RIDGEFIELD, Conn. – June 29, 2022 – PRLog — Target Arm Inc., the leader in autonomous launch and recovery systems for drones while on-the-move, announces a Space Force contract to begin research and design for Autonomous Debris Capture / Autonomous Non-Cooperative Target Capture (NCTC). As part of Orbital Prime, this Air Force Research Laboratory’s Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Phase 1 contract for $250,000 will focus on initial feasibility studies to adapt our autonomous drone system for package delivery into space. The primary goal of this STTR is to create initial design concepts and crude mock-ups to withstand the rigors of space launch and the extreme space environment for Tular to assist with debris capture and other non-cooperative targets.
Jeffrey McChesney/CEO stated, “We are very excited to begin the initial research to adapt our Tular device into the space environment. We believe Tular will enable the Space Force to use much less fuel to capture non-cooperative targets autonomously in the terminal phases. As Tular has matured in the terrestrial environment, it became clear early on that we may have a viable solution for debris capture on orbit. Space debris and defunct satellites circling the globe are becoming an ever-increasing risk for every space launch and operation through Low Earth Orbit (LEO).”
About Target Arm
Target Arm Inc. is a Connecticut-based firm that produces Tular, a patented device that enables rotary and fixed wing drones to be launched and recovered from any moving vehicle autonomously, and even during windy conditions. Target Arm, a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), provides solutions for both military and commercial customers using the exact same device for drones on-the-move (package delivery, Oil & Gas inspections, energy, wind farms, first responders, etc.). Target Arm is a graduate of the 2020 Techstars Air Force Accelerator, the 2020 Endless Frontier Labs Accelerator and is a resident at the MassRobotics in Boston and a member of Newlab at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. To learn more, visit https://www.targetarm.com.
About AFRL
Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)/AFWERX/SpaceWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research process to speed up the experience, broaden the pool of potential applicants and decrease bureaucratic overhead. Beginning in SBIR 18.2, and now in 22.2, the Air Force has begun offering ‘Special’ SBIR topics that are faster, leaner and open to a broader range of innovations. Visit www.spacewerx.us.
Contact
Jeffrey McChesney
***@targetarm.com
2038850322