Atomic-6 Space Armor® Tiles Selected for MMOD Protection on Portal Space Systems Spacecraft
Trevor Smith, Atomic-6 CEO with Portal CEO Jeff Thornburg
Atomic-6, a leading manufacturer of advanced mobility composites, today announced that Portal Space Systems has selected Space Armor® tiles as the primary Micrometeoroid and Orbital Debris (MMOD) protection system for its upcoming spacecraft. The tiles will be installed prior to integration on SpaceX's Transporter-18 Rideshare mission, scheduled to launch in October 2026 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.
The mission marks the first operational orbital deployment of Space Armor® tiles, validating the technology for broader commercial and national security applications.
Portal has purchased newly announced Space Armor® tiles to protect mission-critical systems from potentially mission-ending debris strikes. During the flight, Portal will evaluate installation procedures, assess on-orbit performance, and establish best practices for integrating Space Armor® technology across future spacecraft designs.
“Portal is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in orbit, and they need protection that keeps up with their ambitions,” said Atomic-6 CEO, Trevor Smith. “These flights move Space Armor® tiles from operational testing to real commercial use, and they demonstrate how quickly the industry can adopt better ways to survive in the harshest, most debris-filled operating environment while simultaneously helping to reduce the risk of Kessler syndrome.”
The demonstration mission represents the first orbital validation of Space Armor® tiles’ resilience under real operational conditions.
“Our customers rely on Portal spacecraft to remain maneuverable over extended mission timelines,” said Jeff Thornburg, CEO of Portal Space Systems. “That means protecting critical systems in a way that supports, rather than limits, on-orbit performance. By incorporating Atomic-6’s Space Armor® tiles into our spacecraft, we’re expanding our ability to offer customers sustained maneuverability and longer operational time on orbit. We’re pleased to have Atomic-6 as part of the Starburst-1 mission.”