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.
DARPA selected SEAKR Engineering in 2019 to develop the artificial brain of the Blackjack satellite network.
DARPA awarded SEAKR Engineering a $60,400,000 contract on 2021-03-12 to develop a data processing system for satellites to operate autonomously.
The new DARPA contract with SEAKR Engineering is for work to be completed by March 2022.
DARPA selected SEAKR Engineering in 2019 to develop the artificial brain of the Blackjack satellite network.
DARPA plans to launch an on-orbit technology demonstration of Pit Boss in 2021.
DARPA began the Blackjack program in 2018 to demonstrate the use of small satellites in low Earth orbit to provide communications, missile warning, and navigation services.
DARPA has ordered 10 satellite buses for Blackjack from Blue Canyon Technologies.
The commercially augmented space inter-networked operations program, CASINO, run by Lt. Col. Tim Trimailo, was created to support DARPA’s Blackjack program.
David Whelan previously worked at Boeing and DARPA before serving as chief scientist of Cubic Corporation.
The Space Development Agency is working with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency on optical inter-satellite link technology and has issued solicitations seeking information from companies on the state of the technology.
DARPA exercised an option to buy six additional satellites in addition to four the agency ordered in June under a $14,100,000 contract.
Blue Canyon Technologies received a contract option worth $26,500,000 to produce six satellites for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
Blue Canyon is developing a custom bus design for DARPA based on its 150-kilogram X-SAT commercial bus.
DARPA plans to start deploying a Blackjack constellation by late 2022.
DARPA and the Space Development Agency are building mesh networks in low-Earth orbit and have interest in optical inter-satellite link capabilities.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency launched a project called Novel Orbital and Moon Manufacturing, Materials and Mass-efficient Design on 2021-02-05.
DARPA seeks system designs that are so mass-efficient they can only be built off Earth and that include features enabling them to withstand maneuvers, eclipses, damage, and thermal cycles typical of space and lunar environments.
In 2010 Orbit Logic designed, developed, and tested a mobile handheld app to task the GeoEye-1 commercial high-resolution imaging satellite under a Phase I DARPA SBIR award.
Tiger Innovations won a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in 2019 for a spacecraft identification device that combines satellite beacons with automated ground data collection and round-the-clock space situational awareness.
Honeywell has worked with DARPA over the past few years under the Precise Robust Inertial Guidance for Munitions: Thermally Stabilized Inertial Guidance for Munitions (PRIGM TIGM) program to develop navigation-grade IMU technology.