":"article","sourceName":"SpaceNews","publishedAt":"2024-03-04"}],"notes":"Aries SN1 launched on SpaceX Transporter-10 mission in March 2024, achieving one year on orbit by March 2025. Three additional Aries buses delivered to customers in Q1 2025. Factory One in Playa Vista produces buses at ~200/year capacity.","keyFacts":[{"label":"Fleet size","value":"4+ Aries buses delivered"}],"reviewNote":null,"exposureHours":null,"deploymentMilesEstimate":null,"exposureBasis":null,"customerSegment":null,"scaleTier":null,"contractValueUsd":null,"contractValueBasis":null,"customerCompanyId":null,"customerExternalName":null,"createdAt":"2026-08-08T01:04:09.441Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-08T01:04:09.441Z","model":{"id":"0d22c593-0faa-4515-b5e3-d31e89ac4381","companyId":"b5d46ea5-a57b-443b-b764-a825da6134f6","modelName":"Apex Satellite Bus","slug":"apex-satellite-bus","description":"Apex's flagship productized satellite bus platform, available in multiple configurations: Aries (LEO, 125 kg bus, 150 kg payload, 175W OAP), GEO Aries (radiation-hardened for geostationary orbit), Nova (200-500 kg payload), and Comet (largest bus for commercial and defense constellations). Designed for SpaceX Transporter rideshare compatibility with transparent web-based pricing. Aries SN1 launched March 2024 on SpaceX Transporter-10, setting a world record as the fastest clean-sheet design to production spacecraft operating in space.","formFactor":"space","industryVertical":null,"environment":null,"maturityStage":"commercial","lifecycleState":"active","supersededByModelId":null,"specs":{},"manufacturerSerial":null,"reviewStatus":"reviewed","sources":[{"url":"https://www.apexspace.com/","title":"Apex — Productized Satellite Platforms","source_name":"Apex Space (company website)","date_accessed":"2026-08-06"},{"url":"https://research.contrary.com/company/apex","title":"Apex Business Breakdown & Founding Story","source_name":"Contrary Research","date_accessed":"2026-08-06"}],"aliases":[],"collisionRisk":"low","reviewNote":null,"manufacturerTermForTeleop":null,"keyFacts":[],"createdAt":"2026-08-07T05:00:33.179Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-08T01:04:45.104Z","unitsInFieldClaimed":null,"unitsInFieldVerified":null,"unitsManufacturedClaimed":null,"unitsManufacturedVerified":null,"unitsAsOf":null,"unitsSource":null,"salesModel":null,"priceUndisclosedSince":null,"autonomyClass":null,"autonomyStatement":null,"autonomyStatementSource":null,"demoForensics":null,"exportControlClass":null,"minCommitment":null,"warrantyTerms":null,"serviceModel":null,"productionRateClaimed":null,"productionRateEvidenced":null,"teleopRatioDisclosed":null,"interventionRateDisclosed":null,"company":{"id":"b5d46ea5-a57b-443b-b764-a825da6134f6","name":"Apex Space","slug":"apex-space","description":"Los Angeles-based manufacturer of productized, configurable satellite bus platforms built at constellation scale. Founded in 2022 by [Ian Cinnamon](/people/ian-cinnamon) and [Max Benassi](/people/max-benassi), Apex operates Factory One in Playa Vista and produces off-the-shelf satellite buses including the Aries, GEO Aries, Nova, and Comet platforms. The company serves both commercial customers and U.S. government defense programs, with over two-thirds of its business in national security and defense. Apex set a world record with its first satellite bus as the fastest clean-sheet design to production spacecraft operating in space.","status":"active","founded":2022,"hq":"Los Angeles, California, USA","hqLat":null,"hqLng":null,"hqGeocodedAt":null,"hqAddress":null,"hqPrecision":null,"website":null,"fundingTotal":null,"type":"hardware","reviewStatus":"reviewed","lifecycleState":"active","supersededByCompanyId":null,"sources":[{"url":"https://www.apexspace.com/","title":"Apex — Productized Satellite Platforms","source_name":"Apex Space (company website)","date_accessed":"2026-08-06"},{"url":"https://research.contrary.com/company/apex","title":"Apex Business Breakdown & Founding Story","source_name":"Contrary Research","date_accessed":"2026-08-06"}],"keyFacts":[{"label":"Founded","value":"2022"},{"label":"HQ","value":"Los Angeles, CA, USA"},{"label":"Notable","value":"Productized satellite buses at constellation scale"},{"label":"Manufacturing","value":"Factory One, 100,000+ sq. ft. by end 2026"},{"label":"Total Funding","value":"~$718M (company-reported)"},{"label":"Valuation","value":"$2.3B (June 2026)"},{"label":"Employees","value":"~336 (May 2026)"},{"label":"Revenue 2025","value":"$60 million (company-reported)"},{"label":"Contracted Bookings","value":"$100M+ (company-reported)"},{"label":"Key Products","value":"Aries (LEO), GEO Aries (geostationary), Nova (200-500 kg payload), Comet (largest bus)"},{"label":"CFO","value":"Michael Kopet (formerly VP Finance at Axon)"},{"label":"CFO Appointed","value":"June 2026"},{"label":"Hero image candidate","value":"https://www.satellitetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Apex-Aries-Satellite-Platforms-June-2026-scaled.jpg (source: Via Satellite press coverage)"}],"aliases":[],"collisionRisk":"low","reviewNote":null,"atsProvider":null,"atsSlug":null,"factoryLocations":null,"manufacturingCapacity":null,"orgType":null,"burnSignal":null,"litigationEvents":null,"insurancePostureDisclosed":null,"unitEconomicsDisclosed":null,"tickerSymbol":null,"stockExchange":null,"secCik":null,"revenueUsd":null,"revenueBasis":null,"revenueAsOf":null,"employeeCount":null,"employeeCountBasis":null,"employeeCountAsOf":null,"marketCapUsd":null,"marketCapAsOf":null,"marketCapSource":null,"createdAt":"2026-08-07T05:00:31.705Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-08T01:05:00.863Z"}},"version":null,"location":{"id":"c2b414a6-3f5d-4862-8aee-c7bf3198b271","name":"Low Earth Orbit","slug":"low-earth-orbit","kind":"other","parentLocationId":null,"region":null,"lat":0,"lng":0,"reviewStatus":"reviewed","aliases":[],"collisionRisk":"low","reviewNote":null,"createdAt":"2026-06-05T23:21:28.287Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-08T05:03:13.896Z"},"operator":null,"owner":null,"derived":{"trustTier":"unverified","currentPosture":null},"jsonLd":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Event","@id":"https://registry.deploy.report/deployments/apex-satellite-bus-low-earth-orbit","url":"https://registry.deploy.report/deployments/apex-satellite-bus-low-earth-orbit","name":"Apex Satellite Bus at Low Earth Orbit","identifier":"84a0f997-0306-407c-aec8-38b4772abc4a","startDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00.000Z","location":{"@type":"Place","@id":"https://registry.deploy.report/locations/low-earth-orbit","name":"Low Earth Orbit"},"organizer":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://registry.deploy.report/companies/apex-space","name":"Apex Space"},"about":{"@type":"Product","@id":"https://registry.deploy.report/models/apex-satellite-bus","name":"Apex Satellite Bus"},"publisher":{"@id":"https://deploy.report/#organization"}},"framework_metadata":{"framework_schema_version":"0.1.0","verification_status":"unreviewed","maturity_stage":"commercial","lifecycle_state":"active","architectural_position":{"cohort":"space","sub_cohorts":[]},"within_cohort_verified_vs_claimed_pair":null,"cap_flags":[],"verification_depth":{"sources_count":1,"primary_source_types":[]}}}