Jane Edwards
The Space Development Agency has asked industry to submit executive summaries, proposal abstracts and full proposals for architecture concepts, technologies and systems that could lead to the development of new capability layers for the planned National Defense Space Architecture meant to address other emerging warfighting needs.
A broad agency announcement posted Monday on beta SAM website says SDA plans to make multiple awards depending on the quality of proposals and availability of funds.
The agency categorized technology requirements for the NDSA Systems, Technologies and Emerging Capabilities BAA into three focus areas: real-time global awareness and connectivity; comprehensive space-based sensing; and omniscient command, control and execution.
Under the first focus area, SDA is interested in optical intersatellite links, low-power antenna technologies that enable tactical data link connectivity with multiple users, flexible software-defined radios and capabilities that enable position, navigation and timing in GPS-denied environments.
For comprehensive space-based sensing, the agency is seeking wide field of view overhead persistent infrared sensors, automatic target recognition, OPIR missile warning and tracking architectures and space-based sensors in complementary missions.
SDA also asked industry to provide information on cyber defense of space data networks, open interfaces and standards and software frameworks that could enable on-orbit reprogramming for the third capability vector.
Responses to the BAA are due Jan. 24, 2022.
