The U.S. Air Force (USAF) plays a significant role in the space industry, historically serving as the Department of Defense's executive agent for space, and developing early military space programs and launch vehicles. Although the U.S. Space Force was established as an independent branch in 2019, the Air Force continues to contribute to space operations, including training personnel, research and development, and maintaining partnerships. The USAF's space-related activities encompass satellite operations, missile warning, communication support, and collaboration with allies to ensure regional stability. Key partners include the U.S. Space Force, other branches of the military, and international allies.
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The Air Force invited eight firms—Analytical Space, Arete Associates, Lucid Circuit, Numerica, Omitron, Roccor, Space Micro, and Synaptech—to apply to increase their SBIR phase two awards from $750,000 to $3,000,000.
The Air Force is likely to continue awarding SBIR phase two funding through pitch days because pitch days introduce Air Force officers responsible for fielding technology to the companies developing it.
The U.S. Air Force plans to request a $9,000,000,000 funding increase over the next five years for defensive and offensive space capabilities.
The U.S. Air Force awarded $22,500,000 in Small Business Innovation Research funding to 30 companies attending the first Air Force Space Pitch Day.
The Air Force updated its offer to startups to compete for a total of $1,500,000 or $3,000,000 in SBIR Phase II funding.
The U.S. Air Force awarded a total of $9,000,000 to 12 companies on the first Air Force Space Pitch Day in San Francisco on 2019-11-05.
Space Micro will offer the U.S. Air Force an engineering model of a satellite laser communications terminal developed for the commercial geostationary communications satellite market.
Optivolt Labs received $750,000 to provide a deployable solar power system for U.S. Air Force space communications.
Each of the 12 companies at the Air Force Space Pitch Day received a $750,000 check and signed a contract on the spot.
The Air Force plans to install a Starlink terminal on an AC-130 gunship aircraft for testing the service in the near term.
The Air Force Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation office had a $216,000,000 budget in fiscal year 2019.
On 2019-11-06 the companies were scheduled to present their plans publicly and the U.S. Air Force was prepared to announce additional contracts.
The Western Range supports launch activities at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Under the Space C2 program, the Air Force is developing software applications used by military commanders and analysts to monitor and understand activity in space.
Space C2 delivers new software applications every few months to commanders and analysts at military space command centers at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
The Air Force is working with the Pentagon to address concerns raised by the GAO about the Space C2 program.
The Government Accountability Office gave low marks to the Air Force’s Space Command and Control program in a report released on 2019-10-30.
The Air Force is targeting Pitch Day awards to companies that have developed new types of infrared sensors or synthetic aperture radar that have not yet been commercialized.
The undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment directed the Air Force in a May 2019 memo to provide an acquisition strategy for Space C2 by November 2019.
Investing in early-stage U.S. startups via initiatives like Pitch Day is intended to grow the Air Force’s supplier base and develop a dual-use industry base outside the traditional defense sector.