In 2023, the U.S. Space Force launched the Space Domain Awareness (SDA) Tools, Application, & Processing (TAP) Lab. The SDA TAP Lab aims to accelerate the delivery of space battle management software to operational units.
An initiative of the SDA TAP Lab includes the Apollo Accelerator, a collaborative tech accelerator for industry, academia, and government to solve critical SDA challenges. The Apollo Accelerator creates an environment for collaboration between members of its “cohorts.” Cohorts are made up of creators and innovators in the space domain including, for example, startup companies and academics developing promising technologies. Companies such as Stelluvia Technologies and True Anomaly have participated in the Apollo Accelerator.
The Apollo Accelerator provides structured programs, including mentorship and access to resources, bringing cohort members together, and promoting growth and development. The program claims that members retain any developed intellectual property (IP) unless otherwise agreed. Regarding IP, the SDA TAP website states the following:
Through the Apollo Accelerator, we attempt to create an environment where investments can align to serve both business needs and deliver solutions for national defense. Funding is never guaranteed. We take your intellectual property seriously.
You retain IP. The SDA TAP Lab is not a party to ownership rights and intellectual property issues regarding software developed during the Apollo Accelerator unless governed by a separate contractual agreement stating otherwise. You keep your IP. We help you maximize the utility of your solution.
Cohort 7 of the Apollo Accelerator runs from May 14th, 2025, through August 12th, 2025, with additional cohorts scheduled periodically between August 27th, 2025, and January 13th, 2027. Further information regarding applications for future cohorts is available on the SDA TAP website.
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