LeoLabs has secured a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research contract from the Department of Air Force’s innovation arm, AFWERX, for the development and testing of a prototype next-generation radar technology.
The company said Thursday it will design, build and test S-band 2-D Direct Radiating Array, which is eyed to advance DAF’s capability to track objects in low Earth orbit and strengthen national security.
“As the number of adversarial satellites in space dramatically increases year over year, we are committed to supporting the U.S. Department of Defense’s efforts to enhance tracking of non-cooperative launches, smaller orbital debris and objects in very low Earth orbit,” emphasized Tony Frazier, CEO of LeoLabs and a six-time Wash100 Award recipient.
The chief executive also remarked on enhancing space architecture resilience and deterrence.
The contract is worth $1.2 million and was awarded through the SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer program.
“LeoLabs is proud to be selected by the U.S. Department of the Air Force to lead the development of critical, next-generation radar technology central to countering security threats in space,” said Frazier.