EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AFNS) -- The Texas Space Commission, in partnership with the U.S. Space Force, will significantly expand the United States Space Force Space Domain Awareness Tools, Applications and Processing Lab as part of the TSC’s $9.27 million award to the University of Texas at Austin, establishing Texas’ first operational Space Domain Awareness innovation node.
In partnership with UT Austin, the expanded lab will unite talent from industry, academia and national labs with Space Force mission area experts to bridge academic innovation by conducting proof-of-concept research on the nation’s most complex security challenges to military operations.
This major investment and partnership will establish a state-of-the-art experimentation hub in Austin, accelerating the transition of academic research into vital operational capabilities for national defense.
The Space Domain Awareness Tools, Applications, and Processing Lab is a Space Force initiative under Space Systems Command’s System Delta 85, with support of the Space Force Battle Management Command, Control, Communications, and Space Intelligence Program Executive Office, which accelerates the delivery of space battle management software to operational units.
Through a structured methodology and its Apollo Accelerator program, the lab transforms academic and commercial research into operational capabilities, decomposes adversary kill chains and integrates emerging technologies to enhance the nation’s security in space.
Designed to pioneer next-generation defenses for the nation's critical space architecture, the lab’s approach operationalizes the service’s ‘Resilience by Design’ framework to enhance enterprise systems within the Space Force battle management portfolio. This proactive measure is designed to outpace sophisticated adversaries, bolster the mission readiness of the Service's Field Commands and guarantee the delivery of vital space capabilities to the Joint Force.
“We are here to enable space superiority missions by avoiding operational surprise and denying the first mover advantage," said Space Force Lt. Col. Collin Greiser, system program manager for Advanced Space Battle Management, who oversees the Tools, Applications and Processing Lab. "This partnership provides a path to solve real problems, collaborate across industry and government, provide expert mentorship, interact with operators and deliver operational capability to Space Battle Managers.”
The grant, to be distributed over two years, will support a full lab build-out, operator training and the creation of a secure infrastructure for interoperable Space Domain Awareness innovation. It will enable six cohort cycles, involving a total of 180 technology teams, to rapidly prototype and refine solutions aligned with operator priorities.
"The Texas Space Commission is proud to facilitate this crucial partnership between a top-tier Texas university and the U.S. Space Force," said Mr. Norm Garza, Texas Space Commission executive director. "This grant not only anchors a vital national security mission in our state but also demonstrates Texas's commitment to leading the nation in space innovation, economic development and workforce creation for the 21st century."
The project will launch in late spring 2026 with coordination from Space Force headquarters and Space Systems Command. It is expected to be fully operational as early as December 2026, marking a significant milestone in ensuring orbital safety and strategic autonomy for the nation.
“This award directly supports implementation of the U.S. Space Force’s Commercial Space Strategy, which was released in April 2024,” said Mr. Merrick Garb, branch chief for Commercial, Civil and Interagency Partnerships, Global Partnerships Division, Headquarters, U.S. Space Force. “With the expansion of the SDA TAP Lab to Austin, our service will partner with the vibrant commercial space industries in Texas, across the United States and with companies from our allied and partner nations to solve our most challenging problems. I look forward to seeing how the next six cohort classes innovate and collaborate.”
