Phantom Space announced it has acquired key assets and intellectual property from Vector Launch, a move designed to accelerate development of its Daytona launch vehicle and strengthen its ability to deliver cost-effective, responsive launch services to government and commercial customers.
The acquired assets include flight-proven design elements, engineering data, and proprietary technologies originally developed for Vector’s small-launch program. Phantom said it will immediately integrate these capabilities into the Daytona vehicle architecture, reducing development risk and advancing its path toward orbital flight.
Founded in 2019 by Vector co-founder Jim Cantrell alongside space veterans Mike D’Angelo and Chris Thompson, Phantom Space was created to address growing demand for rapid, reliable access to space. The acquisition effectively reunites Vector-developed technology under founder leadership and reinforces Phantom’s long-term strategy focused on disciplined, execution-driven launch development.
The transaction follows Vector Launch’s recent restructuring and ensures that critical U.S. launch technology and intellectual property remain active within the domestic space industrial base. Phantom said integrating the assets into an active development program preserves years of engineering investment while aligning them with a capital-disciplined vehicle roadmap.
Phantom’s Daytona is a mass-manufactured, two-stage rocket designed to provide dedicated launch services for small satellites and spacecraft. The vehicle features a modular payload fairing capable of supporting payloads ranging from CubeSats to ESPA-class spacecraft, offering competitive pricing for customers seeking flexible, dedicated access to orbit.
Daytona’s architecture emphasizes efficient payload integration, with the payload fairing assembly processed separately from the booster stack. This approach enables payload encapsulation and testing at multiple facilities, supporting responsive mission timelines and secure, efficient operations.
Phantom has advanced vehicle subsystem testing, including successful hot-fire tests of Daytona’s propulsion assemblies. The company plans to begin integration and qualification activities immediately, with stage-level testing and additional vehicle milestones scheduled throughout 2026.
Founded by two of the original five members who built SpaceX, Phantom Space is developing launch vehicles and orbital infrastructure aimed at expanding access to space. In addition to the Daytona family of rockets, the company is developing Phantom Cloud, an orbital data center constellation. Headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, Phantom is backed by family offices and multiple venture capital firms and is focused on scalable manufacturing, disciplined execution, and expanding access to orbit.
KEY QUOTES
“As the original architect of Vector’s vision, it’s deeply meaningful to bring these assets home to Phantom. This acquisition isn’t just about technology, it’s about momentum. We’re accelerating Daytona, creating high-tech aerospace jobs in Tucson, and moving faster toward orbital capability. Phantom’s agility and founder-led approach make the company the right steward for this intellectual property. This acquisition strengthens the small-launch ecosystem at a time when demand for responsive launch has never been higher.”
Jim Cantrell, Founder And CEO, Phantom Space Corporation
