Umbra Selected as Participant in STRATFI Program to Develop Next-Generation Spacecraft

ByUmbra Space

The company will develop custom, space-based intelligence technologies for the DoD to support critical U.S. national security initiatives.

Santa Barbara, CA – April 8, 2025 – Umbra, a vertically integrated space technology company, has been selected for a Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) opportunity by SpaceWERX, the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force. STRATFI is designed to accelerate the transition of mature technologies into operational use for the Department of Defense (DoD) and commercial partners.

By connecting private-sector innovators, defense stakeholders and investors, STRATFI strengthens the defense industrial base and accelerates the transition of advanced capabilities to the warfighter. The initiative is within the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, and defense agencies, including the Space Development Agency (SDA), are working with Umbra to explore the development of a new space capability. Through STRATFI, matching funds can enable development of new space capabilities valued at up to $60 million, pending contracting and co-investment commitments.

Additionally, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is supporting the advancement of this SAR imagery with R&D funds over the next 3 years in support of the SpaceWERX STRATFI efforts to bring the best commercial solutions to bear for DoD space efforts.

Through this program, Umbra plans to design, build, and launch a next-generation constellation of spacecraft to demonstrate the advantages of comprehensive, wide-area SAR coverage for search and find missions in open ocean and maritime applications. This system is designed to provide an agile, highly affordable, tip-cue capability to the US and its allies to support the Combatant Commander, focusing specifically on the Indo-Pacific region. Umbra’s proven formation flying, multi-static, and moving target detection capabilities provide the foundation for this strategic initiative.

“We’re proud to have the opportunity to take this additional step to provide our mission-critical capabilities directly to the warfighter at a time when speed of acquisition is paramount,” said Dr. Bonnie Kean, Director of Mission Solutions at Umbra. “For the past four years, we have been dedicated to serving DoD customers and remain steadfast in our commitment to delivering innovative, reliable, and high-performance satellite solutions that strengthen national security.”

Umbra is at the forefront of SAR innovation, and its capabilities continue to play a crucial role in detecting and identifying both emerging and active threats enabling a proactive approach to national security. Last year, the company released bistatic imagery from its tandem SAR satellites, and building from that success, the company will advance cooperative satellite operations, enabling wide-area search and target detection through its cutting-edge SAR capabilities.

The initiative will help accelerate the transition of these next-generation defense technologies from the development stage to operational deployment, ensuring that critical capabilities reach the warfighter faster.