AI-Powered Signal Intelligence Platform to Strengthen Space Domain Awareness and Spectrum Security for the U.S. Space Force
(RESTON, Va.) – Blue Sky Innovators, Inc. (BSI) announces it has been selected by SpaceWERX for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I contract in the amount of $74,996.41 focused on SKYWAVE, an advanced radio frequency (RF) fingerprinting technology, to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF). The Air Force Research Laboratory and SpaceWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force and a division within AFWERX, have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded, and now, on July 1, 2026, Blue Sky Innovators will start its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.
SKYWAVE is BSI’s next-generation RF fingerprinting system that applies advanced Radio Frequency Machine Learning (RFML) techniques to extract distinctive features from raw RF signals. Leveraging BSI’s in-house expertise, SKYWAVE integrates proprietary RFML methods designed to support reliable device identification in complex RF environments. This Phase I effort will refine the core algorithms and validate performance across operational scenarios critical to space domain awareness, tactical surveillance, and spectrum security, establishing the foundation for Phase II development.
“This SBIR Phase I award validates the Independent Research and Development (IRAD) that BSI has invested in SKYWAVE,” said Matt Hostutler, Chief Growth Officer of Blue Sky Innovators. “Partnering with SpaceWERX allows us to rapidly mature this technology and deliver a critical spectrum security capability to the U.S. Space Force.”
“The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of War, or the U.S. government.”
About Blue Sky Innovators, Inc.
Blue Sky Innovators, Inc. (BSI) is a premier provider of advanced national security technology solutions, delivering critical support across the Department of War (DoW), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Air Force and US Space Force (USSF), and the Intelligence Community (IC). Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, BSI’s team of subject matter experts and former DoW and IC operators shape tomorrow by providing insight to operations, transforming data and analysis into decisive operational advantages. Through its Independent Research and Development (IRAD) program, BSI incubates and prototypes emerging technologies – like SKYWAVE – before advancing them toward fielded capability. For more information, visit blueskyinnovators.com.
About SpaceWERX
As the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force and a division of AFWERX, SpaceWERX partners with small businesses, startups and nontraditional vendors to accelerate the development and transition of commercial space technologies to solve challenges facing Guardians. SpaceWERX strengthens the defense industrial base and delivers capabilities at speed and scale in a contested domain. Headquartered in Los Angeles, SpaceWERX identifies and transitions dual-use technologies across the commercial space ecosystem to meet operational needs. In partnership with Space Systems Command’s Commercial Space Office, SpaceWERX bridges innovation and acquisition to speed capability adoption. In fiscal year 2025, SpaceWERX awarded more than 300 contracts totaling $510 million. For more information, visit spacewerx.us.
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory is the Department of the Air Force’s primary scientific research and development center and one of six centers within Air Force Materiel Command. AFRL leads the discovery, development and delivery of technologies for air, space and the multidomain. With a workforce spanning seven mission areas at more than 40 locations worldwide, AFRL conducts research ranging from basic science to advanced technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com.
Company Press Contact:
Matt Hostutler
Chief Growth Officer
matt.hostutler@blueskyinnovators.com
