SAN DIEGO, CA — In a move that signals a growing reliance on flexible maritime infrastructure for national security and commercial space missions, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has announced a long-term agreement with Seagate Space. The partnership secures Kratos the utilization of Seagate Space’s premier offshore launch platform, known as the Gateway, to support an initial mission slated for 2027. Following the inaugural launch, the agreement paves the way for multiple additional operations each subsequent year, marking a significant step forward for both companies as they address evolving demands in defense and aerospace technology.
The newly formed partnership strategically aligns Kratos’ extensive portfolio of mission-proven products and systems with Seagate Space’s innovative, modular, and mobile offshore platform infrastructure. Kratos, a recognized leader in defense, national security, and global markets, specializes in the development and delivery of hypersonic test vehicles, advanced rocket systems, propulsion technologies, ballistic-missile target vehicles, and comprehensive launch services. By pairing these hardware capabilities with Seagate Space’s Gateway series vessels, the collaboration aims to provide a flexible, sea-based alternative to traditional land-based launch sites and fixed test ranges.
Coinciding with the long-term service agreement, Seagate Space has officially executed its very first construction contract for the Gateway platform. This milestone transitions the company’s concept from a design phase into physical manufacturing, bringing the infrastructure one step closer to full operational readiness.
Expanding Launch and Test Capabilities
For Kratos, the agreement opens up critical new pathways to meet the complex and rapidly changing testing requirements of its defense and government customers.
“Kratos’ agreement with Seagate Space creates an important new pathway for supporting our customers’ evolving launch and test requirements,” said Dave Carter, President of Kratos Defense & Rocket Support Services. “We are focused on delivering affordable, responsive, and mission-critical solutions. Gateway has the potential to provide our customers with additional launch flexibility, expanded operating locations, and responsive access to mission-relevant test environments.”
The Gateway platform is engineered specifically to function as a modular, mobile offshore system capable of supporting a wide array of government and commercial initiatives, including orbital launches, system testing, and asset recovery missions. Traditional land-based test ranges often suffer from scheduling bottlenecks, geographical limitations, and stringent environmental or safety buffers. In contrast, the maritime mobility of the Gateway series gives mission planners unprecedented flexibility regarding launch geometry, range access, and scheduling. By moving operations offshore, organizations can significantly reduce their long-term dependence on fixed terrestrial infrastructure.
Initially, Kratos intends to utilize the Gateway platform to support a variety of defense-related launch and target missions. As national security requirements shift and demand accelerates for advanced capabilities—such as high-speed hypersonic testing, realistic ballistic-missile targets, and responsive orbital deployment—the two companies expect this collaboration to lay a robust foundation for a broader expansion of offshore mission operations.
Turning Vision Into Reality
Seagate Space has long championed the concept of democratizing and modernizing access to space through maritime innovation. The company’s leadership views the partnership with Kratos as a validation of its vessel design and operational philosophy.
“From the beginning, our vision has been to make access to space as open as the ocean itself,” said Sean Fortener, President, Chief Operating Officer, and Co-Founder of Seagate Space. “Partnering with Kratos and moving our first Gateway platform into construction represents a major step towards making that vision a reality. Kratos brings real mission requirements and decades of defense experience, and Seagate Space is bringing the maritime infrastructure to support them. With our first build contract signed, we are putting steel behind the vision and moving closer to delivering a capability the industry needs.”
Headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, Seagate Space operates as a member company of spARK Labs by ARK Invest. The enterprise focuses on reinventing offshore launch methodologies, optimizing at-sea recovery operations, and innovating to solve emerging logistics challenges for the aerospace sector. Its cutting-edge designs allow for the rapid and cost-effective development of offshore launch assets, bypassing many of the traditional bottlenecks associated with land-based facilities.
Affordability as a Technology
The partnership aligns closely with Kratos’ overarching corporate strategy, which views cost-efficiency not merely as an accounting goal, but as a core technology. The company has consistently invested internal capital into rapidly developing, producing, and fielding affordable systems tailored for demanding national security missions. Kratos’ foundational philosophy centers on designing proven, leading-edge products from the outset for rapid production, operational deployment, and scalable manufacturing.
“Kratos is committed to being first to market with affordable, mission-focused technologies that address the urgent requirements of the United States and its allies,” said Eric DeMarco, Kratos President and CEO. “This partnership with Seagate Space supports that strategy by creating an additional option for our customers to conduct critical launch and test missions. Sea-based launch infrastructure can provide flexibility, responsiveness, and operational choice—capabilities increasingly important to national security missions.”
As defense priorities increasingly emphasize speed, adaptability, and resilience against contested environments, the ability to launch and test from variable maritime locations provides a distinct strategic advantage. Fixed land installations can be vulnerable to logistical delays and geopolitical constraints, whereas sea-based platforms offer a dynamic operational footprint that can be repositioned as needed.
With the construction contract now executed and the long-term service agreement officially in place, engineering and operations teams from both Kratos and Seagate Space will direct their efforts toward the physical construction, system integration, and operational-readiness activities required for the platform. These preparatory phases will run continuously over the coming months, keeping the companies on track for Kratos’ first scheduled mission from the Gateway offshore launch platform in 2027.
