Apex Space vs Astranis: Platforms compared

November 2026 edition · assessment by Frontier Tech Intelligence

Astranis ranks 61 on the Space 100 with a score of 71; Apex Space ranks 72 with 68. Apex Space is ahead on deployment. Astranis is ahead on progress and technology. Level on production, commercials, positioning, firepower and leverage. Apex Space is based in United States, Astranis in San Francisco, United States. Astranis: Growth. Apex Space is named in 38 signals and Astranis in 26.

Apex Space →

United States · Space · Satellites & spacecraft / Platforms · apexspace.com

Apex Space builds standardized satellite buses, Aries, Nova and Comet, for communications, orbital computing and defense missions, supplied to customers such as Loft and NEC.

Space 100 · rank 72 · score 68

Scores, Space (of 10)

Deployment7
Production6
Commercials6
Progress9
Technology6
Positioning6
Firepower8
Leverage6

Darker bar: ahead of the other company on that measure.

Positioning

Apex is a US maker of productized, mass-manufactured satellite buses (the Aries flown in 2024, plus Nova and Comet classes) offering a configurable off-the-shelf model versus bespoke builds, for LEO/MEO/GEO. Its design-win marker is Anduril's first integrated satellite (ANDURIL-26, on orbit since July 2026), validation at the defense frontier. Revenue is estimated at 10-100m (verified-light, substantial venture backing).

Latest signals

  • Apex is establishing a U.S. factory dedicated to manufacturing direct-to-device satellites for Elveo Mobile.SpaceNews
  • Elveo Mobile establishes dedicated spacecraft factory in the U.S. with Apex for D2D constellationVia Satellite
  • Dynamics 365 Activate does not automatically migrate Salesforce automations, Apex code or binary files.Heise

38 signals name Apex Space.

Facts, with sources

  • Self-funded Project Shadow demonstration mission to validate space-based interceptor capabilities in LEOPayload
  • Elveo Mobile partnership to establish a dedicated U.S. spacecraft factory for a direct-to-device constellationwww.satellitetoday.com — 2026-09-14
  • AnySignal partnership to offer AnyLink and AnySignal radios with Apex spacecraft platformsPayload

45 facts on file.

Astranis →

San Francisco, California, United States · Space · Satellites & spacecraft / Platforms · Growth · astranis.com

Astranis designs and manufactures small geostationary broadband satellites, including dedicated satellites for customers such as stc Group and its MicroGEO product line.

Space 100 · rank 61 · score 71

Scores, Space (of 10)

Deployment6
Production6
Commercials6
Progress10
Technology8
Positioning6
Firepower8
Leverage6

Darker bar: ahead of the other company on that measure.

Positioning

Astranis is a US satellite maker whose MicroGEO small dedicated GEO satellites (multiple on orbit since 2023, with the next-gen Omega program) offer niche-GEO-as-a-service, the counter-thesis to LEO constellations, serving nations and telcos without $300M satellite budgets. It raised a Series E in May 2026 (a16z participating) on top of ~$750M in prior rounds. The Series E amount was not disclosed in this pass's sources (a gap).

Latest signals

  • ST Engineering iDirect will provide the ground network for Oman’s MB Sat-1 sovereign microGEO satellite.Via Satellite
  • Astranis plans a dedicated Falcon 9 mission to launch six MicroGEO satellites in 2028.Via Satellite
  • Astranis upgraded its fourth launch contract to a dedicated SpaceX Falcon 9 mission for 2028.SpaceNews

26 signals name Astranis.

Facts, with sources

  • Commercial contract backlog worth more than $1 billionSpaceNews
  • Small GEO broadband satellite ordered by stc GroupSpaceNews
  • stc Group ordered a small GEO broadband satellite from AstranisSpaceNews

22 facts on file.

More comparisons

Questions this page answers

Apex Space or Astranis: which is ahead in space?

Astranis ranks 61 on the Space 100 with a score of 71; Apex Space ranks 72 with 68. Apex Space is ahead on deployment. Astranis is ahead on progress and technology. Level on production, commercials, positioning, firepower and leverage. Apex Space is based in United States, Astranis in San Francisco, United States. Astranis: Growth. Apex Space is named in 38 signals and Astranis in 26.

How do Apex Space and Astranis compare?

Astranis ranks 61 on the Space 100 with a score of 71; Apex Space ranks 72 with 68. Apex Space is ahead on deployment. Astranis is ahead on progress and technology. Level on production, commercials, positioning, firepower and leverage. Apex Space is based in United States, Astranis in San Francisco, United States. Astranis: Growth. Apex Space is named in 38 signals and Astranis in 26. Both company files carry the scores on eight measures, the facts with sources and the latest signals.

Every comparison here comes from the same files members use every day.

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