Blackstar Orbital Technologies, a Titusville-based company, has received a federal grant to “[study] the tactical applications and economic impacts of its proprietary high-performance smallsat class spaceplane platform.”

The grant comes in the form of an SBIR Award (Small Business Innovation Research) from SpaceWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force. As a unique division within AFWERX, SpaceWERX inspires and empowers collaboration with innovators to accelerate capabilities and shape our future in space.

Headquartered in Los Angeles, SpaceWERX employs 40 military, civilian and contractor personnel executing an annual $457 million budget. Additionally, SpaceWERX partners with Space Systems Command’s Commercial Space Office (COMSO) as a collaborative program. SBIR is essentially a seed fund designed to help small companies develop technologies.

“This funding will allow us to explore the dual-use applications of our SpaceDrone technology, enhancing national security and defense capabilities. Our team is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in space technology, and this award is a significant step towards realizing our vision,” Chris Jannette, CEO of Blackstar Orbital, said in a press release.

The Blackstar is a planned modular, reusable spaceplane platform designed for multiple roles in the space-based defense environment: It can be configured as a communications platform, cargo hauler, or to fly customer-specified platforms in a VLEO (very-low Earth orbit), LEO, or other orbital regime. It weighs “roughly 300kg and sits on a 41″ x 56″ x 15″ footprint,” making it ideal for many launch platforms.