@mxbenassi
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Developing and mass producing spacecraft - Apex Space CTO & Co-Founder. Fmr SpaceX & Astra.
Los Angeles, CA
Joined October 2010
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Apex, The Spacecraft Platform Company!
Apex is The Spacecraft Platform Company.
For most of space history, progress was measured in firsts. First satellite. First human in space. First Moon landing. The next era will be measured in rate: how fast you can deploy, replenish, and refresh the infrastructure everything else depends on.
That’s the New Space Race.
Winning it takes constellations: many satellites working together as systems. And constellations require two industrial capabilities: launch and spacecraft platforms.
Launch is ready enough. Platforms are not. Apex exists to remove that bottleneck.
Max Benassi retweeted
Today, we honor the generations of Americans who have defended our freedom and our way of life. Space Force Guardians carry that legacy forward by securing the space capabilities our Nation depends on. Happy Fourth of July! 🇺🇸
Max Benassi retweeted
For 250 years, America has been the greatest nation on Earth — and with God’s grace, it will be for 250 more.
Happy Independence Day!
Max Benassi retweeted
The Sandlot has the single greatest vision of American life ever put on film.
This scene is what it’s all about. 🇺🇸
Max Benassi retweeted
As I promised in the debate. Here’s the ludicrous $10M boondoggle in Nithya Raman’s district
…and ultra high power vehicles on our roadmap since inception. That’s why we are building the most vertically integrated and capable solar production line for space.
The future of space requires scaled manufacturing of satellites. True high rate production of productized platforms for a variety of use cases.
That what @mxbenassi and I built @ApexSpacecraft to do— and it’s what we’re already doing.
Join us!
Breaking: SpaceX boosted its target IPO valuation above $2 trillion as the world’s most valuable startup gears up to pitch potentially the biggest-ever market debut bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Max Benassi retweeted
Our first Aries satellite bus, launched over 2 years ago, continues to operate nominally and serve the needs of our customers on a daily basis.
Check out the most recent selfie taken today.
🤖 Made with AI
Max Benassi retweeted
As 2025 comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect on another year of consistent execution and rapid growth.
This dedicated team delivered milestone after milestone, establishing and expanding Factory One, delivering multiple satellite platforms to customers, and securing critical funding to further redefine and accelerate satellite manufacturing.
A few highlights from a very busy 2025 include:
– Completed the initial build-out of Factory One in Los Angeles (50k sq. ft.)
– Celebrated one year in low Earth orbit for Aries SN1
– Raised a $200M Series C
– Delivered multiple Aries satellite platforms to customers
– Announced the Comet (LEO) satellite platform
– Announced a 55k sq. ft. expansion to Factory One, increasing peak annual production capacity to 200+ satellites
– Raised a $200M Series D at a $1B+ valuation
– Unveiled Project Shadow, a 2026 technology maturation mission in support of Golden Dome for America
– Announced a strategic operating agreement with Hungarian-based 4iG and REMRED to establish satellite mass-manufacturing in Europe
– Grew the Apex team by more than 2.5x, from 85 to 230+ employees
– Added over a dozen customers across the U.S. Space Force, numerous Tier 1 Defense Primes, Commercial Customers, and International Partners
We’re grateful for the teammates, partners, and customers who made this progress possible.
2026 is shaping up to be another year of accelerated growth. Be a part of the journey: apexspace.com/careers
Max Benassi retweeted
ICYMI: Next year, Apex will launch an Orbital Magazine configuration of its Nova spacecraft platform, designed to host and support demonstration space-based interceptors (SBIs).
Apex's Orbital Magazine will carry and fire two partner-provided demonstration interceptors to validate several core host vehicle technologies and pave the path for mass-produced Orbital Magazines capable of carrying more than 5,000 kg.
As America's first commercially-led, SBI host vehicle demonstration, Project Shadow represents a step change in how private companies can accelerate the development of critical defense technologies — and highlights Apex's ability to leverage an existing bus platform to execute novel missions.
“Apex is built to move fast, and that is exactly what America and our allies need to ensure we win the New Space Race. In under a year, we are launching the host platform for space-based interceptors, called an Orbital Magazine, which will deploy multiple prototype missile interceptors in orbit," said Apex CEO @IanCinnamon. “Apex isn’t waiting for handouts or contracts; we are developing this Orbital Magazine technology on our own dime and moving incredibly fast.”
Read more about this ground-breaking mission from @arstechnica here: lnkd.in/gazWp7_q
Max Benassi retweeted
I have been looking forward to talking about Project Shadow publicly for months. Since the beginning of 2025, our Special Projects team has been working hard to piece together the key technologies required to not only make Space Based Interceptors work-- but to manufacture them at the scale needed to defend the United States, our allies, and democracy globally.
Today, we unveil Project Shadow — Apex's on-orbit Space-Based Interceptor (SBI) technology demonstration, launching NET June 2026. At Apex, we often launch self-funded missions to advance our technology and demonstrate our capabilities in space. Over 1.5 years ago, we launched our first Aries satellite, which continues to serve as an on-orbit software testbed for our team and customers. Project Shadow is our next step internally funded mission (with more to come in the future).
Launching on our Nova satellite bus platform, Shadow integrates and demonstrates key SBI technologies in a single, end-to-end mission.
Here’s an inside look at Shadow:
1. Apex’s Nova platform will be outfitted with the “Orbital Magazine” configuration package, providing environmental management for the demonstration interceptors, a Link-182–compatible radio, and Missile Warning/Tracking sensors.
2. The Orbital Magazine will carry two scaled-down demonstration interceptors, each equipped with a solid rocket motor (SRM) and a suite of data-collection sensors.
3. The Orbital Magazine will launch NET June 2026, and after LEOPS and commissioning, Apex will issue a fire control command.
4. The Orbital Magazine will deploy the first interceptor and establish an inter-satellite link. The interceptor will be tasked to fire its SRM while oriented in the inverse velocity direction, avoiding other in-space objects, and safely deorbiting after the burn.
5. During the burn, the Missile Warning/Tracking payloads on the Orbital Magazine will gather critical data on on-orbit SRM performance, determine tracks, and more.
6. The second interceptor will be deployed shortly after, establish a crosslink, and receive a command to fire its SRM, following a similar trajectory to the first demonstration interceptor and safely deorbiting.
Project Shadow is self-funded by Apex. We believe that supporting America, our allies, and democracy requires direct investment in the development and maturation of key defense technologies — including SBIs.
Learn more about next year’s mission from @SpaceNews_Inc with the link below.
Max Benassi retweeted
This is a strong indicator of the space economy's health. Congrats to @IanCinnamon and @mxbenassi on an incredible accomplishment - achieving unicorn status!
Big news: Apex has raised $200M in Series D financing, led by @interlagoscap, to increase production capacity of our productized bus platforms and power tomorrow’s proliferated constellations!
This latest investment, led by Interlagos, will increase bus production capacity by 50% —and boosts Apex’s valuation over $1B.
Read more: reuters.com/science/spacecra…
Max Benassi retweeted
Insane trajectory over three years, so lucky to be a part of it 🤗 @IanCinnamon @mxbenassi
Today, Apex turns 3 years old... and we announce our $200M Series D financing, led by @interlagoscap with participation from @stepstonegroup, @8vc, @a16z, @p72vc, @xyz_vc, @overmatchvc, @GSBackers, and more. This round boosts Apex's valuation over $1B, enabling us to deliver major constellation programs for our customers.
Interlagos is no stranger to Apex-- Interlagos founder Achal Upadhyaya helped CEO Ian Cinnamon and CTO @mxbenassi start Apex in the early days, and now Interlagos cofounder Tom Ochinero is joining Apex's board.
