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AUTOMATED HIGH-FIDELITY CUSTOM SATELLITE BUS STRUCTURAL DESIGN – ACHIEVED!
Proteus, an industry pioneer in rapid custom satellite bus solutions, has just redefined the future of custom bus satellite design with MERCURY™, its automated computational engineering system. In a historic first, MERCURY™ automatically generated a physics-anchored, high-fidelity, manufacturable structural design for a custom bus satellite frame that successfully passed launch loads testing on its first attempt.
What once took 12-16 months of mechanical engineering effort has been slashed to just ONE WEEK with MERCURY™ — a staggering 48x to 64x reduction in schedule and cost.
For customers, MERCURY™ provides a comprehensive package: high-fidelity finite element modeling (FEM) structural analysis, a launch load path optimized frame design, and a Craig-Bampton reduction—all delivered at Preliminary Design Review (PDR), along with a FlatSat – faster than any other company on the planet. This unparalleled speed and precision offer high confidence within the first 120 days of the satellite bus design process that a satellite will withstand shock, vibration, and coupled loads. Proteus remains the only custom satellite bus provider delivering this solution at such an extraordinary pace, cost-efficiency and level of reliability.
“We’re thrilled to be at the forefront of a rapidly evolving custom satellite bus industry,” said David Kervin, CEO and Co-Founder of Proteus Space. “From government agencies to leading aerospace primes and innovative startups, our customers recognize the need for highly tailored satellite solutions. They demand the proven reliability of TRL-9 flight heritage components and a design process that meets the satellite industry’s rigorous standards. Our cutting-edge automation in the MERCURY™ platform, paired with the advanced capabilities of today’s payloads, empowers clients to avoid the compromises often required by standard bus designs. Today’s customer, technology and funding achievements position Proteus Space to support the next generation of demanding payloads, delivering faster, more reliable, efficient and affordable custom bus solutions for the future.”
FIRST COMMERCIAL PAYLOAD CUSTOMER SECURED FOR MERCURY ONE FLIGHT
Adding to this momentum, Proteus proudly announces it has secured its first commercial payload customer for the MERCURY ONE flight, with a launch window opening in October 2025. The customer, a leading multi-billion dollar prime contractor in the Defense & Aerospace sector, will leverage the MERCURY ONE custom satellite to test and evaluate their payload, marking a significant step forward in commercializing Proteus’ automated custom satellite bus design solutions.
$6.1M SEED-2 FUNDING SECURED TO FUEL THE FUTURE
In tandem with their technological and commercialization milestone, Proteus is thrilled to announce the successful closure of a $6.1 million Seed-2 venture capital fundraising round, led by Lavrock Ventures with participation from major investors, The Veteran Fund, SAIC, Crosscut Ventures and Moonshots Capital. This funding will accelerate the development and deployment of MERCURY™ and other cutting-edge Rapid Access to Space (“RAS”) solutions, further solidifying Proteus’ leadership in transforming the cost, schedule, and reliability paradigm for custom satellite buses. Proteus is poised to scale its operations and meet the growing demand for rapid, affordable, reliable custom bus satellite design, build and flight, in an increasingly competitive space exploration landscape.
About Proteus Space, Inc.Proteus Space is spearheading a revolution in custom satellite bus design and production with MERCURY™, its cutting-edge automated Digital Engineering and Digital Twin system. MERCURY™ delivers lightning-fast custom satellite bus solutions—perfectly aligned with payload, mission, and launch requirements—slashing concept-to-orbit timelines, driving down costs, and eliminating non-recurring engineering (NRE) expenses – all using TRL9, flight heritage subsystems and components. MERCURY™ provides rapid analysis of alternatives, along with quantifiable certainty in costs, schedule, and reliability. Proteus Space designs, builds, launches, and operates bespoke satellites as a service.
THE FUTURE IS FASTER™
