Hyperspace Challenge, powered by the Air Force Research Lab New Mexico and ABQid, brings together tech startups with government innovators to accelerate collaboration between commercial and government communities.
Our unique program facilitates interactions between promising technologies and timely problems to increase rapid acquisition and contracting opportunities. Our goal isn’t innovation at the speed of light; it’s faster.
Now through September, we’re bringing together tech startups and government innovators around the following challenge:
How might we accelerate adoption of trusted autonomous solutions for space?
AFRL
Distributed surface networks can provide regional sensing, communications, position, navigation, and timing (PNT), and power distribution. However, it’s often not possible to install such networks with a delicate human touch. The Rapid Lunar Lander is a remotely-emplaced, hardened electronics package to service this need.
NASA
As missions look beyond the inner solar systems, solar flux drops off immensely, requiring solar-powered missions to have enormous solar arrays. As small spacecraft are fundamentally volume limited, solar arrays for U-Class and small spacecraft provide insufficient power for deep-space (beyond Jupiter) missions. NASA needs new power systems in order for small spacecraft to expand their use for proposed deep space missions.
AFRL
Small satellites have the potential to rapidly collect a variety of data types over an area of interest. The proliferation of small satellite constellations in recent years has made it such that satellite data are now accessible to anyone with internet access and a credit card. The US government is seeking technologies that enable analysis of data from multiple and various space-based sensors (including but not limited to Visual, Hyperspectral, RF, and large-scale media). Of particular interest are solutions that can process data from multiple sensors collecting continually over a large portion of the Earth yielding analytic output from which pattern of life information may be inferred. Solutions should be capable of processing and analyzing data from two or more aforementioned sensor types and generating solutions that at the minimum identify changes in behaviors over the area of interest.
Late July - Early August
Attend a series of three webinars to learn about specific capabilities and iterate how you believe your technology could best be leveraged to build new capabilities for the government.
Be on hand to answer questions from our advisory committee.
Late September
Invited startups and government innovators will come together to iterate on top concepts and explore opportunities for contracting and rapid acquisition. The best capabilities during the week will be awarded prizes between $5K to 25K to spur further efforts required to get the best company innovations into the hands of government users.
Join a highly curated group of government innovators who have the will to change rapidly and the ability to influence purchasing decisions to facilitate rapid acquisition or contracting. Limited space is available to get involved.
Contact Capt. Roger Anderson to learn more.
Want to help support the work of Hyperspace Challenge? If your company would like to sponsor our Trusted Autonomy 2020 challenge, please contact contact@hyperspacechallenge.com.
Sign ups are now closed for the 2019 SmallSats Hyperspace Challenge. Please check back soon for more information.
Hyperspace Challenge is an initiative fueled by the Air Force Research Lab in partnership with ABQid in support of the Space Vehicles directorate and our U.S. government personnel everywhere.
Contact contact@hyperspacechallenge.com for more information.
