The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is a research and development agency within the U.S. Department of Defense, responsible for creating breakthrough technologies for national security. While not a space agency, DARPA initiates and manages high-risk, high-payoff projects relevant to space, including satellite constellations, space-based surveillance tech, lunar habitats, and advanced propulsion systems like nuclear thermal rockets. DARPA partners with various organizations, including NASA, U.S. Space Force, Lockheed Martin, SpaceX, and BAE Systems, to achieve its goals. Keywords associated with DARPA's space activities include space superiority, space-based weaponry, advanced materials, and autonomous systems.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded Northrop Grumman a $13,300,000 contract to provide positioning, navigation and timing payloads for the Blackjack program.
Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) was awarded a $5,800,000 contract by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to define and manage the interfaces of satellite integration with the Blackjack program.
DARPA has ordered 10 spacecraft buses from Blue Canyon Technologies.
DARPA awarded SEAKR Engineering a $60,400,000 contract to develop the Pit Boss data processing system for autonomous satellite operations.
DARPA increased Lockheed Martin’s contract for satellite integration work for the Blackjack program by $27,300,000 on 2021-04-22.
DARPA awarded General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems a contract to support the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program.
DARPA awarded Lockheed Martin a $2,900,000 contract under the DRACO program.
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded Northrop Grumman a contract last year to develop a separate mission robotic vehicle called the MRV.
DARPA awarded Blue Origin a $2,500,000 contract under the DRACO program.
On 2021-04-12, DARPA selected Blue Origin and Lockheed Martin to develop competing spacecraft concepts for a demonstration of nuclear thermal propulsion under the DRACO program.
DARPA awarded General Atomics a $22,000,000 contract to develop the nuclear reactor for the DRACO program.
DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office issued a broad agency announcement soliciting proposals for the DRACO program in May 2020.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded a $22,000,000 contract to General Atomics to design a small nuclear reactor for space propulsion on 2021-04-09.
DARPA intends for the DRACO program to develop nuclear thermal propulsion technology that can achieve thrust-to-weights similar to chemical propulsion while providing two to five times the efficiency.
The U.S. Army is partnering with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and other agencies to build sensors that detect COVID-19 proteins in the air.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded SEAKR Engineering a $60,400,000 contract on 2021-03-12 to develop a data processing system for satellites to operate autonomously.
DARPA plans to launch an on-orbit technology demonstration of the Pit Boss system in 2021.
DARPA began the Blackjack program in 2018 to demonstrate the use of small satellites in low Earth orbit to provide services including communications, missile warning, and navigation.
Stefanie Tompkins assumed the top post at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency on 2021-03-15.
DARPA has ordered 10 satellite buses so far from Blue Canyon Technologies for the Blackjack program.