SPACEWERX Phase II Contract Awarded to ThinkOrbital
Will Continue Development of Penetrating X-ray Inspection Capability of Spacecraft
An SBIR Phase II contract in the amount of $973,957 has been awarded by SpaceWERX to ThinkOrbital focused on Penetrating X-ray Inspection of Spacecraft. The process is designed to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).
“This commitment by SpaceWERX to ThinkOrbital’s X-ray capability signifies the strategic importance of this technology."
Lee Rosen, Think Orbital
The Air Force Research Laboratory and SpaceWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force and a unique division within AFWERX, have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution.
“This commitment by SpaceWERX to ThinkOrbital’s X-ray capability signifies the strategic importance of this technology. We plan to accelerate the development of this X-ray inspection technology to put this critical capability into the hands of the warfighter. The ability to “see” inside a spacecraft represents the missing piece of the Space Domain Awareness infrastructure and contributes to maintaining the U.S. and partner advantage in space,” said Col (ret) Lee Rosen, Co-Founder and CEO of ThinkOrbital
The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now on October 10, 2024, ThinkOrbital will start its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the U.S. national defense.