# Fortastra raises $30 million to ready on-orbit security spacecraft for high-rate production First In led the startup's Series A. Fortastra says it has secured initial government contracts but didn't name the buyers or their value. Published 2026-10-09 by TGOs. Canonical: https://tgos.io/news/2026/10/09/fortastra-raises-30-million-to-ready-on-orbit-security/ Fortastra, a Torrance, Calif., developer of maneuverable spacecraft for on-orbit security, said Thursday, Oct. 8, that it had closed a $30 million Series A.[1] First In led the round.[1] Upfront Ventures, which led Fortastra's seed round of more than $8 million announced last December, came back alongside Space Capital, Rsquared, Side Door Ventures and ATX Ventures, among others, and existing investors.[1][2] Fortastra is expanding manufacturing infrastructure for a modular spacecraft bus optimized for high-rate production.[1] Chief Executive Mike Smayda said the raise lets the company move from its "initial operational success with Watchdog V0" to "an operational capability we can take into full-rate production."[1] The company points to the launch of Watchdog V0 among its recent milestones and says it has secured initial government contracts.[1] Thursday's announcement names no agency, contract vehicle or value for those contracts, and gives no date for the Watchdog V0 launch or for when the next spacecraft will fly.[1] The spacecraft are designed to hold position near critical assets, evaluate surrounding activity and respond to potential threats in real time.[1] The round also pays for engineers in flight software, autonomy and guidance, navigation and control.[1] Proximity operations "gate every capability we are building," Chief Technology Officer Josh Jetter said.[1] Smayda said the company went "from seed funding to on-orbit in about a year."[1] The round follows a memorandum of understanding with manufacturer Hadrian to apply precision machining and additive manufacturing to national security spacecraft programs.[1] Fortastra has also appointed Scott Klempner, formerly deputy program executive officer for Space Combat Power at Space Systems Command, as director of product for national security.[1] ## Why it matters Fortastra plans to prototype its next spacecraft while designing the production architecture in parallel, "proving we build at rate," Vice President of Product Sahil Desai said.[1] The next spacecraft's flight and a government award with a named buyer are the public tests of that plan.[1] ## Sources 1. Fortastra: Fortastra Raises $30 Million in Series A Funding to Scale Maneuverable Spacecraft for On-Orbit Security (Oct. 8, 2026) 2. Fortastra: Strength among the stars: Fortastra emerges to build maneuverable spacecraft for national security (Dec. 11, 2025)