Prime · United States
Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems
HQ Irvine, CaliforniaFounded 201151-200 employeesUpdated
Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems is the Irvine nanosatellite and CubeSat builder founded in 2011 that became Terran Orbital's operating subsidiary; it holds Terran Orbital's main federal contracting record (UEI L7JDBS43D7C3).
- Part ofTerran Orbital
Federal Prime Contracts$50.7M obligated · FY2012–FY2026
- Obligated
- $50.7M
- FY2012–FY2026
- Contract actions
- 157
- 25 awards
- Peak year
- FY2025
- $13.3M
- Top buyer
- NASA
- 85% of obligations
’12’16’20’24’26
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Obligated | Actions | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 (to date) | $599K | 0 | — |
| FY2025 | $13.3M | 0 | — |
| FY2024 | $496K | 0 | — |
| FY2023 | $399K | 0 | — |
| FY2022 | $249K | 0 | — |
| FY2021 | $2.3M | 0 | — |
| FY2020 | $4.4M | 0 | — |
| FY2019 | $1.7M | 0 | — |
| FY2018 | $4.7M | 0 | — |
| FY2017 | $5.7M | 0 | — |
| FY2016 | $1.5M | 0 | — |
| FY2015 | $2.7M | 0 | — |
| FY2014 | $6.9M | 0 | — |
| FY2013 | $2.7M | 0 | — |
| FY2012 | $3.1M | 0 | — |
Top buyers
- NASA$43.0M 85%
- U.S. Air Force$6.6M 13%
- U.S. Army$1.1M 2.3%
What they sell (PSC)
- Space Vehicles$21.5M 42%
- Space R&D Services; Space Flight, Research and Supporting Activities; R&D Administrative Expenses$15.8M 31%
- National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense - Military; Applied Research$3.5M 6.9%
- National Defense R&D Services; Atomic Energy Defense Activities; Applied Research$3.0M 5.9%
- Space R&D Services; Space Flight, Research and Supporting Activities; Basic Research$2.9M 5.6%
- R&D- Defense Other: Other (Applied Research/Exploratory Development)$2.0M 3.9%
- R&D- General Science/Technology: Engineering (Management/Support)$998K 2.0%
- Transportation/Travel/Relocation- Transportation: Space Transportation/Launch$624K 1.2%
- Space Vehicle Components$209K 0.4%
- R&D- Other Research and Development (Applied Research/Exploratory Development)$149K 0.3%
- National Defense R&D Services; Atomic Energy Defense Activities; Basic Research$74K 0.1%
- R&D- Space: Flight (Commercialized)$25K 0.0%
- Miscellaneous Communication Equipment$0 0.0%
Where the work is done
- Ca$50.7M 100%
- Nm$15K 0.0%
Largest awards10
- Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator (Ptd)- Spaceflight Qualified 6U Cubesat Spacecraft to Be Operated by NASA for Its Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator (Ptd) Project in Accordance with the Requirements Identified in the Statement of Work. · NASA · USAspending ↗$21.5M
- IGF::OT::IGF Other Functions: Proposal Was Selected for Its Response to NASA Baa NNA12ZD0001K for Edison Small Satellite Flight Demonstration Missions. the Proposal Is Entitled Proximity Operations Nano-satellite Flight Demonstrations. the Tyvak Nano-satellite Systems LLC Mission Capability Demonstration (Mcd) Validates the Key Technologies Identified in the Baa As Needed to Support Proximity Operations and Related Missions with A Nano-satellite. the Proposed Flight Demonstration Leverages Previous Design, Testing, and On-orbit Experience by the Tyvak-led Team with A Mission Concept That Validates Proximity Operations Across A Wide Range of Operational Conditions by Utilizing A Combination of Mature Spacecraft Bus Components and Novel, Miniature Proximity Operations Technologies. Specifically, Two Three-unit Cubesats Will Demonstrate Rendezvous and Mechanical Docking of Small Spacecraft in Orbit. Once the Demonstration Has Been Completed, A High Trl Suite of Miniature Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (Rpo) Sensors and Software, As Well As A Nano-satellite Will Have Been Developed and Demonstrated. the Resulting Systems Will Be Available for Infusion Into Future Science, Exploration, and Commercial Missions. · NASA · USAspending ↗$15.8M
- Small Spacecraft Bus for Weather Missions · U.S. Air Force · USAspending ↗$3.0M
- IGF::OT::IGF Micro-avionics Multi-purpose Platform (Microampp) · NASA · USAspending ↗$2.0M
- Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator Mission Operations Follow-on · NASA · USAspending ↗$1.6M
- High Performance Electrical Power System · U.S. Air Force · USAspending ↗$1.5M
- Smallsat Integration of High Performance Electrical Power System Section 889 · U.S. Air Force · USAspending ↗$1.5M
- IGF::OT::IGF Tyvak Sbir Phase II U439340 · U.S. Army · USAspending ↗$998K
- Small Satellite Advanced Bus with Tyvak Extended Mission Pla · U.S. Air Force · USAspending ↗$500K
- Develop T0435 Fleet for the Atmosphere Linking Commercial Observations W/nasa(falcon)-lidar Mission Concepts. · NASA · USAspending ↗$472K
Signed obligations on federal prime contracts (award types A–D) from USAspending, FY2008 through Aug 4, 2026. Obligations are money the government committed, not company revenue, and include de-obligations. Subcontracts and grants are excluded. Matching is by registered UEI.
Capabilities1
| Technology | Role | Maturity | TRL | Notes | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Space, launch and counterspace | Supplier | — | — | classify_sectors run 37, haiku, taxonomy 2026-10-18b: Nanosatellite and CubeSat builder that holds a federal contracting record as Terran Orbital's operating subsidiary; government use is stated but no specific defense mission is described. | Reported |
- Supplierclassify_sectors run 37, haiku, taxonomy 2026-10-18b: Nanosatellite and CubeSat builder that holds a federal contracting record as Terran Orbital's operating subsidiary; government use is stated but no specific defense mission is described.—Reported
Maturity and TRL describe this organization's work; the field-wide maturity is on each technology's page.
Sources3
- 1OtherTyvak - Wikipedia
Wikipedia · Supports Organization
“Founded2011; 15 years ago in Irvine, California”
- 2
Octen Business Search · Supports Organization · employee range, Organization · hq region, Organization · linkedin url
“employee_range: 51-200 (profile: 51-200 employees)”
- 3Government recordUSAspending recipient profile: Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, Inc.
USAspending.gov · Supports Organization · legal name
“TYVAK NANO-SATELLITE SYSTEMS, INC.; UEI L7JDBS43D7C3; IRVINE, CA”
Government identifiers1
- UEI
- L7JDBS43D7C3
- TYVAK NANO-SATELLITE SYSTEMS, INC.
- Checked Oct 21, 2026
Identifiers are matched to this legal entity; related companies may hold different registrations.
Each fact on this page is attached to the sources that support it. Archived copies are linked when we keep one.