DEEP Opportunity Awarded to Slingshot Aerospace through SpEC OTA to Detect and Mitigate Radio Frequency Threats

On September 30, 2021, pLEO Data Exploitation and Enhanced Processing (DEEP) prototype was awarded to Slingshot Aerospace through the Space Enterprise Consortium (SpEC) OTA vehicle managed by NSTXL.

The DEEP prototype automates manual human data exploitation techniques, and delivers finished user-friendly products at low latencies. Missions are highly dependent on resilient external Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) services that are able to recognize an interference, survive it and ensure mission essential PNT services are operational. Detecting and mitigating Radio Frequency (RF) interferences are critical to the United States Space Force (USSF) mission and the United States national security. RF’s identified in contested air spaces are a direct threat to U.S. on-orbit space systems. In addition to detection, the fielding of new near-global, persistent proliferated Low Earth Orbit (pLEO) satellite constellations advances the scope to collect, process, exploit, and deliver satellite telemetry in ways not previously possible. Slingshot Aerospace has now been awarded the opportunity to develop this mission-critical technology. This essential prototype is capable of scaling the processing solution to accommodate real-time mission and data processing.

“Slingshot Aerospace specializes in building world-class space simulation and analytics solutions. In response to the DEEP RFP, we worked with other SpEC members to quickly find synergy between SSC’s vision and our commercial software,” stated Sevon White of Slingshot Aerospace. “Through this effort, we ingest GPS telemetry data from commercial pLEO constellations, and use it to paint a picture of RF hazards on the ground, essentially using a proliferation of massless, data-generating payloads from across the sky. There are many additional data types generated by existing spacecraft sensors, and we are proud to partner with the Rapid Development Division CASINO Program office as they take the lead in harnessing the explosion of innovation across the space commercial industry. The DEEP contract is critical to our company’s mission of accelerating space sustainability and creating a safer, more connected world.”

The DEEP opportunity launched in June 2021 and was optimized by a Project TalX event hosted by NSTXL. Through this Project TalX, industry was able to connect with Government to achieve a thorough understanding of specs and the severity of the opportunity. With a better understanding of the Space Force’s requirements following the Project TalX, Slingshot Aerospace submitted an RFP that was directly in-line with the government’s needs. Through NSTXL, DEEP was awarded within four months of the RFP being released. Space is a highly contested environment, and speed to award contracts is vital for the end-users mission. NSTXL promotes partnerships between government and industry to develop, deliver and drive sustainable joint space warfighting capabilities.

About SpEC

In 2017, the Space Systems Command established SpEC to connect the Department of Defense with a network of innovators and creators across the most sought-after emerging technology fields as they research and develop space-related prototypes. Earlier this year, SpEC awarded the management of the OTA to NSTXL to expedite the contracting between government and industry, putting advanced technology into the industry swiftly and rapidly.