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.
Astra filed a request for special temporary authority with the FCC on 2020-01-06 seeking permission for S-band telemetry for a launch from Wallops during a six-month period starting 2020-03-01 in support of the DARPA challenge.
Astra plans its first orbital launch later 2020-02 as part of a DARPA Challenge to develop small, mobile launch services.
The DARPA Launch Challenge offered a top prize of $10,000,000 to the company able to perform two launches of a small launch vehicle from two different sites on short notice.
All three companies—Boeing, Masten Space Systems, and Northrop Grumman—received Phase 1 study contracts from DARPA in 2014.
DARPA selected three finalists for the Launch Challenge—Vector, Virgin Orbit, and a stealth company—for launches then scheduled for early 2020.
DARPA announced the XS-1 program in 2013 to support development of responsive, reusable launch vehicles.
DARPA selected Boeing in May 2017 for Phases 2 and 3 of the program originally called XS-1.
Virgin Orbit withdrew from the DARPA Launch Challenge in October to focus on upcoming launches for government and commercial customers and expects to perform a first LauncherOne launch early 2020.
DARPA ended plans to perform an ALASA flight demonstration in November 2015 after discovering that the NA-7 propellant was too volatile to be safely handled.
DARPA valued the award for Phases 2 and 3 at $146,000,000 with unspecified funding contributions by Boeing.
DARPA’s Airborne Launch Assist Space Access (ALASA) sought to develop a small rocket that could be launched from a fighter with 24 hours’ notice and for no more than $1,000,000.
AirLaunch LLC proposed a small launch vehicle to be deployed from a C-17 cargo aircraft and conducted a drop test to demonstrate feasibility, but DARPA elected to focus the FALCON program on a hypersonic testbed.
Steven Walker resigned from DARPA on 2019-12-17 and his last day at DARPA is 2020-01-10.
DARPA requested $25,000,000 for Blackjack for fiscal year 2020.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) started the Blackjack program in 2018 through its Tactical Technology Office as an architecture demonstration to test the military utility of low Earth orbit constellations and mesh networks of low-cost satellites.
DARPA expected to make the final selection of satellite buses for Blackjack in 2020.
DARPA selected 15 vendors to supply satellite buses, payloads, and Pit Boss avionics and computing nodes for the Blackjack program.
DARPA planned hardware readiness in late 2020 to decide which payloads would fly on Blackjack satellites.
DARPA set a stated goal for Blackjack to deploy 20 satellites by 2022 to demonstrate that low Earth orbit systems can be a more resilient and affordable alternative to geosynchronous military satellites.
The House Armed Services Committee recommended a $20,000,000 increase above DARPA's $25,000,000 Blackjack request for 2020.