IN THE NEWS | HANDS, Space Debris, and Scientific Success

It’s no secret that cutting edge science is expensive and risky. Often, only brave and innovative companies are willing to take on the uncertainty of developing a technology that may not always have a clear path to profitable, commercial enterprise. This is the space in which Oceanit operates, thrives, and succeeds.

Oceanit often works with the Department of Defense’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, an initiative designed to fund technology development that corporate businesses eschew as being too risky.  Whether the ideas are ‘too harebrained’ and far out, or don’t have a clear path to profitability, larger entities often don’t want to take on the risk to pursue truly novel technologies. That is where the SBIR program comes in.

To promote ground-breaking innovation, the SBIR programs funds ideas that can make a difference not only to federal stakeholders, but eventually to communities and consumers as well.  We have won hundreds of SBIR contracts over our 35-year history to create disruptive innovation right here in Hawai’i, and our success has garnered attention. The article below featured in the U.S. Air Force’s SBIR success stories of 2020.

Our High Accuracy Network Determination System (HANDS) is a network of terrestrial-based observance points that map and track increasing space debris levels orbiting our planet.  It’s a fundamental breakthrough that was developed in Hawai’i and will serve the United States for many years to come.  As the space around Earth welcomes more and more stakeholders from the private sector, object, satellite, and debris tracking is becoming a critical component to keeping the “air” up there safe.

Download the PDF version of this story here.