Space Micro Inc. was selected by the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida for the development of an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) space payload for future SOCOM missions. 

The award is for over $1.65M and covers an 18-month performance period. Product deliverables include both an Engineering Model (EM) payload and a Flight Model (FM) ISR payload.

“We’ll be learning a lot over the next couple years with how we are going to partner with the Space Force, Air Force and other services who are doing things in space,” Special Reconnaissance Program Executive Officer David Breede said at the virtual Special Operations Forces (SOF) Industry Conference in 2020. “We are now delving into space-based capabilities.”

The command’s increased attention on space is part of a broader effort across the Department of Defense. In 2019, the department began a significant reorganization to focus more on space, standing up the Space Development Agency, reestablishing U.S. Space Command, and forming the U.S. Space Force. As those organizations continue to develop over the next few years, SOCOM will determine where they fit into the broader DoD efforts in space.

“There are some fantastic capabilities that are already in space that we should, could and sometimes do leverage. Now it’s a matter of finding those gaps and seams that are not currently being addressed that are peculiar to SOF requirements and that our service partners and our agency partners are not going to address,” said Breede. He added that developing and demonstrating special reconnaissance, space-based payloads was one of his top three priorities.

David J. Strobel, Space Micro Executive Chair commented, “We are excited about applying our space payload expertise in supporting SOCOM in protecting our warfighters in contested environments.”