WASHINGTON — The Air Force Research Laboratory on Oct. 26 announced recent Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, or CRADAs, between the U.S. Space Force and two Indian startups.
The agreements are with artificial intelligence startup 114AI, which builds dual-use software for space domain awareness, and third Itech, an imaging sensor supplier and developer of computer chips, integrated circuits and other semiconductor technologies.
These are the Space Force’s first CRADA with non-U.S. firms.
The businesses will work with AFRL’s Space Vehicles Directorate to advance “innovation in Earth statement sensors and space domain awareness,” AFRL said.
The CRADAs are a part of a Biden administration initiative to advertise joint technology development with India. The U.S. Department of Defense and the Indian Ministry of Defense in June announced the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X), an effort to bring together universities, startups and think tanks to work on emerging technologies.
U.S. defense contractor General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, which manufacturers advanced unmanned aircraft for the Pentagon, last yr announced strategic partnerships with each 114AI and third Itech.
Space domain awareness, Earth statement
“I even have had the pleasure of meeting with many firms and universities while in India and am consistently impressed by the talent of the country’s engineers and scientists, and eagerness to collaborate with our Space Force,” said Merrick Garb, head of the Global Partnerships Directorate on the U.S. Space Force.
He said the agreements with 114AI and third Itech seek to “advance the state-of-the-art in space domain awareness and Earth statement sensor technologies.”
“This CRADA represents a major step forward in our quest to push the collaborative boundaries of space technology,” said Wellesley Pereira, mission area lead for space information mobility at AFRL’s Space Vehicles Directorate.