ThinkOrbital’s X-ray detector panel is mounted on an Argo spacecraft in preparation for a March 2026 launch. The X-ray detector panel will meet up with another satellite schedule to launch in October to perform X-ray imaging and material characterization tests. Credit: Kirby Carlisle, Argo Space.

WASHINGTON — ThinkOrbital, a startup focused on space infrastructure, has secured fresh backing as it pushes to mature technologies for X-ray inspection and in-space construction at a time when the U.S. military is looking for new ways to monitor and operate around satellites in orbit.

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Sandra Erwin writes about military space programs, policy, technology and the industry that supports this sector. She has covered the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for nearly two decades as editor of NDIA’s National Defense...