First Aries Satellite Completes One Year in Orbit

First Aries Satellite Completes One Year in Orbit
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 11, 2025

Apex's Aries Serial Number One (SN1) spacecraft has successfully completed its first year in orbit, marking a significant achievement for the company and the broader space industry. As a leader in high-rate configurable satellite bus manufacturing, Apex has established itself as a dependable supplier for the space industrial sector.

Aries SN1 stands out as the fastest spacecraft to transition from a clean-sheet design to operational status in space. It represents the inaugural production build of Apex's ESPA-class satellite bus, designed to support payloads up to 150kg. Initially conceived as a platform for on-orbit software demonstrations, the spacecraft was ultimately utilized by three defense contractors, carrying sensitive payloads, including an edge-processing system for Anduril, as well as communications and space domain awareness equipment.

"Two years ago, we set out to make history and initiated the design of our first production satellite bus, Aries. One year ago, we set a world record, launching Aries to orbit at an unprecedented speed," said Ian Cinnamon, Apex's co-founder and CEO. "Today, we've proven the quality, durability, and reliability of that same spacecraft. Successfully launching a satellite is an achievement, but sustaining operations for a full year is a milestone that few newer platform companies have reached in recent years. Not only is Aries continuing to perform nominally, but we have also delivered additional Aries buses to customers in under three months, with plans to further accelerate that timeline."

Apex has positioned itself as a trusted supplier of satellite buses for both government and private sector clients, demonstrating the effectiveness of its streamlined manufacturing approach. By offering standardized, high-rate configurable buses, Apex enables customers to integrate and launch payloads far faster than traditional satellite manufacturers. This efficiency translates to delivery times of weeks rather than the months or years required by custom-built solutions.

Over the past year, Apex has continued scaling its operations, delivering three additional Aries buses to customers in the last quarter alone. The company is preparing to further expand its production capabilities with the opening of a new full-rate manufacturing facility next quarter, which will be capable of producing up to 12 satellite buses per month.