Inversion space freighter to reach any place in the world in 60 minutes

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A network of space probes orbiting the earth that can fly to any place on earth with their cargo on demand within an hour. That is the idea behind the Arc space freighter from spacecraft manufacturer Inversion. However, the deliveries would have to be stored in space a long time in advance – in a network of thousands of ready-to-launch space freighters that spans the entire globe – that is the vision of the US start-up. However, the practical realization raises several questions.

The manufacturer sees itself as being predestined for military purposes in particular. In a film on its website, Inversion shows a possible use case: a space freighter is stationed in low earth orbit and takes off on a transport mission. Autonomously controlled, it breaks through the Earth's atmosphere and then manoeuvres on to its destination. Once there, it lands with the help of parachutes. On the ground at the destination, apparently a remote and hard-to-reach island, a squad of soldiers takes care of the landed freighter and the delivery. The recovery of the probe is no longer shown in the film.

"Thousands and thousands of capsules"

Justin Fiaschetti, CEO at Inversion, told the trade magazine Payload: "Speed is of the essence for any national security agency. Every single agency needs to be able to deploy their cargo into orbit and deliver it within an hour, both domestically and internationally. From our perspective, that means thousands and thousands of capsules." Such a network is also intended to serve the allied armed forces of the USA.

Inversion raised 44 million US dollars in capital in its latest financing round, including from Lockheed Martin Ventures and Y Combinator. To date, Inversion has received a total of USD 54 million in private capital, plus USD 71 million from the US government. Arc is also intended to serve as a hypersonic test platform for speeds beyond Mach 20 and, according to the manufacturer, can withstand enormous G-forces and – Unsurprisingly for a spacecraft – extreme cold.

Many competitors

And it is not just the start-up from Los Angeles that sees great potential in this space freighter scenario, but also various other manufacturers. They are likely to feel encouraged by one player in particular: the US Department of Defence. Last year, the US Space Force, its space sub-strike force, invested USD 200 million in technologies that enable cargo to be transported from orbit to Earth. In addition to Inversion, the space companies Outpost, Sierra Space, Varda, Stoke Space and SpaceX have also received funding.

However, there are many different concepts and areas of application here. Varda, for example, is focusing on the production of pharmaceuticals in space and had already carried out four missions by mid-2025. SpaceX has already been active as an ISS service provider many times, including with the Dragon Cargo capsule.

Second startup with a space freighter concept

Sierra Space, on the other hand, wants to realise the first commercial space station in addition to its own spacecraft. Outpost is pursuing a very similar approach to Inversion – Space freighters that are stationed permanently in orbit primarily for the military –.

However, the plan to station "thousands and thousands" of such space freighters in space, as pursued by Inversion, could further exacerbate the situation in Earth's orbit and also raise numerous political questions.

Who owns the orbit?

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in particular is already heavily utilised and will become even more scarce due to new satellite constellations such as Starlink. Studies indicate that the capacity of LEO could probably be reduced by up to two thirds in the coming decades due to changes in the atmosphere caused by climate change, increasing the risk of collisions and space debris.

However, Earth orbit does not belong exclusively to any state or company. According to the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, outer space, including Earth orbit, is defined as a global commons open to all states. There are no individual ownership claims to parts of the orbit. States and operators must register and track their satellites, but there is no formal allocation of orbital space as property. This should make investing in start-ups such as Inversion all the more interesting for the US government: The technologies needed to create facts in orbit are emerging.

No breakthrough against the arms race in space

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty prohibits "the establishment of military bases, installations, and fortifications; the testing of weapons of any kind and the conduct of military exercises on the moon and other celestial bodies". Nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction may also not be stationed in space. However, conventional weapons and military reconnaissance, communication, and navigation satellites are permitted.

However, the UN has long been endeavoring to update the Outer Space Treaty, in particular to prevent a military arms race in space. Russia and China submitted a corresponding draft treaty "on the prevention of the deployment of weapons in outer space and the threat or use of force against space objects" in 2008. International scientific organizations have also developed proposals for "preventive arms control" in space. Even though such efforts often meet with large majorities among the member states, a result has yet to be achieved – in particular due to the USA's rejection of arms control treaties, as the Federal Center for Political Education explains.

(nen)