WASHINGTON — Muon Space has secured a $1.9 million contract to develop an infrared sensing payload for missile detection and tracking, the startup announced Dec. 9. The award is a Small Business Innovation Research Direct to Phase 2 contract from SpaceWERX, the U.S. Space Force’s technology arm. The Direct to Phase 2 path lets companies skip an initial feasibility study and move straight to prototype development.

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Sandra Erwin writes about military space programs, policy, technology and the industry that supports this sector. She has covered the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for nearly two decades as editor of NDIA’s National Defense...