Hampton-based aerospace company Psionic is reaching new frontiers. The company, headquartered at the REaKTOR Technology Innovation Center, has been awarded a contract with ispace technologies U.S., inc. (ispace-U.S.) to provide its Psionic Space Navigation Doppler Lidar (PSNDL) sensor in support of a lunar landing mission targeting the Schrödinger Basin, one of the Moon’s most challenging and shadowed regions.
The mission, part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, is led by Draper of Cambridge, MA, with ispace-U.S. serving as lander developer and mission integrator. Psionic’s PSNDL will deliver the real-time 3D velocity and high-resolution range data needed for autonomous descent and precision landing, the kind of innovation that makes future moon and Mars missions possible.
“This award represents an inflection point in our company’s growth; one that builds on decades of research and development in coherent Doppler Lidar systems,” said William Cook, Psionic’s Senior Vice President of Space Operations.
The contract includes two PSNDL units and collaboration with ispace on mission concept development, integration, and real-time landing support. Designed to operate flawlessly in low-light, high-risk terrain, PSNDL provides unmatched precision and safety, even in lunar shadow zones where other navigation systems fail.
ispace-U.S. recognized Psionic not only for its cutting-edge sensor, but also for its collaborative spirit and technical depth. “Their team’s responsiveness and commitment to integration excellence have made them an invaluable part of our lunar landing effort,” said Roger Su, Executive Vice President of Operations and Programs at ispace-U.S.
For REaKTOR and the Hampton Roads region, Psionic’s success highlights the growing power of Virginia’s innovation ecosystem; where government, academia, and entrepreneurs are working together to advance the frontiers of technology.
From its roots in NASA Langley’s research legacy to its partnership with JPL on improving Mars landing precision, Psionic exemplifies the kind of high-impact, high-technology innovation that’s taking flight right here in Hampton.
As humanity prepares for the next great era of exploration, from the Artemis program to future missions beyond, Psionic’s work serves as proof that world-changing innovation doesn’t just happen in Silicon Valley or Houston. It’s happening here, in Hampton Roads, where companies like Psionic are charting humanity’s next steps into space.
