Melagen Labs’ MLC1 Radiation-Shielding Material Integrated Aboard Blackwing Space’s Baby Bird Mission

The upcoming mission will mark MLC1’s first flight to space and provide operational data ahead of Melagen’s planned International Space Station National Laboratory mission in December 2026.

September 2026 - Melagen Labs’ MLC1 radiation-shielding material has been successfully integrated aboard Blackwing Space’s Baby Bird mission, which is preparing for launch at the end of this month.

Melagen previously delivered a flight sample of a purpose-designed MLC1 shielding component fabricated for Blackwing’s Rook avionics enclosure. Blackwing integrated the component aboard its Sparrow 1U XL nanosatellite and is providing spacecraft integration, flight, mission operations, and in-orbit evaluation services for the demonstration.

Once in low Earth orbit, Blackwing will use existing spacecraft telemetry and diagnostic capabilities to support Melagen’s evaluation of MLC1 in the space environment. The demonstration is intended to provide operational data that will help Melagen better understand the material’s performance in orbit.

Taking MLC1 From Ground Testing to Orbit

Spacecraft electronics operate in a radiation environment that can affect the performance and reliability of commercial electronic components. Melagen developed MLC1, its proprietary hydrogen-based biomaterial polymer composite, as a lightweight and adaptable radiation-shielding material for space applications.

Melagen has conducted terrestrial testing of MLC1 and is now advancing the material through multiple planned in-space demonstrations. Baby Bird will mark MLC1’s first flight to space, giving Melagen an opportunity to move beyond ground-based testing and evaluate its material aboard an operational commercial spacecraft.

The Baby Bird flight comes ahead of Melagen’s planned International Space Station National Laboratory mission in December 2026. Together, these missions are intended to expand Melagen’s operational understanding of MLC1 across different orbital environments and applications.

A Practical Path to In-Orbit Evaluation

Blackwing Space’s nanosatellite platforms and mission services provide companies like Melagen with a practical path to integrate, launch, and evaluate emerging technologies in orbit.

For the Baby Bird mission, Blackwing provided the spacecraft interface and dimensional information needed for Melagen to fabricate the MLC1 component. Blackwing then completed integration aboard its Sparrow 1U XL nanosatellite and will operate the spacecraft and support the in-orbit evaluation following launch.

“We developed MLC1 to help address the radiation challenges facing modern space electronics. Baby Bird represents an important opportunity to fly the material for the first time and begin gathering operational data in low Earth orbit. We are grateful to be working with Blackwing Space to bring MLC1 to orbit and look forward to launching together later this month.”

- Muhammad Hunain, Founder & CEO, Melagen Labs Corp.

“Melagen came to Blackwing with a clear objective: integrate its MLC1 material aboard a commercial spacecraft and evaluate it in orbit. Our team successfully integrated the purpose-designed component aboard Sparrow, and we are looking forward to supporting Melagen through launch and on-orbit operations.”

- Paul Anderson, Founder & CEO, Blackwing Space, Inc.

About Melagen Labs Corp.

Melagen Labs Corp. is developing an end-to-end radiation-shielding platform for next-generation space electronics and orbital infrastructure. Its flagship material, MLC1, is a proprietary hydrogen-based biomaterial polymer composite designed for radiation-shielding applications across satellites, electronics, enclosures, habitats, and other space systems. Melagen is advancing MLC1 through terrestrial testing and a series of planned in-space demonstrations.

About Blackwing Space, Inc.

Blackwing Space builds commercial, American-made nanosatellites that lower the cost and complexity of accessing space. Blackwing Space's affordable, modular platforms accelerate ideas to orbit for commercial, research, and educational missions, supporting a wide range of operational and technology-driven use cases, including Earth observation, communications, edge computing, technology demonstration, and other space-enabled applications in the Space 3.0 economy. 

blackwingspace.com