Space Systems Command Launches Third Annual “Fight Tonight” Innovation Competition Published Sept. 4, 2024 By Lisa Sodders SSC Public Affairs El Segundo, CA -- For the third consecutive year, Space Systems Command personnel are being invited to submit their best technical solutions to help ensure SSC is ready to “Fight Tonight.” SSC’s annual “Fight Tonight” competition seeks to find solutions from its workforce that are aligned to the critical Space Force mission of ensuring a secure space domain for all. “Fight Tonight” is one of the many ways SSC is working hard to make sure USSF continues to be ready for the Great Power Competition and the 2026 fight,” said Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, SSC Commander. “Our people are some of the smartest, most innovative minds in the space industry today and we want to harness their best ideas and put them to work to help protect the Nation.” The competition is open to all SSC government employees, and all ideas must have an operational sponsor from Space Operations Command to validate that the proposed idea is operationally relevant. Up to $12 million in funding is available to the individual or team winners. “This year, Fight Tonight is part of celebrating the 5th anniversary of the U.S. Space Force,” said Rachel Souder-Arguedas, director of AtlasX, SSC’s business innovation office responsible for facilitating the competition. “We are the acquisition arm of a nimble, innovative force that can pivot quickly. Our ability to identify and maximize technological solutions has been baked into our processes from the start.” “In the past, SSC leadership has wanted to fund as many ideas as they can,” said Capt. Erin Lindsey, AtlasX chief of business innovation. “We’ve encouraged innovators to think about scalability. For example, if you write a proposal for $12 million and you can’t execute it unless you get $12 million – what happens if you don’t receive the full amount. How scalable are your ideas? Whether you can more with less is a big factor to consider. There will be a lot of good ideas brought to the table.” Lindsey stressed that great ideas aren’t limited only to SSC’s subject matter experts with the most seniority; winning ideas can come from anyone. One of last year’s winners last year championed by a first lieutenant. Proposals should be based on actionable ideas that can be implemented in a one-year time-frame and directly align with the field command’s strategic intent to exploit its current resources, tap the commercial marketplace to buy what is already available and build when a commercial or allied solution is not a viable option. AtlasX Innovation coaches also are available to help innovators navigate the submission process or consult on ideas. SSC is particularly interested in ideas such as reducing operator workload; enhancing space situational awareness systems; space common operating picture enhancement for ops centers; assisting operations in denied areas; and Tracking, Telemetry and Command (TT&C) resiliency. Last year, Allied Exchange Environment (AXE) - a proposal to create a standardized interface between the U.S. and allied partners to share data from the U.S. Space Force’s Unified Data Library – was declared the winner. Two other proposals also received funding: Aalyria Spacetime and DEEP-RF. Aalyria Spacetime is a software-defined, dynamic network orchestration and resource allocation capability, to directly enhance warfighter communication. DEEP-RF or Data Exploitation and Enhanced Processing-Radio Frequency, will fill a gap for a persistent, extended monitoring of the RF spectrum by leveraging commercial data from already fielded systems. Entries for Fight Tonight 2024 may be submitted through Sept. 6, 2024. Finalists will be announced in early October, and the winning ideas will be announced Nov. 14, 2024 at the Space Force Ball in Los Angeles, California. To submit an idea, visit SSC’s Fight Tonight 2024 submission page at https://gain.il4.afwerx.dso.mil/ussf/fight-tonight-2024/overview (CAC required). For assistance in navigating the submission process or to request consultation, contact AtlasX via email at SSC.AtlasX@spaceforce.mil