Rendezvous Robotics (RDV Robotics)
RDV Robotics builds modular spacecraft tiles that launch flat and self-assemble in orbit into satellites sized to
The Problem
Satellite builders today must design spacecraft to fit inside a rocket fairing, folding structures on the ground and hoping they unfold correctly in orbit, which constrains the size of apertures, antennas, and power systems a mission can use. This fairing-size constraint limits applications like large ISR apertures, kilometer-scale direct-to-device antennas, and megawatt-class orbital compute and power systems. Spacecraft also tend to be fixed at launch, unable to grow or adapt to new mission needs over the years they spend in orbit.
The Solution
Rendezvous Robotics builds modular spacecraft tiles that stack flat inside any rocket, removing the need for folding mechanisms. Once in orbit, tiles find each other and lock together using electromagnetic actuators and mechanical latches, without astronauts or robotic arms, forming a rigid structure with a hard-wired power and data mesh network. Each tile contains a processor for autonomous swarm assembly that is repurposed for payload or mesh compute afterward, plus edge sensors for position knowledge. Operators can add tiles over time to scale apertures and power arrays or reconfigure for new missions, targeting use cases in defense, direct-to-device communications, and orbital compute.