Orbital Operations Comes to Space Beach Preparing for National Security Missions

Orbital Operations has come to town, expanding Space Beach out to North Long Beach.

CEO Ben Schleuniger and Chief Operating Officer Ross Doherty spoke at an event hosted by Mayor Rex Richardson at creative agency RMD Group’s office in North Long Beach on Friday, Aug. 22.

Orbital Operations is developing high-thrust orbital vehicles for national security missions, the company says.

Founders Schleuniger and Doherty bring over 15 years of combined experience from NASA, SpaceX, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Blue Origin and Relativity. Their first vehicle, Astraeus, will be powered by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen and built around an actively cooled cryogenic storage system.

Astraeus is designed to reach targets quickly across the orbital domain, a capability that does not yet exist today according to Orbital Operations. “With China and Russia fielding satellites capable of grappling, refueling and maneuvering at will, the need for a persistent, responsive defensive layer in orbit has become urgent,” the company said in a statement.

The company expects a four-year process of testing and demo qualifications. It anticipates that the final step, the Astraeus demo mission, to be reached by the second quarter of 2029.

For now, the startup company is hiring engineers and other needed professionals to make it all happen.

“Tonight, we welcomed Orbital Operations to North Long Beach – the newest member of our fast-growing aerospace and advanced manufacturing cluster in Space Beach,” the mayor said in a statement. “Their decision to launch their first facility here sends a powerful message: Long Beach is not just a place to live, it’s a place where innovation belongs and where the future is being built.”

North Long Beach is ideal for what they want to do.

“We’re thrilled to launch our first facility here in Long Beach, a city with a rich aerospace history and an innovation-driven future,” Schleuniger said in a statement. “North Long Beach offers the talent, infrastructure and community support we need to take our mission forward.”

On Aug. 7, Orbital Operations announced that it raised $8.8 million in seed funding.

That round was led by venture capital firm Initialized Capital along with investments from Harpoon Ventures, DTX Ventures, Rebel Fund, TRAC VC, Immad Akhund and other notable investors.

The company says that by combining high thrust with high efficiency, Astraeus is designed to reach targets quickly across the orbital domain, a capability that does not yet exist today. The result will be defending U.S. satellites from emerging threats, Orbital Operations says.

Jon LeSage is a resident of Long Beach and a veteran business media reporter and editor. You can reach him at jtlesage1@yahoo.com.