AFRL America Collaborates With Indian Startups To Develop Space Technology

AFRL created a CRADA with 114AI and 3rd ITech (photo: dock. AFRL)

JAKARTA The United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is building a partnership with two Indian startups, namely 114AI and 3rd ITech. This collaboration is recorded in the New Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA).

114AI is a Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based startup that builds double software for space domain awareness, while the 3rd ITech is a startup that focuses on supplying imaging sensors and chip development.

The two startups located in India will work with the AFRL Space Vehicle Directorate in advancing innovation for Earth's observation sensors and space domain awareness.

Quoting fromSpacenews, this is the first time the United States Air Force (US) has collaborated with companies that are not from its own country. What's more, this collaboration uses CRADA.

Through this CRADA, the Mission Area Leader of the AFRL Space Vehicle Directorate Wellesley Pereira believes that the two countries will show significant step forward, particularly to push technology boundaries in space.

This collaboration does show strong US and Indian relations. The reason is, the two countries have started their cooperation since June this year through the Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X).

INDUS-X is an effort to unite universities, startups, and ID cards institutions created by the US Department of Defense and India's Ministry of Defense.