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U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)

US
gov defenseFounded 1958
United States
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Verified facts grounded in source documentation.

Diffraqtion raised $4.2 million in combined pre-seed funding and a DARPA SBIR Phase 2 contract on January 13, 2026.

NARRATIVE FINANCIAL1/13/2026Diffraqtion Secures $4.2 Million to Deploy Quantum Camera Constellations for SDA

Lockheed Martin won a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop and demonstrate a nuclear-powered spacecraft under the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) project.

ORG RELATIONSHIP7/27/2023Lockheed Martin Wins Contract from DARPA to Develop Nuclear-Powered Spacecraft

Umbra won a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency on 2023-05-22 to demonstrate novel collection techniques using synthetic aperture radar satellites.

ORG RELATIONSHIP5/22/2023DARPA selects Umbra to demonstrate radar imaging techniques

DARPA plans to launch four Blackjack satellites later 2023 built on Blue Canyon buses and equipped with SEAKR radio-frequency communications payloads.

NARRATIVE GROWTH4/27/2023Raytheon rethinks strategy to compete in military satellite market

Electron has been providing access to orbit since 2018 and has successfully deployed satellites for NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office, DARPA, and the U.S. Space Force.

TECHNICAL PRODUCT4/17/2023Rocket Lab Introduces Suborbital Testbed Rocket, Selected for Hypersonic Test Flights

DARPA selected teams from academia and from large and small commercial companies for Phase 1 of Space-BACN, including multiple performers receiving Department of Defense contracts for the first time.

NARRATIVE GENERAL8/11/2022DARPA initiates LEO Satellite ‘Translator’ development program

DARPA plans to launch the DRACO nuclear thermal propulsion demonstration in 2025.

NARRATIVE GROWTH5/17/2022DIU selects nuclear-powered spacecraft designs for 2027 demonstrations

Mynaric was selected on 2021-12-20 to participate in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Space-BACN program to develop next-generation laser communications terminals to connect government and commercial satellites.

NARRATIVE PLAN12/20/2021Mynaric selected by DARPA to design next-generation optical terminals

DARPA plans to launch as many as 12 Blackjack satellites in 2022.

NARRATIVE GROWTH12/16/2021Interoperability demo planned between DARPA’s Blackjack and PredaSAR satellites

DARPA plans to launch as many as 12 Blackjack satellites in 2022 that will carry a mix of payloads for communications, targeting, missile warning, and navigation.

NARRATIVE GROWTH12/11/2021Parsons to develop ground operations center for DARPA’s Blackjack satellites

DARPA plans to launch 12 Blackjack satellites next year on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare.

NARRATIVE GROWTH9/7/2021DARPA awards Lockheed Martin $25 million contract modification for integration of Blackjack satellites

DARPA plans to deploy as many as 20 satellites under the Blackjack program.

NARRATIVE GROWTH5/30/2021DoD agencies to invest more than $1 billion in low-Earth orbit space technologies

DARPA plans to launch an on-orbit technology demonstration of the Pit Boss system in 2021.

NARRATIVE GROWTH3/15/2021Colorado based SEAKR wins $60 million DARPA contract to demonstrate autonomous satellite operations

DARPA plans to launch an on-orbit technology demonstration of Pit Boss in 2021.

NARRATIVE GROWTH3/12/2021SEAKR wins $60 million DARPA contract to demonstrate autonomous satellite operations

DARPA plans to deploy up to 20 spacecraft in low-Earth orbit connected by optical inter-satellite links to provide communications, missile tracking, and navigation services.

NARRATIVE GROWTH12/14/2020DARPA okays Blue Canyon’s satellites for Blackjack program

DARPA plans to deploy 20 spacecraft connected by optical inter-satellite links to demonstrate military uses of a low-Earth orbit network for communications, missile tracking, and navigation.

NARRATIVE GROWTH10/14/2020Telesat wins DARPA contract to manufacture satellite buses for Blackjack program

DARPA plans to launch as many as 20 small satellites for the Blackjack program to demonstrate a mesh network in low Earth orbit that can meet military requirements at lower cost and shorter design cycles than traditional Pentagon programs.

NARRATIVE GROWTH9/15/2020Blue Canyon selects Orbion electric thrusters for DARPA’s Blackjack satellites

DARPA plans to launch the first two Blackjack satellites in late 2020 and 18 more by 2022.

NARRATIVE GROWTH6/10/2020DARPA awards Blackjack contracts to Blue Canyon, SA Photonics

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency plans to launch the first experimental satellites of the Blackjack program in late 2020 and early 2021.

NARRATIVE GROWTH5/11/2020DARPA to begin launching Blackjack satellites in late 2020

Astra is the sole remaining team in the DARPA Launch Challenge and can win $2,000,000 for placing a DARPA-supplied payload into space on the first launch.

NARRATIVE GENERAL2/8/2020Astra unveils plans for frequent, low-cost launches
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