RapidFort and SpaceWERX Enter Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to Improve Cyber Readiness and Reduce ATO Timescales for U.S. Space Force

Relationship Addresses Improvement of USSF Cyber Readiness, Reduction of AI Software Exploitation Risk, Rapid Acceleration of ATOs, Fast-Tracking of Security Clearances, and Cybersecurity Protection of Space Systems from Post-Quantum Encryption Risk

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--RapidFort, the leader in Software Supply Chain Security (SSCS) with the largest distribution of curated truly open-source software, today announced it has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with SpaceWERX, the innovation arm of the United States Space Force (USSF) and a division of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

This strategic partnership establishes a collaborative framework to build a larger industry consortium to enable SpaceWERX to co-develop, test, and evaluate next-generation capabilities that reduce AI software vulnerability exploitation risk, improve cyber readiness, accelerate ATOs, and reduce post-quantum encryption risk across critical space systems. For the USSF, the CRADA is designed to improve cyber readiness, allowing USSF Guardian personnel to field new software capabilities securely, while having them approved and deployed at operational speed. Under the terms of the CRADA, industry organizations will share technical expertise, infrastructure, and operational insights to accelerate commercialization and cybersecurity mission readiness for space systems.

As a CRADA partner, RapidFort now has access to SpaceWERX’s network of operational experts, acquisition professionals, and Guardian talent. Likewise, SpaceWERX has access to RapidFort’s ecosystem of software industry and open-source partners. This collaborative feedback loop will enable the Space Force to validate and refine its capabilities in near real time, ensuring commercial solutions map directly to the dynamic requirements of the contested space domain.

“Partnering with SpaceWERX through this CRADA represents a major milestone in our mission to bridge commercial breakthroughs with national security priorities,” said Mehran Farimani, CEO of RapidFort. “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.”

RapidFort has been a key member of the Silicon Valley AI and cybersecurity communities and serves on the governing board of the Akrites Project, among other community-based software initiatives.

The joint research under this CRADA will focus primarily on:

• Efforts to continuously reduce AI software vulnerability exploitation risk for the Department of War, aligned with the recent presidential executive order on Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Security.
• Development and evaluation of capabilities to reduce post-quantum encryption risk, aligned with the presidential order on Securing the Nation Against Advanced Cryptographic Attacks.
• Expansion of RapidFort complimentary Rapid ATO education and “Ask an Approving Officer Program,” providing industry and Guardians a repeatable pattern to deliver reduced ATO timescales. This is especially important for AI software, which is now a national Department of War priority.
• Expansion of the complimentary “Ask a Facilities Security Officer (FSO)” education program to help accelerate clearances for key projects within the SpaceWERX ecosystem.

This CRADA underscores SpaceWERX’s ongoing commitment to cultivating partnerships with the community of leading software, AI, cybersecurity, and defense startups, thus leveraging commercial agility to rebuild the nation’s technological arsenal for the modern era.

About RapidFort

RapidFort leads the Software Supply Chain Security market with the largest distribution of curated, genuinely open-source software. Its platform enables organizations to eliminate risk at scale through hardened near-zero CVE container images, runtime profiling, attack surface management, and the industry's first independently malware-scanned open-source images - cutting CVE exposure by up to 99.9% without code changes or platform migration. RapidFort is recognized in the inaugural Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Software Supply Chain Security, named a Gartner® Cool Vendor™, and honored as a Nutanix .Next Partner of the Year. The company is backed by Blue Cloud Ventures and Forgepoint Capital and headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif. Visit www.RapidFort.com.

About SpaceWERX

As the innovation arm of the United States Space Force and a unique division within AFWERX, SpaceWERX inspires and empowers collaboration with innovators to accelerate capabilities and shape the future in space. SpaceWERX identifies, validates, and transitions dual use technologies from across the commercial space ecosystem to deliver capabilities at speed and scale in a contested domain. In partnership with Space Systems Command’s Commercial Space Office, SpaceWERX connects innovative technology developers with operational experts, acquisition professionals, and Guardian talent to bridge innovation and acquisition.

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