Open Call for Innovative Defense-Related Dual-Purpose Technologies/Solutions with a Clear Air Force Stakeholder Need

Spire Global, Inc. operates a constellation of 76 (and growing) commercial weather CubeSats in low-Earth orbit (LEO). Because the primary payload on Spire satellites is a dual-frequency, science-grade GNSS receiver performing radio occultation for atmospheric sounding, the satellite state vectors and precise orbit determination (POD) data are required to be known with high accuracy and precision on the order of 10-30 cm. Spire proposes to use these data to help solve the 21st Space Wing’s ground-based space object tracking calibration problem by providing high-precision state vectors from our constellation. Additionally, Spire also proposes using its state vectors to estimate LEO satellite drag and thermospheric density, thereby potentially improving SSA through better LEO orbit drag modeling.