For decades, space operations were chained to Earth. Satellites waited for commands. Spacecraft were repaired months after problems arose. On-orbit assembly was mostly a dream.

That’s about to end.

Sophia Space is now exploring collaborations with Orbital Robotics Corp. and Outpost Technologies to build an orbital ecosystem where AI-powered computing, autonomous robotics, and logistics operate entirely in space, and in real-time. At the heart of it is Sophia’s Tile platform: a modular, solar-powered, space-cooled data center engineered for the harsh vacuum of orbit. These Tiles crunch sensor fusion data on-site, run low-latency AI inference, and keep everything running efficiently, without the waste and limits of Earth-bound designs.

Add Orbital Robotics’ autonomous assembly, inspection, and debris-removal systems, and spacecraft can be built, maintained, and upgraded without waiting for Earth. 

“At some point, space manufacturing has to stop behaving like a science project and start behaving like an industry,” said Rob DeMillo, CEO and Co-Founder of Sophia Space. “That means intelligence running on orbit and the ability to learn fast. When you can compute in space and return hardware quickly, you turn years-long development cycles into something that actually scales.”

Orbital Robotics’ precision manipulators, advanced inspection routines, and servicing software integrate directly with Tile’s edge computing. The result: robots that interpret massive sensor streams, coordinate complex assembly, and remove debris, all without Earth-bound latency.

“Sophia Space’s Tile infrastructure complements our robotic on-orbit servicing capabilities,” added Aaron Borger, CEO and founder of Orbital Robotics. “Together, we aim to redefine how manufacturing, assembly, maintenance, and computation are conducted in space, bringing unmatched agility and precision to orbital operations.”

Meanwhile, Outpost Technologies tackles the other side of industrial-scale space manufacturing: iteration. Its orbital delivery, hosting, and reentry systems—including the Carryall™ return spacecraft—let components, experiments, and manufactured parts cycle between Earth and orbit for rapid testing and refinement. Combine that with Tile-powered AI, and you have a closed-loop workflow for fast learning, continuous improvement, and scalable production

“With Sophia Space aboard our Carryall mission, we’re helping accelerate the maturation of a new space sector: on-orbit compute,” said Jason Dunn, Founder of Outpost. “Sophia’s system represents a critical enabling layer for the in-space economy. Our return capability closes the loop between testing and production, enabling faster innovation and greater reliability.”

All of this arrives at a critical moment. 

Commercial operators and national agencies are racing to deploy scalable, resilient off-planet infrastructure. By fusing edge computing, autonomous robotics, and orbital logistics, Sophia Space, Orbital Robotics, and Outpost are laying the foundation for a new orbital economy; one no longer tethered to Earth, powered by intelligent systems and poised to exceed $1 trillion within the next eight years.