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MENLO PARK, CA, 14 March 2025 — LeoLabs, the world’s leading mission partner for persistent Orbital Intelligence, today announced it has been selected for a Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) opportunity by SpaceWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force. Under the selection, LeoLabs will develop, deploy, and operate a Seeker-class Ultra High Frequency (UHF) planar Direct Radiating Array (DRA) radar in the Indo-Pacific region by 2027. The Air Force Research Lab is projected to contribute up to $15M toward the total $60M STRATFI effort, pending funding availability. The initiative is expected to include an additional $15M from government sponsors and $30M in private capital to enhance the capabilities of the LeoLabs Global Radar Network.
This selection extends an AFWERX Direct to Phase II SBIR contract LeoLabs received in 2023 that partially funded the company’s first Seeker radar in Arizona. This radar commenced operations in December, making it LeoLabs’ 11th operational radar across seven global locations. Deploying a Seeker radar in the Indo-Pacific region is an important step in LeoLabs’ efforts to proliferate its next-generation radars and fully integrate them into its Global Radar Network to deliver advanced Space Domain Awareness (SDA) solutions.
“LeoLabs is committed to proliferating our dual-use space radars in the USINDOPACOM area of responsibility, which will not only augment the U.S. Space Force mission as launches originating from China accelerate, but will deliver even more accurate, robust, resilient, and timely Orbital Intelligence for all of our customers,” said LeoLabs CEO Tony Frazier. “The STRATFI will enable LeoLabs to fill a critical operational gap in radar coverage in the western Pacific for the U.S. and its Allies, improving our ability to detect and characterize adversarial space activity.”
LeoLabs’ Seeker radars accelerate understanding and decision-making for space operators by scanning in three dimensions for a wider field of regard. The Seeker radar in Arizona is already tracking more than 10,000 space objects and serving as a testbed for advanced capabilities, including maintaining custody of highly maneuverable space objects, detecting non-cooperative launches, and tracking objects in Very Low Earth Orbit and those nearing re-entry.
About LeoLabs
LeoLabs is the world’s leading mission partner for persistent Orbital Intelligence. We enable military space commands, civil government agencies, and commercial operators to confidently detect, track, characterize, and respond to threats in space. Our proliferated, multi-mission radar network, real-time orbital data catalog, and AI-powered analytics support secure, safe, and dynamic space operations. We are committed to delivering the living map of activity in space that safeguards our way of life on Earth.
About SpaceWERX
As the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force and a unique division within AFWERX, SpaceWERX inspires and empowers collaboration with innovators to accelerate capabilities and shape our future in space. Headquartered in Los Angeles, SpaceWERX employs 40 military, civilian and contractor personnel executing an annual $457 million budget. Additionally, SpaceWERX partners with Space Systems Command’s Commercial Space Office (COMSO) as a collaborative program. Since it was aligned under AFRL in Aug. 2021, SpaceWERX has executed 1106 contracts worth more than $897 million to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit spacewerx.us.
About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at four hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed 6,200 new contracts worth more than $4.7 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit afwerx.com.
LeoLabs Press Contact:
Kristin Cody