WASHINGTON — True Anomaly, a space startup that recently raised $100 million, has laid off about a fourth of its workforce, citing a need to streamline operations and eliminate duplicative roles after rapid growth over the past two years.
The company did not disclose the exact number of workers impacted by the layoffs. According to social media posts, 30 employees lost their jobs April 24. After announcing a $100 million fundraising round in December, True Anomaly said it had more than 100 employees.
In a statement to SpaceNews, a True Anomaly spokesperson said the staff reductions will not impact the startup’s ability to execute existing contracts. Most recently, True Anomaly won a $30 million contract from the U.S. Space Force to supply a spacecraft for the Victus Haze tactically responsive mission.
“With our rapid growth over the past two years, we looked at every aspect of our company to make sure we are laser-focused on our goals and best positioned to execute,” the spokesperson said.
“We identified the duplication of roles and functions across the company and, as such, reduced our headcount. This won’t impact our ability to execute on our contracts with customers or on our mission to bring security and sustainability to the space domain,” according to the statement.
Jackal spacecraft
Founded in 2022, True Anomaly positioned itself within the national security space market. It moved rapidly to develop its Jackal spacecraft, designed for various military applications requiring in-orbit maneuvering and object interaction. The company in August opened a 35,000 square-foot facility in Centennial, Colorado.
The layoffs come just weeks after an unsuccessful debut mission for the company’s first Jackal spacecraft launched to low Earth orbit for a demonstration of rendezvous and proximity operations capabilities. Two Jackals were launched March 4 on the SpaceX Transporter-10 rideshare. On March 21 the company reported that it could no longer verify if the spacecraft were still functioning. “We’re planning our second Jackal flight test within the next 12 months,” the company said.