Technology Maturation to Support Commercial De-Orbit as a Service for pLEO Constellations

The United States Space Force (USSF), through the Space Development Agency (SDA), is seeking innovative solutions to mature key technologies that enable commercial De-Orbit as a Service (DaaS) capabilities for proliferated Low Earth Orbit (pLEO) satellite constellations. As the Department of War's (DoW) Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) continues to expand, there is a need for safe, scalable, and responsive satellite disposal mechanismsÑparticularly for satellites that experience mission-ending anomalies and cannot autonomously de-orbit. Rather than fielding bespoke government solutions, SDA aims to catalyze a commercially sustainable market for DaaS by investing in maturing subsystems necessary for future on-orbit servicing. This topic seeks to prototype and validate technologies that reduce technical and operational risks for DaaS offerings and establish a foundation for future on-orbit demonstration missions. Proposed solutions may include, but are not limited to: - Validation of rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) technologies such as sensors, vision-based navigation, and autonomous maneuver planning in simulated or lab-based environments - Demonstration of universal capture mechanisms compatible with multiple PWSA bus types, leveraging modular and non-invasive design principles - Evaluation of collision avoidance and trajectory planning techniques through high-fidelity software simulations - Design recommendations for future PWSA spacecraft that improve serviceability and reduce integration friction with DaaS providers Proposals should focus on developing capabilities that can be commercialized and integrated into a broader orbital debris mitigation and satellite servicing ecosystem. A successful effort will reduce the timeline for fielding U.S.-based DaaS capabilities and improve long-term resilience, safety, and sustainability in LEO.

Closing

CMMC

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Tags

de-orbit; space debris; end-of-life; SDA PWSA; active debris removal; pLEO; mission design; CDR; operational risk; regulatory compliance; ground segment integration; STRATFI