SBIR/STTR Research Award
Low-Cost Free Space Optical (FSO) communications for Group-1 and Group-2 UAS.
Award amount
$1,249,393Program and phase
SBIR · Phase II – Direct to Phase IIAward year
2025Award details
- Awarding agency
- Department of Defense
- Branch
- Air Force
- Recipient company
- SPACERAKE, INC.
- Proposal award date
- 2025-05-20
- Contract end date
- 2026-11-23
- UEI
- U8B5P58PX2T9
- Solicitation number
- X25.5
- Topic code
- AFX255-DPCSO1
Research abstract
SpaceRake is developing a miniaturized Free Space Optical (FSO) communication system to enable secure, high-bandwidth data transfer for small uncrewed aerial systems (sUAS) in RF-contested environments. Leveraging expertise from SDA-funded satellite lasercom projects, SpaceRake has demonstrated FSO links between group-1 UAS and aims to achieve 100 Mbps at 20 km. The proposed effort follows a three-spiral development approach, blending SpaceRake IP with COTS technologies to create ultra-low SWaP-C FSO terminals. The modular architecture allows for iterative improvements in support of the warfighter without the availability of final requirements or specifications. The resulting TRL-6 prototype will establish a new paradigm for resilient, sUAS communications, ensuring connectivity in RF denied environments without undue cost or SWaP burden.
Technology keywords
Not reported
Other awards by this recipient
Verified by the same UEI. These are other public SBIR/STTR award pages, not a merged company record.
- SDA-interoperable transPortable Laser Ground Terminals
- SBIR Phase I: Multiple Access Laser Communication Terminals for Optical Orbital Hotspots
- SpaceRake MARLIN: Multiple Access Relay Lasercom Intersatellite Network
Awards with the same topic code
Verified by an exact topic code match. This is not a text-similarity match.
- Spoofer Targeting via Disparate Ubiquitous Sensor Telemetry (STARDUST) for Supporting Counteroffensives Against Adversarial Signal Manipulation
- Adaptive AutoVerse Digital Twin for Accelerating Depot Operations through Virtual Testing
- Celeste VR: Immersive VR Application for Advanced Warfighter Readiness
- Applying Automated Inline Inspection to Large Scale Braided Composite Preforms for High-Rate Production of Critical Components for Military and Commercial Aircraft
- Dormitory Readiness Tool (DRT)
Research funding history
4 SBIR/STTR records share this UEI (2023–2025). Reported award amounts total $5,220,949. Reported amounts are not federal obligations.
Phases: Phase II – Direct to Phase II, Phase I
Agencies: Department of Defense, National Science Foundation