Jane Edwards 
Orion Space Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of Arcfield, has secured a two-year, follow-on subcontract from Advanced Space to support the second phase of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity’s Space Debris Identification and Tracking, or SINTRA, program.
Orion said Tuesday Advanced Space leads one of several performer teams chosen by IARPA to advance into Phase 2 of the SINTRA program.
Advanced Space works with Orion and ExoAnalytic Solutions on the IARPA program.
What Is the IARPA SINTRA Program?
First awarded in July 2023, the IARPA SINTRA program seeks to detect, characterize and track lethal orbital space debris smaller than 10 centimeters by investigating how orbital debris interacts with the space environment.
In Phase 1, Advanced Space and its partners conducted a large-scale statistical study linking space objects to ionospheric disturbances. Phase 2 will build on that foundation by developing tools to characterize previously untracked debris objects by collecting measurements of the plasma wave environment. The second phase of the SINTRA program is expected to conclude by the end of January 2027.
What Are Arcfield CEO Kevin Kelly’s Thoughts on the Contract Award?
Kevin Kelly, chairman and CEO of Arcfield, said the award underscores the company’s commitment to advancing space exploration.
“Through Orion, we’re developing innovative capabilities that not only advance scientific understanding but deliver practical solutions as our government mission partners seek complete space domain awareness—an increasingly complex challenge,” added Kelly, a previous Wash100 awardee.
What Does Orion Space Solutions Do?
Orion helps government and commercial customers address complex space-based challenges by providing small satellites; mission design, planning and operations support; sensor and payload design; science and data analytics; and assembly, integration and testing services.
Gregg Burgess, president and general manager of Orion, said the company has experience supporting space science research.
“Our team’s expertise in space domain awareness, plasma physics, and ionospheric modeling makes us uniquely positioned to deliver this cutting-edge solution for IARPA to further the state of the art in space traffic coordination and orbital debris mitigation,” he added.
