SpaceWERX Orbital Prime

SpaceWERX Orbital Prime is a focused cohort program run by SpaceWERX — the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force — under its SBIR/STTR contracting authority. Orbital Prime targeted the On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) market, using Active Debris Remediation (ADR) as the primary technology use case. The program reached Alumni (closed) status after completing its main contracting phase; 175 contracts were awarded with a combined value of $121 million, including 50 Phase II contracts to 41 companies valued at $81 million. All awards were structured as SBIR/STTR contracts — non-dilutive, no equity taken. Phase I contracts were valued at $250,000 each with a five-month term. Phase II contracts built on Phase I results. STRATFI and TACFI follow-on proposals were also submitted by several Orbital Prime companies for additional scaling funding. No new Orbital Prime solicitations are currently open; the program is in Alumni status. Eligibility was limited to U.S.-based for-profit small business concerns (500 or fewer employees) applying through the DoD SBIR/STTR submission portal. The program organized companies into a Cohort Development Program providing access to government technical subject matter experts, test facilities, and introductions to non-dilutive and dilutive capital. Ecosystem Orchestration connected companies with transition partners and end-users across the ISAM ecosystem. Proposals were submitted through the standard DoD SBIR/STTR portal (dodsbirsttr.mil) in response to SpaceWERX Open Topic solicitations. Evaluation followed merit-based selection under standard SBIR criteria: technical feasibility, commercial potential, and transition alignment with USSF needs. Phase II D2P2 applicants required a USSF Customer Memorandum. The cohort is now closed to new applications. Companies that received Orbital Prime contracts may still be eligible for follow-on STRATFI/TACFI matching programs if within two years of Phase II completion.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.