Space defense

Orbital Operations

Website

Orbital Operations is developing a high thrust, reusable space vehicle for satellite defense. We protect critical satellites, like GPS and Military communication satellites, from adversarial threats, like China and Russia. Our vehicle will use the exact same propulsion systems that launch vehicles have used for decades by implementing a cryogeni

Founded 2024Origin source ↗Checked 2026-09-15

Overview

Orbital Operations is developing a high thrust, reusable space vehicle for satellite defense. We protect critical satellites, like GPS and Military communication satellites, from adversarial threats, like China and Russia.

Our vehicle will use the exact same propulsion systems that launch vehicles have used for decades by implementing a cryogenic management system. This will give us over 100x the thrust or current in-space propulsion.

Ross and I have over 15 years of combined aerospace experience across NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne, SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Relativity Space. We’ve worked side by side for more than 3.5 years developing propulsion systems, turbomachinery, and building our own respective engineering teams.

We are currently working on the first demo of our unique cryo management system and intend to launch an operational vehicle by 2027.

Company description As recorded 2026-11-08
LinkedIn About
Space defenseHardware deviceGovernmentEnterpriseHardware sales

Founders & team

Ben Schleuniger

Founder/CEO

Ben Schleungier is the Co-founder and CEO of Orbital Operations. He started his career at NASA in propulsion before moving on to SpaceX and then as an early employee at Relativity Space. He owned the fluid systems for the TM1 rocket, the complex heat exchangers on the AeonR engine, and built the Components team and the Integrated Design and Analysis teams from the ground up. Ben has an deep understanding of rocket engine design and analysis and building high performance engineering teams.

LinkedIn
Founder profile As recorded 2026-09-15

Ross Doherty

Founder/COO

Ross is the Co-founder and COO of Orbital Operations. He has spent his entire career in the aerospace industry, from Aerojet Rocketdyne, to Blue Origin, and most recently Relativity Space, where he owned all turbomachinery manufacturing and assembly for the Aeon-R engine. He was also responsible for the Flight Termination System test and qualification program for the TM-1 rocket. Ross has deep expertise in complex manufacturing processes, assembly, test, and chemical propulsion development.

LinkedIn
Founder profile As recorded 2026-09-15
10team members reported
Source-reported As recorded 2026-09-15

Founded 2024 · Source

News & product activity

Sources & observations

Y Combinator

Profile depthverified profile
Website observationsite error
Last website check2026-11-11
Location · source statedLos Angeles, CA, USA
Pricing evidenceNo pricing page confirmed
Maturity: Not assessed · 3 of 6 areas documented

Source-based assessment · automated evidence rules

The latest website check does not confirm this company’s website.

Maturity is an evidence-based assessment, not a success rating. It may understate the current stage where evidence is limited. Coverage records documented areas, not a complete or independently audited company history.

Stage definitions
independent websitesource corroborationdescriptive evidenceclassified market and modelsourced peoplesourced founding year
startup.observe Directory coverage · Sources & method