DeepSpace-2
AstroForge's second deep-space spacecraft, a 200-kilogram vehicle with Hall-effect electric propulsion, intended to ride share on the Falcon 9 launch of Intuitive Machines' IM-3 and then rendezvous with and image a metallic near-Earth asteroid that has not yet been named. Flight hardware assembly was reported complete in June 2026 and integrated testing was under way; earlier descriptions of the same spacecraft as 'Vestri' said it would land on or dock with an asteroid, which current operator pages no longer state.
Objective. Rendezvous with a near-Earth metallic asteroid and capture high-resolution imagery of its shape, structure and clues to mineral composition (operator statement).
Facts
- Kind
- Spacecraft
- Mission type
- Prospecting
- Target
- Near-Earth asteroidNot selected; operator describes a near-Earth M-type (metallic) asteroid, and press reports about 28 candidates
- Launch
- Planned 2027 (target)Announcement date not recorded. Record checked 2026-09-26.
- Launch vehicle
- Falcon 9 (rideshare with Intuitive Machines IM-3, per press)
- Phase
- In developmentAstroForge's DeepSpace-2 page (checked 2026-09-26) is headed 'LAUNCHING 2027', while its body text still says the fourth quarter of 2026. AstroForge ties the flight to Intuitive Machines' IM-3. On 2026-09-15, NASA's Moon Base manager said Intuitive Machines' next lander, Nova-C Trinity, is slated for 'the first part of 2027' (Aerospace America). No launch-provider manifest names DeepSpace-2, so the mission is listed as in development.
- Outcome
- Not applicable
- Why it is included
- Stated resource objective
Participants
Operators, payload owners, carriers and customers are recorded separately.
| Organization | Role |
|---|---|
| AstroForge | Operator |
| Intuitive Machines | Carrier |
| SpaceX | Launch provider |
Resources and evidence
| Resource | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Metals (general) | Targeted |
Dated events
- 2025-08-11
Safran to supply electric propulsion for AstroForge's Vestri mission
Safran Defense & Space announced it was selected by AstroForge to deliver two EPS X00 electric propulsion systems for the Vestri asteroid mission, then scheduled for early 2026.
Company announcement. No counterparty or government record found.
Sources (1) and evidence gaps
- [1]Safran DSI to Supply Electric Propulsion Systems for AstroForge's Upcoming Vestri Asteroid Mission
has been selected by AstroForge to manufacture and deliver two EPS
- Contract value not disclosed.
- Safran has no entity record; counterparty named in summary only.
Open evidence gaps
- Intuitive Machines or SpaceX manifest naming DeepSpace-2 (required before phase can be 'manifested').
- Explicit operator statement that the 'Vestri' mission was renamed DeepSpace-2 (inferred from matching mass, propulsion supplier, IM-3 ride and timeline).
- Operator pages conflict on launch timing: 'fourth quarter of 2026' versus 'LAUNCHING 2027' banners on the same site.
- Communications licence for DeepSpace-2.
- Host flight not confirmed: AstroForge describes a ride with Intuitive Machines' IM-3, but no manifest record names it.
Record history
changes to this record's facts, newest first
| Changed | Field | Was | Now | Reason | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-26 | launch date | 2026-Q4 | 2027 | Schedule slip | [14] |
| 2026-06-03 | launch date | early 2026 | 2026-Q4 | Schedule slip | [3] |
| 2026-06-03 | objective | Land on or dock with the target asteroid to characterize its composition | Rendezvous with and image a near-Earth metallic asteroid | Source update | [1] |
| 2025-08-11 | launch date | 2025 (as Vestri on IM-3) | early 2026 | Schedule slip | [8] |
| 2025-03-06 | name | Vestri | DeepSpace-2 | Reclassification | [5] |
Sources
14 sourcesLaunching in the fourth quarter of 2026, DeepSpace-2 will travel millions of kilometers to rendezvous with a near-Earth asteroid.
DeepSpace-2's payload is a high-resolution monochromatic camera.
Last month, we assembled the major flight hardware of DeepSpace-2 on our integration floor for the first time.
We have purchased a 200kg mass budget from IM.
DeepSpace-2 will be our second spacecraft and is scheduled to launch on the IM3 mission.
Landing legs for its primary mission: landing on a metallic asteroid to measure platinum group metals on the surface
The spacecraft is scheduled to fly onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which is also carrying Intuitive Machines' IM-3 lander to the lunar surface.
- [8]Safran DSI to Supply Electric Propulsion Systems for AstroForge's Upcoming Vestri Asteroid Mission
for the company's upcoming Vestri asteroid mission, scheduled to launch in early 2026
A 200-kg spacecraft called Vestri, which will land on the target asteroid to completely characterize its composition; it will fly on IM-3, expected to launch in 2025.
AstroForge will choose among them closer to launch.
AstroForge is self-funding DeepSpace-2, which Gialich said will cost around $10 million.
LAUNCHING 2027 DEEPSPACE-2 The first commercially viable path to deep space.
Our next mission, DeepSpace-2, will fly Solo in shadow mode.
The next two — Blue Origin’s Mark 1 Endurance and Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C Trinity — are now slated to launch in “the first part of 2027,”