US President Joe Biden, left, and Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, toast during a state dinner at the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, June 22, 2023. (Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON — The US Space Force, working via the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), has signed its first-ever Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) with non-US firms — two space startups from India, AFRL announced today.
Under the CRADAs, New Delhi-based 114AI, an artificial intelligence firm that builds dual-use software for domain awareness, and 3rd ITECH, India’s sole image sensor company with offices in New Delhi and Berkeley, Calif., will work in partnership with AFRL’s Space Vehicles Directorate. CRADAs can involve swapping of expertise, access to lab space and provision of equipment, but no transfer of any federal funds to industry partners.
“The CRADA will foster collaborative efforts in cutting-edge technologies, marking a significant milestone in advancing innovation in Earth observation sensors and space domain awareness,” AFRL said in a press release.
The two agreements come following the landmark June meeting between US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during which the two sides launched the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X), in part, to shore up the defense industry cooperation and technology sharing.
In addition, Modi used his first official state visit to sign New Delhi up to the NASA-led Artemis Accords setting norms for space exploration and exploitation. US officials sees that accord as a key component in Washington’s overarching strategy to reduce the potential for future conflict in space as countries scramble for access to orbital real estate, including around the Moon in cislunar space, and resources like water and strategic minerals. In particular, the Artemis Accords are seen as a diplomatic counterweight to China, at a time when the Space Force has grown increasingly concerned about Beijing’s expanding space portfolio and its lunar ambitions.
“I have had the pleasure of meeting with many companies and universities while in India and am consistently impressed by the talent of the country’s engineers and scientists, and eagerness to collaborate with our Space Force,” said Merrick Garb, chief of the civil and interagency partnerships branch at the Space Force’s Global Partnerships Directorate.
While this may be the first CRADAs between the two Indian space startups and the Space Force, neither company is a stranger to the US space market ecosystem.
For example, both companies signed strategic partnerships with General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems (GA-AS), based in San Diego. 3rd ITECH and GA-AS announced a partnership deal last September to “co-design and co-develop” cutting-edge semiconductor tech. At the same time, GA-AS announced a separate agreement with 114ai on applying artificial intelligence tools to “multi-domain awareness.”
Further, 114ai was the only Indian company to win an award back in 2020 at the US-UK sponsored “International Space Pitch Day,” where startups were invited to show off their wares to a group of NATO countries and compete for kick-start funds. The competition was open to applicants from all over the world, and managed through the UK Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), assisted by Los Angeles-based Starburst Accelerator. 114ai was among 10 UK, US and Australian startups to each win £53,000 ($66,000).