Affordable IR Sensors for Proliferated LEO Missile Tracking Constellation
SBIR Opportunity Analysis
The United States Space Force, through the Space Development Agency, is seeking SBIR Phase II proposals for affordable midwave infrared sensors for the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture tracking layer and related space-based missile warning missions. The work centers on developing, fabricating, and demonstrating engineering prototypes that can detect and track missile plumes while reducing cost and complexity for scalable low-Earth-orbit deployment. Proposals should address 3–5 µm MWIR performance, radiation tolerance for at least five years in LEO, smallsat SWaP-D constraints, manufacturability, and a data-supported path to lower unit cost, with a working prototype reaching TRL 5 by the end of Phase II. The topic is pre-release and restricted under ITAR, and the listing shows an open date of April 15, 2026, with proposals due May 13, 2026 at 4:00 PM UTC.