K2 to launch its first high-powered satellite for space compute

K2, a satellite startup founded in 2022 by former SpaceX engineers Karan and Neel Kunjur, is preparing to launch Gravitas, one of the highest-powered satellites ever built, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket by the end of the month. Gravitas weighs two metric tons and features a 40-meter wingspan solar array capable of generating 20 kW of power, enabling it to support advanced payloads such as sensors, transceivers, and onboard computers. This power output approaches that of much larger and more expensive satellites like ViaSat-3 and Starlink V2, which produce around 25-28 kW, while most satellites generate only a few kilowatts. The mission will carry 12 undisclosed payloads, including a 20 kW electric thruster that K2 expects to be the most powerful ever flown in space. The company aims to demonstrate deployment, power generation, payload operation, and orbital raising capabilities as part of an