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The ex-Raptor engineer building a fighter jet for orbit just raised $50M — Starburst launches in October
Original: Portal Space Systems raises $50M as it gets set to launch its first orbital vehicle made for rapid maneuvers
AI Executive Summary
GeekWire reports Portal Space Systems' $50M Series A from Geodesic Capital and Mach33. CEO Jeff Thornburg describes the company's solar thermal HEX thruster as delivering performance comparable to nuclear without the reactor. Starburst-1 manifested on SpaceX Transporter-18 (Q4 2026). Key investor thesis from Mach33: a world of 1.2 million planned orbital assets needs propulsion architecture that delivers speed and endurance, and Portal fills a structural gap.