Motiv Space Systems :: Robotic Solutions That Power Planetary Exploration & On-Orbit Servicing Missions

Motiv Space Systems is a Pasadena, California-based space technology company specializing in advanced robotics, motor controllers, and precision mechanisms for extreme environments. Founded in 2014 by three experienced robotics engineers, Motiv Space Systems has built a reputation for delivering reliable, cost-effective robotic solutions that power planetary exploration and on-orbit servicing missions. The company focuses on creating modular building blocks that make sophisticated space robotics accessible to both government agencies and commercial operators in the new-space industry.

The founders — Chris Thayer (President and CEO), Brett Lindenfeld (Vice President of Programs), and Tom McCarthy (Vice President of Business Development) — drew on extensive backgrounds at JPL, MDA, and other aerospace organizations. Their expertise in Mars rover programs and high-reliability space systems enabled Motiv Space Systems to quickly win NASA contracts. Leadership also includes Chief Technology Officer Eddie Tunstel and Chief Financial Officer Sam Southard. Motiv Space Systems emphasizes combining proven flight-heritage technology with streamlined manufacturing and integration practices to reduce cost and development time.

Motiv Space Systems’ robot-based products center on modular architectures designed for durability, scalability, and rapid customization. The xLink™ Robotic Arm System serves as the company’s flagship offering. This space-rated modular arm can be configured from 1 meter to longer reaches with between 4 and 7 degrees of freedom. It provides dexterous manipulation for on-orbit assembly, satellite servicing, payload deployment, and planetary surface operations. Developed by the same team that created the robotic arm for NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, xLink merges high-reliability design elements with cost-efficient new-space approaches. The system supports flexible integration from individual components to complete arms, with lead times measured in months rather than years. xLink will fly on NASA’s OSAM-2 mission, where it will perform assembly and manufacturing tasks to deploy a large 3D-printed solar array on orbit.

Building directly on the xLink platform, Motiv Space Systems introduced ModuLink, a highly modular space-rated robotic system. ModuLink gives spacecraft operators enhanced capabilities without requiring fully custom designs. The system includes interchangeable robotic arms with dexterous grippers, tool changers, refueling connectors, and advanced sensors such as optical cameras, LIDAR, and infrared units. These elements support a wide range of in-space tasks including retrieving and delivering payloads, repairing or replacing satellite components, refueling, removing space debris, relocating satellites, and conducting on-orbit assembly or manufacturing. ModuLink is engineered for vehicle resiliency, allowing existing or future spacecraft to gain new functionality affordably while maintaining mission readiness.

Motiv Space Systems also designed and built the primary robotic arm for NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover. This seven-foot (2.1-meter), five-degree-of-freedom arm carries critical instruments including the drill, SHERLOC, PIXL, and WATSON cameras. It handles a 45 kg payload in Earth gravity, operates in temperatures as low as -135 °C, and incorporates a custom six-degree-of-freedom force-torque sensor that provides precise contact feedback for sampling operations.

Complementing its arms, Motiv Space Systems produces space-capable motor controllers for brushless and stepper motors. These lightweight, dependable units power a range of robotic systems and simple mechanisms. The company further develops custom mechanisms such as deployables, filter wheels, and focus mechanisms proven in harsh planetary and deep-space conditions.

Motiv Space Systems has contributed hardware to multiple high-profile missions and continues to advance In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) technologies through new NASA awards. By prioritizing modularity, rapid development cycles, and proven reliability at competitive pricing, Motiv Space Systems helps accelerate the deployment of robotic infrastructure across the solar system.