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On September 9, Princeton, NJ-based SciTec, Inc. announced that it was awarded a $272M contract by U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command (SSC) for Mission Data Processing Application Provider (MDPAP) to deliver critical applications for the Space Force’s missile warning mission as part of the Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution (FORGE) program. The FORGE program supports the continued operations of legacy Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) capabilities while delivering modernized enterprise solutions extensible to the next generation of Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) sensors.
This contract resulted from a year-long prototype competition conducted through the Space Enterprise Consortium Other Transaction Authority (SpEC OTA) among three teams led by non-traditional companies.
“The prototyping effort under SpEC allowed us to develop and demonstrate key aspects of our modular, scalable, extensible, and cyber-resilient applications for FORGE Mission Data Processing (MDP) that we build upon through this follow-on contract to meet the no-fail mission.” said David Simenc, SciTec’s Executive Director and lead for FORGE. “We’re thrilled to be leading the same purpose-built team who’ve been with us throughout the prototype and continue our partnership with SSC and the entire FORGE team to rapidly deliver the next generation capabilities for the nation.”
Teammates include Centil, Cosmic Advanced Engineering Solutions, L3Harris Technologies, Monterey Technologies, Outside Analytics, and Raytheon Technologies.
Under MDPAP, SciTec will further develop, tune, and integrate advanced algorithms, signal processing, graphical user interfaces, and data communications components to deliver operational software baselines for the real-time strategic and theater missile warning missions. Jim Lisowski, SciTec’s CEO shares that their code leverages a heritage of capabilities which “are deployed today in satellite ground stations, command and control centers, government laboratories, community clouds, and on-board small satellite systems providing basis for a low-risk and high-performance MDPAP solution.”
“Our OPIR MDP capabilities were developed through R&D programs like the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) and other Broad Agency Announcements and honed through operational trials via Rapid Innovation Fund, SBIR Phase III, and SSC’s Tools Applications and Processing Lab (TAP Lab) programs,” added Mr. Lisowski. “The programs provided the resources to research tough data processing challenges like dim target tracking and then provided the ‘trial by fire’ as we integrated into operational systems and received operator feedback.”
FORGE MDPAP will deliver modernized mission processing capabilities aligned with the current and future OPIR space segments and capabilities necessary to address the evolving threat. MDPAP’s extensible architecture supports legacy SBIRS, comprised of Geosynchronous Earth Orbits (GEO) satellites and polar coverage Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) satellites; the SBIRS NextGen GEO and NexGen Polar systems; as well as emerging Low and Medium Earth Orbit (LEO/MEO) systems. This modernization includes development of a new intuitive, user-defined interface to enable mission operations across this increased space layer and improve ease of use for space operators.
Source: SciTec
