Mountain View, Calif. — December 5, 2024 — Muon Space, an end-to-end Space Systems Provider that designs, builds, and operates mission-tailored low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, announced today that it has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract by SpaceWERX through Space Systems Command (SSC) to advance space-based environmental monitoring (SBEM) capabilities. This award will support Muon Space’s development of a multi-mission, multispectral Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) instrument aimed at filling critical data gaps with applications for both Department of Defense (DoD) and commercial use.
The advanced EO/IR instrument will provide comprehensive cloud characterization and theater weather imagery, addressing the number one and two priority gaps in SBEM identified by the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC). These capabilities are essential for global defense and national security operations, where real-time, accurate environmental data can be the difference between mission success and failure.
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and SpaceWERX the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force and a unique division within 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 Department of the Air Force (DAF) began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018, which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now Muon Space will continue its journey to create and provide innovative EO/IR cloud characterization capabilities.
“This award accelerates Muon’s development of a dual-use instrument that will serve both the DoD’s SBEM needs and our commercial wildfire monitoring mission, FireSat,” said Gregory Smirin, President of Muon Space. “By evolving our FireSat infrared instrument to include additional spectral bands, we can observe cloud cover as well as wildfires, creating a highly versatile instrument that can serve multiple markets.”
This project exemplifies the core mission of the SBIR program, which is to foster innovation by providing non-dilutive funding to small businesses that can develop critical technologies for commercialization. By evolving its FireSat architecture into a dual-use SBEM Variant, Muon Space is not only fulfilling the immediate needs of the DoD, but also laying the groundwork for broader commercial applications that align with its mission of delivering Earth intelligence for a safer and more resilient world.
“The ability to forecast weather globally, 24/7, in austere and denied environments is crucial for our mission readiness,” said Christine Fox, former Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense and member of Muon’s Board of Directors. “The EO/IR instrument developed by Muon Space offers a path to achieving that capability faster and more affordably than previously possible.”
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.
About Muon Space
Founded in 2021, Muon Space is launching a new generation of smallsats and sensors to monitor Earth's climate and ecosystems with unprecedented fidelity. Muon's vertically integrated simulation, hardware and software stack accelerates customers' time-to-market from concept formulation through launch and to scaled operations. Muon Space's state-of-the-art facility in the heart of Silicon Valley is optimized for manufacturing spacecraft and rapid, flexible payload integration at scale. Regular launches began in June 2023, providing data sets addressing important geophysical and environmental applications through the most scalable smallsat LEO constellation platform for delivering new technologies to space. For more information on Muon Space, visit: https://www.muonspace.com/
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit www.afresearchlab.com.
About SpaceWERX
As the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force and a unique division within AFWERX, SpaceWERX inspires and empowers collaboration with innovators to accelerate capabilities and shape our future in space. Headquartered in Los Angeles, SpaceWERX employs 40 military, civilian and contractor personnel executing an annual $457 million budget. Additionally, SpaceWERX partners with Space Systems Command's Commercial Space Office (COMSO) as a collaborative program. Since it was aligned under AFRL in Aug. 2021, SpaceWERX has executed 906 contracts worth more than $690 million to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit spacewerx.us.
