Space-tech startup Observable Space has closed a $90M Series A to boost its production of laser and optical hardware—in addition to expanding internationally beyond the US.
Lux Capital led the round, announced on Thursday, which was co-led by Upfront Ventures, Detroit Venture Partners, Island Green Capital, and RTX Ventures. BRV Capital Management and Fathom Fund also joined the round.
Observable Space: The company was founded in February 2025, when telescope company PlaneWave Instruments merged with OurSky, a space-data-application company. The goal of the merger was to create a vertically integrated company that could provide operators real-time insights about what’s happening in orbit by combining hardware and software into one offering.
Observable Space builds hardware—at its facilities in Los Angeles, CA and Michigan—focusing on three areas:
- Laser communications ground stations;
- Ground-based sensing;
- In-space optical payloads.
To scale production, Observable Space will grow its manufacturing capabilities in Detroit. The company did not say where it would focus its international expansion efforts
“The companies and nations that precisely track objects, navigate spacecraft, and communicate terabits per second will define the next era of the space economy,” CEO and cofounder Dan Roelker said in a statement. “At Observable Space, we’re building the vertically integrated systems right now that makes this possible.”
What’s next: The company announced it had won an IDIQ contract from the Space Force worth up to $94M. The award is part of the military’s Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) program to boost satellite-tracking capabilities, using optical ground-based telescopes.
Observable Space has been awarded $22M for the initial task orders.
The company is also preparing to send its Iguana in-space imager into orbit for the first time this year, on board an Apex Space satellite bus. The compact system—which customers will be able to purchase with just eight weeks’ notice—is designed to help operators conduct SDA or RPO missions.
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