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Troy Morris is the co-founder and CEO of KMI Space, a Michigan company developing external mobility for spacecraft. KMI calls the model Relocation as a Service (RaaS): servicing vehicles would rendezvous with satellites and other orbital objects to move them, extend their working lives, support end-of-life operations or remove debris. Morris summarizes the idea more vividly: “We are building tow trucks for space.”
Who is Troy Morris?
Morris co-founded KMI Space in 2019 with Austin Morris and Adam Kall. He initially served as the company’s director of operations and became chief executive officer in 2023. Before KMI, he spent more than four years at Snap-on Tools in customer service, product sales and business-development roles.
Morris says the founders reconnected after their early careers and asked what infrastructure would be needed as reusable launch systems made access to orbit more common. Their discussions repeatedly returned to the difficulty of moving safely around objects already in orbit. The idea evolved from a narrowly debris-focused concept into a broader mobility and logistics business.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsHis analogy is deliberately practical. A terrestrial tow truck does not need to rebuild a disabled car; it provides the external force needed to move it. KMI’s spacecraft would perform a comparable function in orbit, where every rendezvous, approach and attachment must account for objects travelling at orbital velocity. In an MSU interview, Morris described orbital objects as continuing at roughly 17,500 miles per hour as a minimum speed once in orbit; that figure is his interview explanation, not an independently measured KMI performance result.
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What KMI Space is developing
KMI’s core proposition is Relocation as a Service. Instead of requiring every satellite to carry all the propulsion, robotic equipment and reserve capability it might need over its entire mission, an external servicing vehicle could provide mobility when required.
| Potential service | What it would do |
|---|---|
| Relocation | Move a satellite that can no longer maneuver effectively or place it in a different orbit. |
| Life extension | Keep a productive spacecraft operating by repositioning or supporting it rather than abandoning it. |
| Servicing | Provide an external platform for maintenance or other support missions. |
| Redeployment | Change the orbit of an imaging satellite or assign it to a new mission location. |
| End-of-life operations | Control the disposal or removal of spacecraft at the end of useful service. |
| Active debris removal | Capture and remove abandoned objects before they become larger collision hazards. |
Morris identifies operators with still-working satellites that need relocation or servicing as the strongest near-term commercial opportunity. Debris removal and end-of-life work remain part of the company’s stated scope, but KMI’s business case begins with preserving value in functioning spacecraft.
REACCH: capturing satellites without docking fixtures
Many satellites were not designed with a standard docking or servicing interface. KMI’s REACCH system is intended for that harder class of target. It combines mechanically articulated, adaptive capture hardware with gecko-inspired adhesion so that a servicing vehicle can attach to objects that were not prepared for a conventional connection.
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KMI contrasts this approach with very large and complex robotic systems. The company’s stated scaling goals are lower mass, power demand, cost and overall complexity while retaining the ability to handle irregular or unprepared surfaces.
What the ISS demonstration showed
In six International Space Station testing sessions, KMI reports that REACCH completed 172 capture cycles. The system also spent more than 200 days in orbit, according to Morris’s 2026 interview account. Repeated microgravity operation exposed edge cases that would be difficult to reproduce on the ground and gave the team real-world data to compare with simulations.
The demonstration is evidence of repeated capture testing in the ISS environment. It is not, by itself, a claim that commercial satellites have already been serviced or that a full debris-removal mission has flown.
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Laelaps and the planned servicing architecture
KMI’s first-party description of its STRATFI-supported Laelaps mission says the spacecraft is intended to “rendezvous, retrieve, and relocate multiple satellites in orbit.” Laelaps is therefore framed as a reusable servicing platform rather than a one-target demonstration.
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How automation fits the missions
Morris generally uses the word automation rather than presenting every mission-critical function as artificial intelligence. Software can assist with rendezvous, navigation, trajectory planning and autonomous operations, but those functions must remain predictable and controllable during close approaches.
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KMI used machine-learning systems to train algorithms before the ISS demonstration. Data from real microgravity operations can then be compared with predicted behavior, helping engineers identify where simulations and physical operation differ. The company’s description concerns development and validation; it does not claim that a fully autonomous commercial servicing mission is already operating.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why orbital mobility matters for safety and defense
External mobility has implications beyond commercial satellite economics. Discussions associated with KMI include adversarial spacecraft maneuvering, liability after satellite failures and the danger that one collision could create debris capable of triggering further collisions. A vehicle able to approach, move or remove an object could become part of a broader orbital-infrastructure and national-security strategy.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallThat capability also demands careful authorization and mission planning. Moving another operator’s spacecraft, attaching to an unprepared object or conducting controlled removal involves technical, legal and safety responsibilities that are separate from simply demonstrating a capture mechanism.
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What makes KMI’s approach distinctive
| Evaluation question | KMI’s stated position |
|---|---|
| Can it handle an unprepared object? | REACCH is designed to capture targets without a purpose-built docking or servicing interface. |
| Has the capture concept operated in microgravity? | KMI reports 172 capture cycles across six ISS sessions and more than 200 days in orbit. |
| What is the scaling objective? | Use adaptive mechanics and gecko-inspired adhesion to reduce mass, power, cost and complexity relative to very large robotic systems. |
| What missions are envisioned? | Life extension, relocation, servicing, redeployment, end-of-life operations and active debris removal. |
These are development claims and reported demonstrations, not proof that every listed service is commercially available. KMI has not publicly established a service price, a named customer contract or a launch date for Laelaps in the material available for this profile.
The central idea in Morris’s own words
Morris says, “We’re not trying to perform eye surgery in space. We’re building a forklift or a tow truck.” The comparison captures KMI’s intended position: provide practical external force and handling capability, then make orbital assets more flexible instead of designing every satellite to carry every possible capability for its whole life.
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