Slingshot Aerospace has secured a contract worth up to $69.6 million from the U.S. Space Force to develop an AI-powered mission rehearsal and wargaming capability. The agreement, awarded under the Space Force’s SpaceWERX program, will fund development of Slingshot’s digital twin platform for space-based operations.
The contract calls for Slingshot to build a space domain awareness digital twin that uses artificial intelligence to simulate complex space environments. The platform will allow Space Force operators to rehearse missions, test courses of action, and conduct wargaming exercises in a high-fidelity virtual representation of the orbital battlespace.
Slingshot Aerospace, based in Austin, Texas, specializes in space situational awareness and data fusion. The company’s technology aggregates data from diverse sensor networks to build a comprehensive picture of activity in space. Its digital twin platform aims to give Space Force commanders the ability to test operational concepts without risking actual satellites.
The award is part of the Space Force’s broader push to accelerate the adoption of commercial innovation through the SpaceWERX Other Transaction Authority. The program has become a key mechanism for the service to access cutting-edge technology from non-traditional defense contractors.
This contract comes as the Space Force increasingly emphasizes wargaming and training as critical to building a warfighting culture. Gen. Chance Saltzman has called for the service to move beyond a “civilian-style support” mindset and prepare for potential conflicts extending into space.
The digital twin market for defense applications has grown rapidly as military services recognize the value of simulation-based training. Slingshot’s work could provide a foundation for how the Space Force trains its guardians for space-to-space operations.
Sources: SatelliteToday
