Jan 14 (Reuters) - Loft Orbital has raised $170 million

in a late-stage funding round with investors such as Temasek,

Tikehau Capital and Axial Partners, the space technology company

said as it looks to expand its fleet of satellites in orbit.

San Francisco-based Loft acquires satellite buses,

integrates customer payloads, manages satellites in orbit, and

offers 'virtual missions' for clients to access satellite

capabilities without owning or operating their own spacecraft.

This marks the largest fundraise by a space startup since

Firefly Aerospace's $175 million round in November, which was

the largest deal in the fourth quarter, valuing the Texas-based

rocket maker at over $2 billion.

Its services offer customers a quick, hassle-free, and

cost-effective path to sending a satellite to orbit or operating

on an existing satellite.

In 2025, the company plans to deploy several satellite

constellations for Earth observation firm EarthDaily and the

U.S. Space Development Agency.

Loft Orbital did not disclose its valuation but said that

the company achieved more than $500 million in bookings on $160

million raised before the Series C round.

The company raised $130 million in a Series B round in 2021

and later sold over 30 satellites to customers such as NASA,

Microsoft ( MSFT ), and the U.S. Space Force.