Inversion unveils Arc spacecraft for rapid space-based delivery and hypersonic testing

Summary points: 

• Arc can descend from low-Earth orbit, maneuver through hypersonic reentry, and land autonomously under parachutes.
• The spacecraft features a versatile payload bay and can operate in constellations tailored to defense and commercial needs.
• Beyond logistics, Arc provides hypersonic testing at speeds above Mach 20 and has been selected for the Kratos-led MACH-TB 2.0 program.

LOS ANGELES - Inversion, an aerospace and defense technology company in Los Angeles, has unveiled Arc, its flagship space-based delivery vehicle, designed to deliver cargo anywhere on Earth in under an hour.

The Arc system is intended to reshape defense readiness by providing a new logistics layer in orbit. Deployed in constellations tailored to customer needs, Arc vehicles can descend from low-Earth orbit on demand, navigate hypersonic reentry, and land autonomously under parachutes. The spacecraft features a versatile payload bay capable of carrying a range of cargo and effects into denied, austere, or infrastructure-limited environments.

Beyond logistics, Arc is designed to serve as a reusable hypersonic testing platform. It can sustain flight at speeds exceeding Mach 20, withstand high g-loading, and provide prolonged time on condition, enabling more realistic replication of advanced threat trajectories. As the U.S. prioritizes hypersonic research, Arc’s attributes support faster, more repeatable, and more affordable testing. 

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Validating design

Arc builds on the company’s earlier Ray spacecraft, which launched in January 2025 and validated key subsystems, including avionics, propulsion, solar panels, and a proprietary separation system. 

At the unveiling event in Los Angeles, co-founders Fiaschetti and Austin Briggs presented a full-scale mockup of Arc, displayed hardware, and outlined progress toward the first planned mission in 2026. "We’ve already built a full-scale manufacturing development unit of the primary structure, completed our first mission profile, and run dozens of drop tests to fine-tune accurate landings," said Briggs, who serves as CTO. "We have completed advanced aerodynamic modeling, detailed component design, and partnered with NASA on a next-generation thermal protection system designed for the most extreme reentry environments. Every milestone brings Arc closer to flight maturity, and the pace of progress is only accelerating."

While defense demand is expected to drive initial use, Inversion said its long-term vision extends beyond military missions. The company sees orbital logistics as a new global infrastructure, one that could eventually serve commercial markets by connecting communities and economies at high speed.

"History shows that every breakthrough in logistics - from railroads to aviation - has unlocked new industries and reshaped economies at scales few could have imagined at the start," Fiaschetti said. "Arc represents the next leap, creating a logistics network in space that will make Earth radically more accessible."