Pacific Defense Successfully Launches Moonraker Payload on Avalon Mission, Advancing Open Architecture in Space

Pacific Defense Successfully Launches Moonraker Payload on Avalon Mission, Advancing Open Architecture in Space

Pacific Defense today announced the successful launch and initial on-orbit performance of its Moonraker payload on the Avalon Mission, marking a key step in advancing open, reprogrammable, software-defined capabilities in space.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260609596470/en/ Pacific Defense's Moonraker payload, a mission-flexible radio frequency (RF) payload designed for space situational awareness (SSA) and electromagnetic spectrum operations (EMSO).

Launched on March 30, 2026, Avalon represents the first on-orbit demonstration of Moonraker, a mission-flexible radio frequency (RF) payload designed for space situational awareness (SSA) and electromagnetic spectrum operations (EMSO). The mission marks Pacific Defense’s first deployment of a space-based, reprogrammable RF payload built to adapt to emerging threats and mission requirements.

Post launch, Moonraker successfully completed payload commissioning, functional checkout, including first on-orbit collection of IQ, and a critical over the air (OTA) software update adding new capabilities. The payload will now commence on-orbit operations to complete signal detection and classification.