SAN FRANCISCO – Six startups based in 4 countries are joining the 2023 Hyperspace Challenge, an accelerator run by the Air Force Research Laboratory and CNM Ingenuity with support from the U.S. Space Force Space Rapid Capabilities Office.
The 2023 Hyperspace Challenge cohort includes U.S. firms Lexset.ai, Phase 4 and TRL11, plus Australia’s High Earth Orbit Robotics, England-based Magdrive and Dawn Aerospace of the Netherlands.
“While we were intentional about opening this yr’s Hyperspace Challenge to international firms, we didn’t quite know what to anticipate,” Matthew Fetrow, Space RCO communications manager, told . “Having three firms from outside the U.S. goes so as to add a richness of diversity to the conversation. A lot great tech happens outside the U.S. We wish to tap into that.”
Autonomy, Maneuverability, Situational Awareness
The 2023 Hyperspace Challenge focuses on technologies to enhance spacecraft resiliency, including autonomy, maneuverability and situational awareness. Three of the participating firms, Dawn, Magdrive and Hawthorne, California-based Phase 4, supply propulsion systems for small satellites. Dawn also sells bolt-on satellite collision avoidance kits.
Along with the propulsion firms, the 2023 Hyperspace Challenge includes:
- High Earth Orbit Robotics, an Australian camera system specialist;
- Lexset.ai, an artificial data company based in Brooklyn, Latest York; and
- TRL11 of Irvine, Calif., a firm focused on image processing technology.
“Hyperspace Challenge astutely recognizes that the longer term of a sustainability space ecosystem requires more collaborative pondering and innovation,” Gabe Mounce, director of the AFRL Tech Engagement Office in Latest Mexico, said in an announcement. “We’re committed to finding ways for presidency and enterprise to interrupt down silos and work together. Cohorts like this yr’s program, foster a creative mindset and model a united approach that’s more proficient at delivering a rapid response to the real-world needs of the growing space economy.”
Tangible Steps
Through the Hyperspace Challenge, firms will gain insight into the forms of services government space agencies need. On the conclusion of the six-week program, participating firms should “walk away some tangible next steps towards working with the federal government,” said Kelly Stafford, Hyperspace Challenge senior program manager. “How do they get to the following level and the way will we get them to deployment ultimately?”
On the federal government side, “our ultimate goal is to have a way forward where the Space Force could benefit from the services or products that these firms have,” Fetrow said. “We now have to know concerning the services, and understand how they fit into our needs inside the federal government.”
During a series of virtual meetings in October and on-site meetings in Albuquerque, Latest Mexico in early November, participating firms also will find out about federal rules and regulations, which vary for U.S. and foreign firms.
For international firms, “there are different rules, however the Space Force generally is committed to working through those things,” Fetrow said. “I prefer to joke, ‘We do paperwork on a regular basis. We would as well do a little bit bit more to work with the best partners, even in the event that they’re not within the U.S.’”