MemComputing Lands Contract to Help US Government Address Space Debris

MemComputing, a company specializing in high-performance computing, has been awarded a contract to help the U.S. Space Force address the threat of space debris to valuable assets.

Existing robotics technologies are capable of deploying large space structures but are not designed to catch debris, which can threaten space systems critical to national security, MemComputing said Tuesday.

The Department of the Air Force awarded the Phase I Small Business Innovation Research for the company to help the U.S. Space Force address challenges in autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations.

MemComputing said it will deploy its MemCPU technology to calculate the optimal motion plan for a satellite equipped with a robotic arm to capture tumbling objects in space.

According to NASA, the Department of Defense’s Space Surveillance Network sensors have tracked more than 27,000 pieces of orbital debris.

The increasing number of space debris poses a threat to all space vehicles, including the International Space Station and spacecraft with humans aboard, NASA added.

By the end of the Phase I contract, MemComputing will have submitted technical details and project plans for the development of a prototype for Phase II.

MemComputing was also awarded a separate Phase I SBIR contract for the development of a MemCPU-based neural network.

The technology is expected to enhance the speed and accuracy of the Air Force Special Operations Command‘s signal processing capabilities.

MemComputing said it will also submit technical details and project plans by the end of the neural network Phase I project.