Inversion launches Arc, a hypersonic cargo delivery spacecraft

Inversion, a US-based aerospace and defence technology company, has unveiled Arc, a space-based delivery vehicle capable of transporting mission-critical cargo to anywhere on Earth in under an hour. The vehicle also offers advanced hypersonic testing capabilities, potentially transforming global logistics and defence readiness.

Arc is designed to deliver cargo to austere or infrastructure-limited areas rapidly, establishing space as a new logistics domain. The vehicle features a versatile payload bay and can operate in constellations customised to customer needs. On demand, Arc descends from low-Earth orbit, manoeuvres through hypersonic reentry, and lands safely under parachutes, fully autonomously.

Justin Fiaschetti, Co-Founder and CEO of Inversion, said the vehicle’s manoeuvrability and speed provide a transportation capability that has never existed before. Inversion aims to build thousands of Arc spacecraft, forming a logistics network offering resilience and reach for national security.

Arc also supports hypersonic testing, including operations at speeds over Mach 20 and under extreme conditions. Its reusable design allows precise landings, making hypersonic trials faster, repeatable, and more cost-effective. The vehicle has been selected for the US Kratos-led MACH-TB 2.0 Program of Record, highlighting its strategic importance.

The spacecraft builds on Inversion’s first vehicle, Ray, which launched in January 2025 and validated avionics, propulsion, solar panels, and separation systems. Nearly all components were developed in-house by a team of 25 people at a cost under $1 million, demonstrating the company’s ability to deliver advanced space systems efficiently.

Austin Briggs, Co-Founder and CTO, said the team is on track for Arc’s first flight in 2026, with full-scale manufacturing, mission profiling, and extensive drop tests already completed. The company has partnered with NASA on a next-generation thermal protection system for extreme reentry environments.

While the immediate focus is defence, Inversion envisions using Arc to create a global logistics network from space, connecting communities and markets at unprecedented speed. Fiaschetti described the project as the next leap in logistics, comparable to the transformative effects of railroads and aviation.

Inversion is backed by investors including Y Combinator, Spark Capital, and Lockheed Martin Ventures and collaborates with the US Space Force and NASA to redefine possibilities in space-based defence and logistics.