Rendering a Muon Space satellite. Photo: Muon Space

Muon Space has received a small business innovation research (SBIR) contract from AFWERX focused on weather intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and operational mission planning. AFWERX is the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force.

Muon Space is working to build a climate-monitoring Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation. The company launched its first satellite in June of 2023. 

Under the contract announced Jan. 9,  Muon Space will perform a feasibility study to determine the benefit of modifying the company’s multispectral electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) instrument to support the Department of Defense’s (DoD) cloud characterization observation capability. The contract  is for a period of three months, valued at $75,000.

The DoD is currently looking at replacing the aging Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites, which are past the end of their life. Muon Space is developing a constellation that could provide a commercial solution to fill the data gap. 

“The DoD is pivoting to a more resilient distributed weather satellite architecture that counts on a new generation of space companies to develop more innovative integrated sensor and spacecraft constellations,” said Greg Smirin, president of Muon Space. “This feasibility study is one of the first steps of many in Muon Space’s journey to develop a full cloud characterization observation capability.”

Muon Space has a number of DoD contracts, including a recent contract from the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) to provide commercial electro-optical (EO) capabilities, and a contract with Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLMC) to collect ionospheric data.