SBIR Signal

Project Celestial: Multi-Domain Site Selection Framework for Terrestrial and Maritime Spaceport Infrastructure

SBIR topic from SpaceWERX, solicitation 26.BX. Closes 2026-06-24.

Component (WERX)
SpaceWERX
Agency
USAF
Program / Phase
SBIR
Solicitation #
26.BX
Topic #
DAF26BX02-NV503
Status
Closed
Pre-release date
2026-05-06
Open date
2026-05-27
Close date
2026-06-24 · Add to calendar · See all deadlines
Set-aside
—
NAICS
—
AFWERX / SpaceWERX open-topic brief

Topic brief

AFWERX / SpaceWERX-style open topics reward clear dual-use technology and a crisp problem framing. Treat DAF26BX02-NV503 as a customer-problem essay tied to Air Force / Space Force mission pull — not a generic SBIR dump.

WERX open-topic focus: Lead with the mission problem and dual-use path. See also AFWERX open topics and the monthly DSIP guide.

Who this is for

  • Dual-use tech firms targeting Air Force or Space Force end users
  • Teams that can show commercial traction or dual-use path
  • Companies following the monthly DSIP / WERX open-topic cadence

Capture playbook

  1. Frame the warfighter / operator problem in one paragraph before tech
  2. Show dual-use or commercial path alongside defense application
  3. Check peer AFWERX open topics closing the same cycle
  4. Use the monthly open-topic digest to avoid missing the drop
  5. Run match + scorecard before allocating proposal bandwidth

pWin cues

  • Specific end-user pain and measurable outcome
  • Technology maturity appropriate to the phase
  • Evidence of speed — AFWERX culture rewards execution

Watch-outs

  • Generic dual-use claims without a named mission thread
  • Missing the monthly cycle because you only checked SBIR.gov weekly
  • Ignoring related open topics that dilute or concentrate competition

Peer open topics

Topic brief FAQ

Where are AFWERX open topics listed?

Live lists are on /afwerx-open-topics and the opportunities feed; monthly digests summarize the open cycle.

How does the monthly DSIP drop work?

DoD SBIR/STTR topics often release on a monthly cadence via DSIP. See the AFWERX DSIP guide on the blog.

Is open topic the same as a traditional SBIR topic?

Open topics are broader problem statements; traditional topics are often more narrowly specified. Read evaluation criteria carefully.

Readiness scorecard Capability match Monthly open-topic digest All topic briefs

Go / No-Go decision pack

One-click pack: competitive field, conversion signal, related awards, and (Pro) a full GO / MAYBE / NO-GO verdict against your capability.

Open scorecard Match my capability

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Incumbent detector

No adjacent award history found for this topic yet. Use the decision pack and scorecard to build your own go/no-go case, and re-check after the next data refresh.

Description

The objective of this Phase I effort is to design and demonstrate the feasibility of an integrated survey platform and decision-support framework—Project Celestial—to identify, evaluate, and rank optimal global locations for future terrestrial and maritime spaceports. The framework should model and evaluate multi-variable site-selection criteria—including geospatial, political, environmental, security, and logistical factors—to enable objective, data-driven analysis of candidate launch locations. The resulting capability should support strategic military and dual-use infrastructure planning for future terrestrial and maritime spaceport operations.

View / apply on DoD DSIP ↗

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