Space Force awards contracts to Leidos, MapLarge for ‘battle planning’ software

2026-04-22 · Source: SpaceNews · Field: Government & Public Sector — Public Safety & Security, Digital Government & E-Government · Depth: Intermediate, quick

Summary

The U.S. Space Force has awarded initial contracts totaling $1.9 million to Leidos ($1.4 million) and MapLarge ($500,000) under its new Kronos program. Announced on April 22, Kronos aims to develop unified software tools for space battle management and command and control, replacing existing legacy systems that are slow and isolated. This initiative will integrate data from multiple sources in near real time to help military and intelligence units understand orbital activities, identify threats, and direct responses. The software will process intelligence data, improve tasking of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets, and support target development for entities like the National Space Defense Center and Combined Space Operations Center. The program utilizes commercial technologies screened through the TAP Lab and fast-tracked procurement via the Pentagon’s Commercial Solutions Opening.

Key takeaway

For AI Architects and Software Engineers developing defense applications, the Kronos program signals a shift towards rapid prototyping and commercial software integration. You should explore opportunities within the Pentagon’s Commercial Solutions Opening, focusing on solutions that unify disparate data streams and support real-time operational workflows for space domain awareness. This approach prioritizes agility over traditional "waterfall" development cycles.

Key insights

The Kronos program unifies space data for battle management, leveraging commercial tech and rapid prototyping.

Principles

• Unified data systems enhance operational understanding.
• Rapid prototyping accelerates defense software development.

Method

Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) fast-tracks procurement, with prototypes screened via the TAP Lab for specific military problems.

In practice

• Integrate diverse data sources for real-time situational awareness.
• Adopt rapid prototyping for defense software acquisition.

Topics

• Space Force
• Kronos Program
• Battle Management
• Command and Control
• Space Domain Awareness

Best for: Software Engineer, AI Engineer, AI Architect

Related on AIssential

• Space Force awards SpaceX $4.16 billion to build satellite network for airborne target tracking — Space Force is rapidly shifting critical airborne target tracking to a multi-vendor, proliferated satellite network, with SpaceX as a key initial partner.
• Ukraine opens its battlefield data to allies to train AI models for autonomous drones — Ukraine is sharing unique battlefield data to advance autonomous drone AI development with allies.
• ‘We can’t build it all ourselves’: Saab opens up to defence tech startups — Defense primes are increasingly partnering with startups to integrate rapidly evolving AI and space technologies.
• Astrobotic says sale to Voyager will allow it to scale up — Astrobotic sold to Voyager for rapid scaling to meet NASA's lunar base demands, gaining public market access.
• Inside Golden Dome’s push to court commercial tech firms and investors — The Pentagon is shifting missile defense development to commercial models to achieve affordability and speed, despite significant integration and financial risks.
• Can the UK roll out military AI at startup speed? — UK's military AI acceleration plan faces significant hurdles due to slow defence procurement processes.

Open in AIssential →

Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by SpaceNews.