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 awarded Raytheon a $37,400,000 contract on 2020-06-12 for space-based early warning sensors for the Blackjack program.
DARPA awarded other Blackjack contracts earlier the same week as it prepares to start launching Blackjack satellites later that year or in early 2021.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded SA Photonics a $16,300,000 contract for Blackjack payloads on 2020-06-09.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded Blue Canyon Technologies a $14,100,000 contract for satellite buses for the Blackjack program on 2020-06-10.
DARPA plans to launch the first two Blackjack satellites in late 2020 and 18 more by 2022.
DARPA’s goal at the completion of the Blackjack program in 2022 is to demonstrate that an optically meshed network in LEO can provide global secure communications to the U.S. military.
The Space Development Agency and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency will test optical communications terminals that use lasers to beam data across space.
DARPA’s Blackjack program plans to launch a pair of small satellites next year that will carry optical inter-satellite links made by SA Photonics.
LGS Innovations received a 2016 DARPA contract to develop two small laser communication terminals for use as inter-satellite links and has delivered those terminals.
DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office started the Blackjack program in 2018 to demonstrate the military utility of low Earth orbit constellations and mesh networks of low-cost satellites.
DARPA planned to make a final selection of Blackjack satellite buses in 2020.
Rocket Lab launched the Radio Frequency Risk Reduction Deployment Demonstration (R3D2) satellite for DARPA in 2019.
Astra failed its attempt to win the $2,000,000 DARPA Launch Challenge at the Pacific Spaceport Complex at Kodiak Island, Alaska earlier 2020.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency plans to launch the first experimental satellites of the Blackjack program in late 2020 and early 2021.
The National Reconnaissance Office's commercial imagery program, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Blackjack program, and the Space Development Agency's planned constellations in low Earth orbit are cited as lucrative opportunities for space startups in the national security market.
DARPA seeks to demonstrate key technologies with Blackjack for a global high-speed network in LEO that the Department of Defense can use for broadband communication and adapt for missile defense or navigation.
DARPA awarded Lockheed Martin a $5,800,000 contract for satellite integration work for the Blackjack program on 2020-04-24.
The 2020-03-02 launch attempt was part of the now-completed DARPA Launch Challenge.
The planned follow-up launch after the 2020-03-02 scrub would allow Astra to replace the DARPA-supplied payload with one from an unidentified customer.
Maxar Technologies was selected to build a servicer for the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency but relinquished the program in early 2019.