Muon Space will develop three dual-use satellites for defense weather monitoring and wildfire monitoring. Photo: Muon Space

The U.S. Space Force has awarded Muon Space $44.6 million in funding for an on-orbit prototype demonstration of a dual-use space-based environmental monitoring (SBEM) capability. 

The funding announced Monday is a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Firm Fixed Price Phase III Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreement from Space Systems Command (SSC) System Delta 810. 

Muon has been tasked with launching three satellites for Space Systems Command’s prototype demonstration, which will serve both Department of Defense (DoD) Meteorology and Oceanography end users and global wildfire detection and monitoring. It will serve SBEM priorities of cloud characterization and theater weather imagery. 

The mission will build on technology developed for the FireSat wildfire-monitoring with the Earth Fire Alliance, which saw the first satellite launch earlier this year. It also builds on Muon’s previously awarded a SBIR Phase II contract in December 2024 to evolve its multispectral infrared (IR) instrument, Quickbeam, for this dual-purpose application. 

This program will deploy three satellites equipped with an enhanced Quickbeam-SBEM payload to demonstrate this operational capability. The Quickbeam-SBEM variant has enhanced spectral coverage and onboard processing for DoD weather operations. 

“This mission demonstrates the power of dual-use design – we’re not just adapting existing technology, we’re creating a platform that excels at both missions simultaneously. By building on our commercial FireSat foundation, we can deliver operational value immediately while proving scalability for future defense missions,” Jonny Dyer, CEO of Muon Space, said in a release.