Benchmark Awarded NASA SBIR Ignite Program Grant to Advance RIPCORD Concept

Benchmark Space Systems is pleased to announce an award selection by NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s SBIR Ignite program for advancement of our "𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐃" concept – (Resilient Independent Propulsive Controlled On-orbit Recovery Device). The Ignite initiative, focused on developing commercial solutions to the most significant issues in space, stated:

 “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘚𝘉𝘐𝘙 𝘐𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦-𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘭, 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴, 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴...”

Notably, these innovations support recent US initiatives, including:

- United States Deorbit Vehicle (USDV) for ISS deorbiting:  https://lnkd.in/eR7ckV_W

- Orbital Sustainability (ORBITS) Act (focused on cataloging debris that pose the greatest risk to valuable orbiting spacecraft): https://lnkd.in/eSvH5TFs.

RIPCORD offers multiple operational capabilities and applications spanning across our roadmap, such as debris remediation, mission extension, and direct replenishment of propulsion systems on-orbit. Our technologies, including SmartAIM™ onboard propulsion control software, and mission experience, provide the foundation for the advanced offering.

These ambitious objectives will require technological advances and partnerships. As we lead Phase I, we welcome industry engagement and partnership evaluation in key areas:

- Host busses and service vehicle partners

- Mechanical attachment concepts for both cooperative and uncooperative assets

- Standalone low SWaP and secure communications subsystems

Stay tuned for updates as we kick off this innovation project to bring the industry another step closer to a sustainable space ecosystem.