CRADA Partnership to Develop Space Domain Awareness, Mobility, and Logistics Technologies
LOS ANGELES, CA AND PACOIMA, CA / ACCESS Newswire / May 14, 2026 / Trans Astronautica Corporation (TransAstra) today announced the execution of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the United States Air Force Academy Dean of Faculty (USAFA/DF). The two-year agreement establishes a joint research program to advance technologies for finding, capturing, and processing asteroids to enable U.S. space dominance and support U.S. Space Force Space Domain Awareness and Space Mobility and Logistics objectives.
"This agreement is an important milestone for TransAstra and for U.S. national security in space," said Joel Sercel, CEO of TransAstra. "By partnering with the Air Force Academy, we advance the technologies needed to find, capture, and mine asteroids while helping prepare the next generation of space operators to lead America's future in dynamic space operations."
Key Research Areas
The collaboration spans four technology areas: space situational awareness using advanced telescope systems and proprietary detection algorithms; non-cooperative object capture via TransAstra's inflatable "capture bag" technology; the Omnivore Solar-Thermal Engine for deep-space propulsion using asteroid-derived propellants; and Optical Mining/Solar Forge technology for extracting and processing in-space resources. Payloads related to each area may be demonstrated on USAFA's FalconSAT small satellite program.
The agreement also includes a direct cadet research component. TransAstra engineers will serve as mentors through the Academy's Cadet Summer Research Program (CSRP), giving cadets hands-on experience with emerging space technologies.
About TransAstra
TransAstra is a space resources and logistics company developing systems to find, capture, move, and process asteroids to enable a sustainable cislunar and deep-space economy. The company holds 23 issued U.S. patents covering solar-thermal propulsion, optical mining, space optics, and in-space manufacturing. TransAstra is headquartered in Pacoima, California. For more information, visit transastra.com.
Media Contact
Alex Pilmer, Chief Business Officer
Phone: 626-533-7233
Email: alexp@transastra.com
SOURCE: Trans Astronautica Corporation
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/aerospace-and-defense/transastra-and-u.s.-air-force-academy-sign-agreement-to-advance-asteroid-mini-1166816
