Slingshot Aerospace Wins $69.2 Million U.S. Space Force Contract to Advance AI-Powered Mission Readiness for Space Defense

Slingshot Aerospace, bringing together the systems, software, and AI that turn sensing, data fusion, and simulation into coordinated operational action, led by Tim Solms and the team, has announced a $69.2 million award in support of the U.S. Space Force’s ongoing digital transformation efforts. This 4.5-year initiative, part of the Operational Test and Training Infrastructure (OTTI) program, will deliver AI-powered mission rehearsal and operational training capabilities to Guardians responsible for protecting and defending U.S. and allied interests in space.

The SBIR Phase III contract marks Slingshot’s largest award to date, building on a previous STRATFI contract that supported the development of a Digital Space Twin for modeling the space operating environment.

Named MENTAT, the program takes inspiration from the strategic thinkers in Dune who process vast information to support complex decisions. The initiative aims to advance AI adoption within the Department of War by helping Space Force personnel operate with greater speed, scale, and decision-making capability in the increasingly complex domain of modern space operations.

Preparing Guardians for Space Defense.

MENTAT supports the U.S. Space Force mission by providing AI-enabled, high-fidelity environments where Guardians can rehearse space defense scenarios, evaluate strategies, and strengthen decision-making under realistic operational conditions.

At its core, MENTAT features TALOS, Slingshot’s AI-powered operational training and strategy agent. TALOS simulates spacecraft behavior, analyzes complex data, generates response options, and enables mission rehearsal across evolving space scenarios. The system helps improve readiness by supporting faster detection of anomalies, better understanding of adversary actions, coordinated mission planning, and decision-making in contested orbital environments.

Bringing Training to the Point of Need.

MENTAT transforms advanced space operations training from a limited, exercise-based activity into a continuous readiness capability. By providing AI-enabled training and mission rehearsal tools at Guardians’ home stations and daily work environments, the program enables more frequent preparation, practice, and operational decision-making beyond traditional training windows.

Accelerating Operational Readiness.

As space becomes increasingly congested and contested, mission teams face growing demands to process complex information and respond rapidly to evolving threats, including cyber risks, electronic warfare, and advanced on-orbit activities.

MENTAT addresses these challenges by enabling Guardians to train against realistic orbital scenarios and rehearse complex missions through AI-powered environments. Built on Slingshot’s Digital Space Twin, the platform combines orbital data, astrodynamics, AI-driven analytics, and mission context to create realistic operational simulations.

The system advances Slingshot’s Space Operations Intelligence & Autonomy framework—Sense → Fuse → Decide → Act—by integrating data, threat modeling, simulation, and mission rehearsal into a unified environment. This helps move space operations from static awareness toward continuous decision advantage.