Atomic-6 composite Space Armor tiles to fly in upcoming spacecraft missions

Composite Space Armor tiles introduced by advanced mobility composites company Atomic-6 (Marietta, Ga., U.S.) have been selected by space operator Portal Space Systems (Bothell, Wash., U.S.) to be the primary micro-meteoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) protection system for Portal’s upcoming spacecraft. The tiles will be installed on its satellite before integration into SpaceX’s (Starbase, Texas, U.S.) Transporter-18 Rideshare mission, scheduled for launch in October 2026 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.

Through this initial deployment, Portal will evaluate installation procedures, assess on-orbit performance and develop best practices for integrating Space Armor technology into the company’s future spacecraft designs.

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“Portal is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in orbit, and they need protection that keeps up with their ambitions,” says 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 will be the first orbital test of Space Armor tiles’ resilience in operational conditions, and validate the technology’s readiness for broader commercial and national security deployment.

“Our customers rely on Portal spacecraft to remain maneuverable over extended mission timelines,” notes 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.”

Spacecraft face millions of untrackable particles traveling more than 7 kilometers per second (16,000 miles per hour). Even a tiny piece of debris can penetrate fuel tanks, destroy batteries or tear through electronics and structures. Traditional MMOD mitigations, namely Whipple shields, rely on metallic layers that add mass, block radio frequency (RF) signals and often generate more debris when struck.

According to Atomic-6, Space Armor tiles are easy to install and are fragmentation-resistant, stopping debris without creating harmful secondary ejecta that could threaten other spacecraft; they’re also lighter and thinner than traditional Whipple shields and are RF-permeable.

As seen in this side-by-side demonstration against aluminum, Space Armor tiles are able to successfully stop a projectile traveling faster than 7 kilometers/second, producing virtually no byproducts. The aluminum-equivalent shield, on the other hand, creates fragments larger than the initial projectile, and spalling debris behind the point of impact, which could damage the system it is meant to protect, creating a cascading debris field that puts other space assets at risk.

Space Armor tiles come in two configurations, each available in RF-permeable or RF-blocking versions.

• Space Armor Lite: Withstands impacts up to 3 millimeters, covering all untrackable debris and more than 90% of low Earth orbit (LEO) debris.
• Space Armor Max: Withstands impacts up to 12.5 millimeters and is rated for human space station protection.

Both variants minimize shielding mass, stowage volume, post-impact ejecta and overall mission risk. Space Armor Lite tiles are available now, and Atomic-6 is currently accepting requests for quotes.

With the addition of Space Armor tiles to the upcoming Portal mission, Atomic-6 continues to expand its portfolio of advanced technologies, including the Light Wing solar array, to deliver next-generation power and protection for military, government and commercial operators.