SDA Makes Commercial Disposal Services Study Awards Under STEC BAA

Date: Sept. 26, 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Space Development Agency (SDA) announced today it recently selected six proposals for funding under the Systems, Technologies, and Emerging Capabilities (STEC) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA).

SDA awarded a total of approximately $1.9 million in both contracts and agreements to the following companies to conduct 90-day feasibility studies for engineering, analyses, and technical trades to support assisted, on-demand space vehicle de-orbit as a service for the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA): 

• Arkisys, Inc.;
• Impulse Space, Inc.;
• Quantum Space, LLC;
• Sierra Space Corporation;
• SpaceWorks Enterprises, Inc.; and
• Starfish Space.

The awardees have started their studies and are expected to complete them in December. SDA anticipates delivery of a final report from each company by the end of 2024.

Beginning with Tranche 1, SDA will deploy hundreds of space vehicles (SV) in low-Earth orbit to field the PWSA. These SVs are equipped with propulsion systems sized and qualified through end-of-life and have disposal plans that comply with orbital debris mitigation standard practices, ensuring the PWSA can perform its critical national defense mission while maintaining sustainability of the space environment.

Though current disposal plans are designed to exceed these goals, SDA is also interested in commercially available options for assisted disposal services as a potential future cost-saving measure or as a contingency should they be required. SDA believes industry has concepts and business models to support commercial on-orbit servicing, to include assisted disposal operations, but that no such product or service yet exists.

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