# California Startup Fortastra Raises $30M for Spacecraft

Southern California startup Fortastra raised $30 million to complete the design, development, and production of two prototype maneuverable spacecraft, with launches targeted for early 2028. The company says the spacecraft are intended to protect U.S. and allied civilian and defense satellites; its first two Watchdog V0 spacecraft were deployed on a SpaceX Transporter 18 rideshare. The reports identify no government customer, contract award, solicitation, or procurement contact, so this is a defense-space capability signal rather than an active acquisition opportunity.

- Defense contractors and satellite operators can evaluate potential partnership or subcontracting opportunities as satellite-protection requirements evolve.
- The planned prototypes and early-2028 launch target provide a market-development signal, but do not represent a funded government requirement or a current bid opportunity.
- Companies interested in this capability should assess how maneuverable spacecraft could complement existing satellite-protection offerings and future agency requirements.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Topics:** Digital Infrastructure
**Published:** October 08, 2026

### Vendors
- Fortastra (spacecraft developer)
- SpaceX (launch provider)

### Sources
- [Fortastra, Startup Developing Maneuverable Spacecraft For On-Orbit Effects, Raises $30 Million - Defense Daily](https://www.defensedaily.com/fortastra-startup-developing-maneuverable-spacecraft-for-on-orbit-effects-raises-30-million/business-financial) - Defense Daily