Albedo, soon to be the first commercial company to operate in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO), has been selected for a Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) opportunity by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), with potential funding of up to $12 million. The contract will provide AFRL with Albedo's unique dataset on how U.S. Government space capabilities can operate effectively in VLEO, an orbital regime that offers significant advantages but remains largely untapped.

The STRATFI agreement builds on Albedo's pioneering work in VLEO following the successful launch of its first satellite, Clarity-1, in March 2025. Clarity-1 will collect 10 cm resolution visible imagery and 2-meter thermal infrared imagery, which is currently only possible using planes and drones. Under the contract, Albedo will share VLEO-specific, on-orbit data and provide analysis to support the development of new missions and payloads beyond its optical sensors.

This partnership represents a significant step in advancing the national space architecture through commercial innovation. VLEO offers several advantages, including superior image resolution, reduced power requirements, natural debris removal through atmospheric drag, and enhanced space domain awareness.

“VLEO represents a fundamental paradigm shift in space architecture, breaking the traditional tradeoff between exquisite capability and proliferated architectures," said Topher Haddad, CEO of Albedo. "As counter space threats grow and LEO becomes increasingly congested, Albedo's VLEO approach delivers the optimal economics for exquisite capabilities – high performance at costs that enable constellation resilience. We're honored to pioneer this untapped orbital regime and help establish U.S. dominance in this strategic domain.”

The data sharing portion of the contract will encompass various operational data, including how GNSS telemetry is refined into precision orbit determination data in a dynamic environment, comparisons between expected and actual orbit maintenance performance, and comprehensive information for estimating satellite drag and atmospheric density. Albedo inherently collects atomic oxygen sensor readings and performance metrics for its imaging capabilities, including image quality samples, pointing performance, and agility measurements which it will share with AFRL under this contract.

Central to Albedo's success in VLEO is its Precision bus, a highly agile, highly stable foundation designed specifically to overcome the challenges of operating in this demanding orbital regime. Unlike traditional satellite designs, Albedo's approach combines power, performance, and precision engineering to maintain orbit despite high drag and atomic oxygen exposure. The platform features autonomous protective modes for solar events, efficient electric propulsion, advanced GNC sensors and actuators, and a modular interface that can accommodate various high-performance payloads beyond optical sensors.

The STRATFI program provides a streamlined process for funding promising space technologies by matching government and private investment. This award further validates Albedo's technological approach and business model, which delivers unprecedented 10 cm imagery from space while pioneering operations in a challenging orbital regime. Albedo will begin sharing data with the U.S. Space Force immediately, with ongoing analysis and recommendations to follow throughout the contract period.

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