Program delivers capabilities to operators for immediate mission benefit in addressing key future challenges in space defense

Sierra Space, a leading commercial space company and defense tech prime that is Building a Platform in Space to Benefit Life on Earth®, has been selected to participate in the U.S. Space Systems Command’s Space Domain Awareness (SDA) Tools Applications and Processing (TAP) Lab Apollo Accelerator Cohort 4. Sierra Space will be working on AI and Machine Learning capabilities to proactively detect potentially dangerous events that could threaten friendly satellites in orbit.

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Sierra Space has been selected to participate in the U.S. Space Systems Command’s Space Domain Awareness (SDA) Tools Applications and Processing (TAP) Lab Apollo Accelerator Cohort 4. Sierra Space will be working on AI and Machine Learning capabilities to proactively detect potentially dangerous events that could threaten friendly satellites in orbit. (Graphic: Sierra Space)

The accelerator program is dedicated to enhancing space domain awareness and advancing space defense capabilities. It provides a vital platform for collaborating with industry experts, defense agencies and technology partners with the goal of improving the safety and security of space operations.

By joining Cohort 4, Sierra Space will work in parallel with other forward-thinking companies to address the key challenges in space defense. Throughout the program, Sierra Space will develop new Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning capabilities, ensuring that our country remains at the forefront of space domain awareness and defense innovation. Sierra Space shares the SDA’s commitment to safeguarding the future of space operations and exploration.

“At Sierra Space, we are deeply committed to revitalizing the U.S. defense industrial base,” said Sierra Space Chief Executive Officer, Tom Vice. “Our participation in the SDA TAP Lab underlines the work we are doing to develop and deploy Sierra Space Black OS, the next generation, highly scalable and secure software operating system powered by advanced AI.”

Sierra Space has a legacy of nearly 30 years of experience designing, manufacturing and successfully delivering space systems, components, and spacecraft on-orbit in support of national security. The company has designed, produced, and launched 23 space vehicles and supported more than 400 successful space and interplanetary missions with Sierra Space subsystems and components. Sierra Space’s growing national security business has added $1.3bn in prime contracts since 2023.

As Sierra Space embarks on this new journey with the SDA TAP Lab, the company will demonstrate its AI and Machine Learning advancements and relevant mission applications during the program. With ongoing collaboration and innovation, Sierra Space will deliver pivotal technologies that will shape the future of space defense, contributing to the crucial safety and sustainability of the space domain.

“At Sierra Space, we are pioneering the future of space exploration through innovative artificial intelligence on our Sierra Space Black OS platform,” said Dr. Joe Kopacz, Sierra Space Vice President of Software and Artificial Intelligence. “This cutting-edge software will drive both our Dream Chaser spaceplane and advanced national defense systems, ensuring precision, reliability and unparalleled performance. With Sierra Space Black OS, we are pushing the boundaries of technology and shaping the future of national security by providing robust AI solutions that enhance our ability to detect, analyze and respond to potential threats in space. By strengthening our defense capabilities, we are ensuring that the United States remains at the forefront of space domain awareness and security, protecting our assets and interests in the ever-evolving space environment.”

About Sierra Space

Sierra Space is a leading commercial space company at the forefront of innovation and the commercialization of space in the Orbital Age®, building an end-to-end business and technology platform in space to benefit life on Earth. With more than 30 years and 500 missions of space flight heritage, the company is reinventing both space transportation with Dream Chaser®, the world’s only commercial spaceplane, and the future of space destinations with the company’s inflatable and expandable space station technology. Using commercial business models, the company is also delivering orbital services to commercial, DoD and national security organizations, expanding production capacity to meet the needs of constellation programs. In addition, Sierra Space builds a host of systems and subsystems across solar power, mechanics and motion control, environmental control, life support, propulsion and thermal control, offering myriad space-as-a-service solutions for the new space economy.

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