DARPA VLEO Demonstration Contract Awarded to Redwire
OTTER Program will Leverage Company's SabreSat Design
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded a contract to Redwire to be the prime mission integrator for the development of a revolutionary air-breathing satellite that will demonstrate the use of novel electric propulsion systems in very low-Earth orbit (VLEO) using Redwire’s SabreSat VLEO platform. The program leverages Redwire’s worldwide leadership in developing and providing VLEO capabilities.
“As VLEO emerges as a critical domain for national security missions, Redwire is continuing to make investments to support technology innovation and strategic operations in this environment.”
Spence Wise, Redwire
The strategic significance of VLEO is growing – especially for national security missions. While low-Earth (LEO) and geosynchronous (GEO) orbits are becoming increasingly congested and contested, spacecraft in VLEO operate in a relatively unimpaired environment. Bridging the gap between air and space, VLEO spacecraft fly above airborne anti-access areas while operating significantly closer to the area of responsibility on the ground than existing satellites. Additionally, unlike LEO and GEO, debris in VLEO deorbits in hours or days rather than in decades or more.
“As VLEO emerges as a critical domain for national security missions, Redwire is continuing to make investments to support technology innovation and strategic operations in this environment,” said Spence Wise, Redwire Senior Vice President, Missions and Platforms.
As the prime contractor and mission systems enabler for DARPA’s Otter program, Redwire will be responsible for building the SabreSat bus, advancing the critical technologies necessary for the mission, and integrating, coordinating, and leading the team for the project. To support mission planning and execution for the program, Redwire is using proprietary digital engineering tools that are configured for the unique environment of VLEO. This includes Redwire’s Digitally Engineered Mission Systems & Integration (DEMSI) platform and processes, which utilizes high-fidelity physics and thermosphere models that account for space weather to model atmospheric drag and material degradation caused by atomic oxygen.
Redwire’s highly flexible SabreSat “orbital drone” is modular in size, accommodating a variety of mission applications, including high-resolution intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR); resilient communications; navigation; and Earth science payloads. Designed for performance, endurance and cost-effectiveness, SabreSat is intended to seed the market for VLEO capabilities.