The Department of Defense (DOD) is seeking proposals for the SBIR 24.2 Annual solicitation. The specific topic of the solicitation is "ICED-T – Innovative Cargo Exoatmospheric Delivery Technology". The technology being solicited aims to enable the delivery of up to 100 tons of containerized cargo from exoatmospheric altitudes surviving earth re-entry.
The AFRL Rocket Cargo Vanguard Program is developing technologies to deliver large payloads globally with speed, supporting global logistics and the USSF logistics mission sets. The goal is to demonstrate the ability to deliver up to 30 tons of cargo anywhere on the planet within tactical timelines. The technology being sought will support payload re-entry independent of the launch vehicle after reaching the desired orbit for separation. This includes the capability to decelerate large payloads to survive re-entry and deliver them intact to the desired location.
The main deliverables of this project will be sub-scale experiments, tests, and demonstrations that advance the operational imperative.
Phase I awards will not be made for this topic as it is a Direct-to-Phase-II (D2P2) topic. Phase II efforts will involve conducting sub-scale experiments and providing test articles for further test and demonstration. Phase III will focus on upgrading analysis, modeling and simulation, test and evaluation results, and providing mature prototypes of system concepts. The goal of Phase III is to transition technology and system concepts to commercial applications, expanding mission capability for both governmental and civilian users.
The solicitation is open until June 12, 2024. For more information and to submit a proposal, visit the DOD SBIR website at [solicitation_agency_url].