Rendering of Mobile Payload Processing Center Photo: Agile

Agile Space Industries received a small business innovation research (SBIR) phase II contract from SpaceWERX, a department of the U.S. Space Force and part of AFWERX and the Air Force Research Laboratory. 

SpaceWERX awarded Agile the contract for its Mobile Payload Processing Center (MPPC) which aims to increase mission effectiveness in remote locations. The MPPC provides a mobile environment, including a clean room, to prepare payloads for responsive launches. 

The MPPC is a 40 ft high cube shipping container that fits on a flatbed truck and is expandable to provide over 500 square feet of working space. The MPPC can process standard size ESPA payloads and payloads larger than ESPA grande. 

Agile was one of 19 companies selected to win the 2023 SpaceWERX Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) Challenge, sponsored by the Space Safari program office at USSF Space Systems Command, which identifies TacRS concepts that enable the Space Force to respond to the challenges and on-orbit threats by 2026. 

“Innovative solutions, like the Mobile Payload Processing Center, could provide the U.S. Space Force flexibility in times when traditional solutions might be compromised, ” said Capt. George Eberwine, program manager in the Space Safari program office.