You are here

Rapidly Deployable VLEO Cubesat Network for Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT)

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Air Force
Contract: FA8649-21-P-1035
Agency Tracking Number: FX211-CSO1-0099
Amount: $49,886.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: AF211-CSO1
Solicitation Number: X21.1
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2021
Award Year: 2021
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2021-04-14
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2021-07-14
Small Business Information
2375 Adele Ave.
Mountain View, CA 94043-4202
United States
DUNS: 079909985
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Adrian Tymes
 (650) 465-6399
 atymes@cubecab.com
Business Contact
 Adrian Tymes
Phone: (650) 465-6399
Email: atymes@cubecab.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

CubeCab has developed a first-of-its-kind air launch system for individual cubesats. These cubesats can reach any orbital inclination and will play a number of important roles in the commercial and DoD space. DoD users can utilize CubeCab’s technology to launch a small network of satellites to replace and/or augment existing satellite networks after they have been jammed, spoofed, or otherwise degraded. This ability will provide friendly forces with seamless PNT a battlefield situation. It has never been easier or more inexpensive to jam government satellites. Enemy actors can block expensive government satellites for as little as $100.  CubeCab can launch cubesats into Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) or Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in a matter of days from notice of demand. For seamless, gapless coverage, USAF will need to launch 18-35 cubesats, which can take less than 48 hours to get into formation.  In VLEO, cubesats are difficult to detect and track, and much harder to jam than at LEO. This makes them an ideal choice as a replacement network.  Commercially, CubeCab’s Cab-3A launch system will allow companies to launch individual cubesats for a variety of missions, without the need to share a ride on a larger launch vehicle.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

US Flag An Official Website of the United States Government