SpaceWERX, which essentially serves as a venture fund for the U.S. Space Force, has awarded contracts worth as much as $1.7 million each to 18 companies — including three startups headquartered in the Seattle area.
The Washington state awardees are Marysville-based Gravitics, which is working on next-generation space station modules; Bothell-based Portal Space Systems, which is focusing on systems for in-space mobility and orbital debris removal; and Tukwila-based Starfish Space, which is developing spacecraft and software for on-orbit satellite servicing.
The awards were made through the 2023 SpaceWERX Tactically Responsive Space Challenge, conducted in partnership with Space Safari. The challenge is meant to support cutting-edge concepts that could enable the Space Force to respond more rapidly and flexibly to emerging on-orbit threats by 2026.
In a LinkedIn posting, SpaceWERX said 302 proposals were submitted in response to a solicitation issued in August. The winners will be fast-tracked into Small Business Innovation Research Phase II contracts, each of which calls for up to $1.7 million to be paid out over the course of a 15-month period of performance.
“The TacRS Challenge SBIR Direct to Phase II contracts are going to propel the U.S. Space Force toward future responsive and dynamic space operations,” said Col. Erik Stockham, director of Space Warfighting Acquisition Delta at the Space Force’s Space Systems Command. “The future of space power requires capabilities that can respond to adversary action on tactical timelines. These innovative small businesses are developing groundbreaking approaches to employ space capabilities when and where it counts.”
Here’s a list of the 15 other companies receiving SpaceWERX awards:
- Agile Space Industries
- Apex Technology
- Argo Space Corp.
- Circle Optics
- Impulse Space (two awards)
- K2 Space Corp.
- Map Large
- PickNik
- SCOUT Inc.
- Space Rig Systems
- Ten One Aerospace
- True Anomaly
- Turion Space Corp.
- Varda Space Industries
- Xtenti
