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RapidFort and SpaceWERX have signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to develop and evaluate cybersecurity capabilities for U.S. Space Force systems. The planned work includes reducing software vulnerability risks, preparing for post-quantum threats and helping speed Authority to Operate processes; the agreement does not announce a deployed product or specific performance results.
RapidFort and SpaceWERX have signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to develop and evaluate cybersecurity capabilities for U.S. Space Force systems. The partnership is intended to address software vulnerability risks, including those involving AI, prepare for post-quantum encryption threats and support faster approval of software for operational use.
The agreement, known as a CRADA, establishes a framework for RapidFort, SpaceWERX and other industry organizations to share technical expertise, infrastructure and operational insights. The stated goal is to test and refine commercial cybersecurity solutions against the needs of Space Force operations and acquisition teams. SpaceWERX is the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force and a division of the Air Force Research Laboratory.
The announced research areas include reducing the risk of AI software vulnerability exploitation, evaluating approaches to post-quantum encryption risks, and improving cyber readiness. The collaboration will also expand RapidFort’s educational offerings on Authority to Operate, or ATO, processes. ATO is the authorization required before software can be used in a federal environment. The company also plans to expand a program offering guidance from facilities security officers on clearance-related processes.
RapidFort says its software supply-chain security work includes a patch-time service-level commitment after an upstream fix is available: seven calendar days for critical or high-severity issues, 21 days for medium issues and 28 days for low issues. Those are company-stated targets, not results reported from the new agreement. The announcement does not identify a specific system under test, a project schedule or a cybersecurity capability already delivered through the CRADA.
Faster Security Review for Space Software
Space systems depend on software that must be reviewed and authorized before it can be fielded. A collaboration that helps teams test commercial tools against operational requirements could support the Space Force’s effort to adopt software while managing security risks. The agreement places particular emphasis on AI-enabled software, which the announcement identifies as a priority, and on preparing for future cryptographic threats.
The CRADA also connects two groups with different roles: SpaceWERX brings access to operational experts, acquisition professionals and Space Force personnel, while RapidFort brings its software and open-source industry network. That structure may help identify whether commercial solutions address military needs, but the announcement describes a research and evaluation arrangement rather than a procurement decision or a commitment to deploy a particular product.
Faster ATO processes could matter because lengthy authorization reviews can delay the use of new software. The agreement’s stated aim is to help streamline that work without sacrificing security. Whether the collaboration reduces approval times, and by how much, remains to be measured; no baseline, target reduction or schedule was provided.
cybersecurity software for space systems
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How the CRADA Connects Industry and Space Force
A Cooperative Research and Development Agreement provides a structure for government and private-sector participants to conduct research together and exchange relevant expertise. In this case, the announcement says the collaboration is intended to build a broader industry consortium, though it does not name additional participants or set out the consortium’s membership.
SpaceWERX works to connect commercial innovation with Space Force and Air Force needs. The agreement is framed around that role: RapidFort gains access to SpaceWERX’s operational and acquisition network, while SpaceWERX can draw on RapidFort’s connections to software and open-source communities. The parties say feedback from those exchanges will help validate and refine potential capabilities.
The announcement also links the proposed work to federal priorities on AI security and advanced cryptographic threats. Those references explain the policy setting cited by RapidFort; they do not, on their own, establish that the CRADA has produced new protections or that specific technologies have been selected.
““Partnering with SpaceWERX through this CRADA represents a major milestone in our mission to bridge commercial breakthroughs with national security priorities.””
— Mehran Farimani, RapidFort chief executive
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Project Scope and Results Await Detail
The announcement does not disclose the research timeline, funding arrangements, named Space Force systems or the specific tools that will be assessed. It also does not say which other companies or organizations will join the proposed industry consortium, or whether the work will lead to contracts or operational deployments.
No test results, quantified reduction in vulnerabilities, post-quantum migration plan or ATO time savings were reported. The agreement establishes a framework for collaboration; its practical effect will depend on the projects selected, evaluation findings and any follow-on decisions by the Space Force. RapidFort’s patch-time commitments are company-stated service targets and should not be read as a CRADA performance result.
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Testing and Evaluation to Follow
Under the announced framework, the parties are expected to connect SpaceWERX operational and acquisition personnel with RapidFort and its industry network to identify and assess relevant cybersecurity capabilities. The stated areas for work are AI software vulnerability risk, post-quantum encryption risk, cyber readiness and ATO education.
The announcement gives no dates for the first evaluations or for any public findings. Further details may clarify which systems and solutions are involved, how success will be measured and whether the research leads to procurement or deployment. Until those details are released, the confirmed development is the agreement itself and the intended research scope.
software supply chain security tools
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Key Questions
What did RapidFort and SpaceWERX agree to do?
They signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to collaborate on developing and evaluating cybersecurity capabilities for U.S. Space Force systems.
What cybersecurity issues are part of the planned work?
The announced focus includes AI software vulnerability risks, post-quantum encryption risks, cyber readiness and support for faster Authority to Operate processes.
Does the agreement mean a RapidFort product will be deployed by the Space Force?
No deployment or procurement decision was announced. The CRADA provides a framework for research, testing and evaluation; the announcement does not name a product selected for operational use.
What does Authority to Operate mean?
Authority to Operate, or ATO, is an authorization process for software or systems used in a federal environment. The parties say the collaboration will include education intended to help improve that process.
When will results be available?
No evaluation schedule or date for results was provided. The timing, specific systems under review and any follow-on deployment decisions remain undisclosed.
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