Louisville, Colorado, March 12, 2024(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sierra Space, Inc., a leading commercial space company and emerging defense technology leader building a platform in space to benefit and protect life on Earth, today announced the launch of the Sierra Space Accelerator™, a rapid innovation An incubator designed to accelerate the development of revolutionary defense technologies and mission solutions. Axelerator is set to redefine industry standards by delivering cutting-edge products with unprecedented efficiency.
Introducing Sierra Space Ghost: the future of space recovery
The first marvel to emerge from the Axelerator is the Sierra Space Ghost, an advanced space delivery system designed to safely return objects from space – and across space – directly to specific locations on Earth. Ghost, a low-beta reentry vehicle that uses revolutionary deployable deceleration technology, represents a major leap forward in space logistics and recovery operations, and promises to enhance space sustainability and safety. Ghost will be able to deliver payloads anywhere in the world in 90 minutes or less, enabling a highly responsive space system without the need for fixed infrastructure. Remarkably, Ghost went from development to flight testing in just 90 days, showcasing the rapid prototyping and development capabilities of the Axelerator.
Introducing Sierra Space Specter: revolutionizing rendezvous and proximity operations
Sierra Space also unveiled Specter, a revolutionary satellite designed for precision rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO). Sierra Space Specter embodies the pinnacle of innovation, equipped to perform complex missions in the challenging space environment with unparalleled precision and flexibility. Scheduled to launch in late 2025, Specter is set to set new standards for satellite technology.
Introducing Sierra Black: A new era of AI-powered operating systems
The third breakthrough announced today from Sierra Space's Axelerator incubator is Sierra Black OS, an advanced AI-enabled operating system that will have the ability to work across space, air, and ground systems seamlessly. The inaugural release, STAR (Sierra Toolkit for Autonomous Rendezvous), an RPO software module, exemplifies the system's capabilities, delivering unparalleled operational intelligence and autonomy for space missions. Sierra Black OS and STAR are set to revolutionize how space operations are conducted.
“With Axelerator, Sierra Space is not only imagining the future, we are actively building it,” said Tom Weiss, CEO of Sierra Space. “Our new products – Ghost, Specter and Sierra Black OS – are a testament to our commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is possible and driving innovation at the speed of thought. We are proud to contribute to the defense industry with technologies that will shape the future for decades to come.”
The Axelerator pod is part of Sierra Space's Orbital Mission and Services Group, which was established in 2023 to focus on revolutionary new national security solutions. Since the organization's inception, Sierra Space has secured $1.3 billion worth of contracts for major satellite constellations. In January 2024, the company was awarded a $740 million prime contract from the Space Development Agency for 18 Category 2 satellites to accelerate capabilities to provide global, persistent indicators, detection, warning and tracking of conventional and advanced missile threats, including hypersonic missile systems. .
Sierra Space's orbital missions and services begin a new chapter in defense technology, where innovation, speed, affordability and schedule reliability converge on orbit to create superior capability. At a time when America's adversaries and allies are dramatically increasing their hostile aggressions around the world, Sierra Space is committed to innovating quickly to accelerate affordable national security solutions.
For more information about Sierra Space Axelerator and the company's transformational initiatives, please visit https://www.sierraspace.com/national-security.
About Space Sierra
Sierra Space is a leading commercial space company at the forefront of space innovation and commercialization in the Orbital Age®, building a comprehensive business and technology platform in space to benefit life on Earth. With more than 30 years and 500 missions of spaceflight heritage, the company is reinventing both space transportation with the Dream Chaser®, the world's only commercial spaceplane, and the future of space destinations with the company's inflatable and expandable space station technology. Using business models, the company also provides orbital services to commercial organizations and the Department of Defense and Homeland Security, expanding production capacity to meet the needs of constellation programs. Additionally, Sierra Space is building a range of systems and subsystems across solar energy, mechanics and motion control, environmental control, life support, propulsion and thermal control, providing a myriad of space-as-a-service solutions for the new space economy.
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Contacts
Alex Walker, Sierra Space
(303) 803-2297 | alex.walker@sierraspace.com
