Magma Space

Magma Space is a Washington, D.C.-based spacecraft component and subsystem company developing satellite attitude-control hardware built on magnetic bearings, paired with an AI-driven guidance, navigation and control (GNC) layer. Its stated aim is to remove microvibration and pointing instability as limits on precision space applications such as optical communication, high-resolution imaging and directed energy.

The product line spans four elements: magnetically levitated reaction wheels that replace ball bearings (available from 1 Nms upward, reported at TRL 5 with testing at NASA and a claimed 95% vibration reduction); the Magnetically Levitated Isolation Platform (MLIP), mounted between the spacecraft bus and precision payloads, specified at under 5% transmissibility across the disturbance spectrum up to 500 Hz with under 40 W power draw and no mechanical contact points; magnetically levitated control moment gyroscopes for rapid slewing and settling; and an AI autonomy stack providing adaptive self-optimizing control, constellation-level learning and onboard data fusion, already integrated into the company's reaction wheel.

The company describes itself as supported by NASA, the National Science Foundation and the Department of Defense, and cites more than $5M in non-dilutive R&D funding.

Founding story

Founder and CEO Alessandro Stabile, a PhD in micro-vibration analysis and space mechanisms with prior project leadership under the UK Space Agency and European Space Agency, established the company around a low-power magnetic bearing design intended to eliminate the primary source of satellite vibration.

Business model

Magma Space develops and supplies satellite components and subsystems — reaction wheels, an isolation platform, control moment gyroscopes and associated GNC/autonomy software — to spacecraft operators and defense customers, alongside government-funded research programs.

Traction

The company reports more than $5M in non-dilutive R&D funding, support from NASA, the NSF and the DoD, hardware at TRL 5 tested at NASA, three ongoing defense efforts, three upcoming orbital tests and active VC investment, with production planning underway.

Latest developments

In March 2025 Magma was named among the ten startups competing in the Startup Space Entrepreneur Pitch Contest at the SATELLITE conference. The company is hiring for GNC and autonomy engineering roles and describes three upcoming orbital tests and three ongoing defense efforts.