OroraTech ’ s thermal infrared camera measures the temperature of each pixel , making it possible to detect wildfires .
“ Space as a service gives you lots of flexibility and speed . And with that comes innovation .” — Martin Langer , CTO , OroraTech
developed internally , the Space Force is taking a new approach . It wants to get its hands on the best technology , no matter who builds it .
At the beginning of 2022 , the Space Systems Command established the Commercial Services Office , or COMSO , to contract with commercial companies . Space as a service is an important part of the strategy .
“ The full official strategy is : Exploit what we have , buy what we can , build only what we must ,” says Jeremy Leader , COMSO director .
Leader sees three benefits to the space-asa-service model . First , there ’ s the potential for cost savings , because a company ’ s costs are spread among many customers instead of one . Second , it moves the onus for innovation and modernization onto the companies providing the services . Finally , commercial companies tend to use familiar interfaces and controllers instead of exotic terminals , which shortens training and speeds implementation .
And then there ’ s the challenge of requirements versus innovation . In the military ’ s classic model ,
equipment is custom-built to order . Leader says , “ We have an antiquated requirements process and , when everything is built to requirements , there ’ s the assumption that the person writing the requirements knows what ’ s out there . We will need to have our finger on the pulse of what commercial space can do .”
As Leader explains , if the Department of Defense had to choose between maintaining existing equipment and taking a risk by modernizing , the choice previously was always to stay with the triedand-true . However , with space as a service , “ The risk is on the companies . We don ’ t want to be , nor have we been , the driver of a lot of innovation in the recent past .”
Space-as-a-service companies can move much faster and take advantage of not only increases in computing power but also emerging technologies like 5G to send more data faster , 3D printing to quickly make custom components and AI to analyze data before it ’ s sent to Earth .
Sidus Space uses commercial off-the-shelf components and 3D printing of some parts to make its LizzieSat lighter and more modular .
IMAGE ( ABOVE ) COURTESY OF ORORATECH ; PHOTO ( FACING PAGE ) COURTESY OF SIDUS SPACE
28