Rogue Space Systems, an NH-based in-space services company, announced it has been selected by AFWERX for two STTR contracts through its Orbital Prime program. These contracts support the continued development of Rogue innovations that address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).
Rogue designs satellite vehicles and subsystems to provide on-orbit services to satellite operators. To deliver these contracts, Rogue has partnered with The University of Utah and the University of Illinois. With the first Phase II STTR award, working with University of Illinois, Rogue plans to develop a functional, multi-purpose CubeSat dispenser system prototype that will solve the problem of frame style/dispenser system incompatibilities.
“Rogue is always seeking innovation in areas where the market falls short in delivering what the industry needs. For example, early in our Orbot design process, we had to adjust our design to fit with different types of deployment systems depending on the launch provider. Rogue seeks to resolve that with a more universal design.” – Michael Pica, Chief Innovation Officer, Rogue Space Systems. “This technology will expand launch opportunities for all CubeSat launch providers and developers. This will help with keeping up with the growing demand of ground to space operations,” says Pica.
The second Phase II award is for the development of technology for contactless manipulation of resident space objects (RSOs). Speaking of this ability, Jon Beam, Rogue’s Chief Operating Officer, offered, “Contactless detumbling will enable safe in-space servicing of all types. The ability to arrest angular momentum of client vehicles and debris makes servicing and debris mediation possible.” Continuing the Phase I effort, Rogue is developing an Orbot system that integrates the University of Utah’s patented Omnimagnet to de-tumble, capture, or otherwise manipulate these RSOs. “This is one of the most interesting technologies that we have under development. It inspires people’s imagination to the possibilities whenever we describe what it is and how it works. From a practical standpoint, being able to de-tumble an RSO remotely is a critical prerequisite to performing docking, transport, or repair operations; but the further reaching implications feels like we’re turning science-fiction into reality,” adds Pica.
The Air Force Research Laboratory and 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.
The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now with these July 2023 Phase II awards, Rogue Space Systems continues its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.
Click here to learn more about Rogue’s Orbital Robots.
Click here to view Satellite Deployers from various manufacturers listed on SATNow.
