RapidFort signs SpaceWERX deal on Space Force cyber
Wed, 21st Oct 2026 (Today)
RapidFort has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with SpaceWERX focused on cyber readiness for the United States Space Force.
The agreement creates a framework for RapidFort and SpaceWERX to build a broader industry consortium to co-develop, test and evaluate software security measures for space systems. The work is intended to address AI software exploitation risks, post-quantum encryption concerns and the pace of Authority to Operate approvals, or ATOs.
SpaceWERX, the innovation arm of the United States Space Force, operates within the Air Force Research Labouratory. Under the agreement, industry participants are expected to share technical expertise, infrastructure and operational insight related to commercialisation and cybersecurity readiness for space systems.
For the Space Force, the project is intended to help Guardian personnel introduce new software more securely while speeding approval and deployment. The agreement also gives RapidFort access to SpaceWERX's network of operational experts, acquisition professionals and Guardian talent, while SpaceWERX gains access to RapidFort's software and open-source partner network.
Cyber focus
The joint research will focus on several areas, including reducing the risk of AI software vulnerabilities being exploited, assessing ways to limit exposure to post-quantum encryption threats, and expanding education programmes designed to shorten ATO timelines.
Another part of the work will expand an education programme aimed at speeding security clearances for projects within the SpaceWERX ecosystem. The agreement also establishes a feedback process to help the Space Force test and refine commercial tools against operational requirements in near real time.
The deal places RapidFort within a part of the US defence innovation system designed to bring commercial software and security suppliers into military programmes more quickly. SpaceWERX has been used by the Space Force to connect private-sector technology developers with operational and procurement teams as the service seeks to adapt more rapidly in a contested space environment.
RapidFort operates in software supply chain security, a market that has drawn growing attention from governments and large organisations concerned about vulnerabilities in open-source software, development pipelines and third-party code. The company has also been active in Silicon Valley AI and cybersecurity groups and serves on the governing board of the Akrites Project.
Industry links
The agreement reflects a broader push by US defence organisations to work more closely with software and cybersecurity companies on issues related to AI, cryptography and secure deployment. Those concerns have become more urgent as defence agencies consider how to adopt AI tools without increasing exposure to software attacks, while also preparing for the longer-term implications of quantum computing for encryption.
ATO processes have become a particular focus. In defence and other regulated sectors, obtaining an ATO can delay software rollouts because systems must pass security and compliance checks before entering operation. Companies working with government customers have increasingly sought to reduce those approval times without weakening controls.
In the space sector, those pressures are heightened by the need to protect systems that support communications, surveillance, navigation and other military functions. Software weaknesses in those systems can have strategic consequences, particularly where commercial technologies are integrated into operational environments.
Mehran Farimani, Chief Executive Officer of RapidFort, described the agreement as part of a broader effort to link commercial software development with military priorities. "Partnering with SpaceWERX through this CRADA represents a major milestone in our mission to bridge commercial breakthroughs with national security priorities," he said.
He added: "Our focus is clear: Empower the Guardians to eliminate AI-driven software attack vectors at the source, accelerate ATOs so Guardians can field next-generation software without trading speed for security, and prepare space systems for emerging post-quantum threats. Through this CRADA we can bring best of industry software into the heart of USSF operations, leveraging the benefits of AI while reducing the security risks of AI."