06TUCSON, AZ (March 6, 2026) — Phantom Space Corp. is moving to accelerate development of its Daytona small-launch rocket after acquiring assets and intellectual property from Vector Launch Inc., the former Tucson-based startup that filed for bankruptcy in 2019.
Phantom Space, also headquartered in Tucson, said it acquired Vector Launch’s design elements, engineering data, and proprietary technologies and will integrate them into Daytona’s vehicle architecture as it advances toward orbital flight for government and commercial customers. Financial terms were not disclosed.
“Phantom’s agility and founder-led approach make the company the right steward for this intellectual property,” Phantom Space cofounder and CEO Jim Cantrell said in a statement. “This acquisition strengthens the small-launch ecosystem at a time when demand for responsive launch has never been higher.”
Daytona is a two-stage rocket designed to deliver dedicated launch services for small satellites and spacecraft. Phantom Space said it has progressed through vehicle subsystem testing, including hot-fire tests of Daytona propulsion assemblies, and plans to begin integration and qualification work immediately. Stage-level testing and additional vehicle milestones are scheduled throughout 2026, the company said.
Phantom Space is also developing “Phantom Cloud,” an orbital data center constellation. A company spokesperson said Phantom’s first Daytona launch attempt remains targeted for the second half of 2027, with the first Phantom Cloud demonstration mission planned for the second quarter of 2027.
Founded in 2019 by two of the original five members who helped build SpaceX, Phantom Space is led by Cantrell and co-founder Adam Thompson. Cantrell previously served as SpaceX’s first vice president of business development and has worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the French Space Agency; he also cofounded Vector Launch. Thompson led development of Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 rockets and Dragon capsule structures while at SpaceX.
Phantom Space said the Vector Launch transaction helps keep U.S. launch technology and intellectual property active within the domestic space industrial base, and it expects the move to support additional high-tech hiring in Tucson. The company said it has about 30 employees and plans to add 20 more this year.
The acquisition arrives alongside another Arizona-linked space sector deal: Rocket Lab Corp. (Nasdaq: RKLB) said it acquired Tucson-based Optical Support Inc. (OSI) and will integrate the company into Rocket Lab Optical Systems—its Arizona-based payload arm. Rocket Lab said the deal adds 20 employees and includes continued operations at OSI’s 22,000-square-foot machining, test, and integration facility at 1661 S. Research Loop in Tucson.
OSI designs and manufactures high-precision optical and optomechanical systems used in commercial and national security space applications. Rocket Lab said OSI’s lenses and subsystems support missions including space protection and missile warning, tracking, and defense. OSI’s project work has included NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, Sphere Las Vegas, and U.S. government defense and intelligence missions, according to the company.
Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Source: Phantom Space press release (Feb. 26, 2026); Rocket Lab press release (Feb. 26, 2026).
For more information, please visit phantomspace.com.