The president of Blue Sapphire Strategies, a Miami-based public affairs consulting firm, Pamela Berkowsky holds a master’s degree in national security studies from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a bachelor’s degree in public and international affairs from Princeton University. Pamela Berkowsky, who with her husband, Adam Shapiro, founded Aerospace Medical Sleep Consultants, also serves as a senior executive defense consultant to the South Florida Defense Alliance (www.southfloridadefensealliance.org), where she focuses on the national security implications of climate change, defense innovation, and opportunities to expand Department of Defense (DOD) investments in South Florida, including the aviation and aerospace sectors. In September of this year, DOD’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) requested proposals from private-sector companies for “lightweight, portable, long-duration” nuclear power and propulsion technologies that may be utilized to power future DoD missions in space. Existing electrical and solar-based propulsion technologies, according to the DoD, cannot support trips beyond Earth’s orbit nor are they compatible with the reduced size and weight requirements of next-generation spacecraft. As a result, a sophisticated propulsion system that can provide significant variations in velocity and power to payloads while being fuel-efficient is essential. Due to the low-temperature nature of space, the DoD additionally asked that proposed systems be able to deliver heat to spacecraft systems and that the quantity of radiation emitted be kept to a minimum. While NASA is already working to develop fission-based propulsion and power systems, DIU’s solicitation is focused on identifying commercial technology that can be used in the nearer term. Using Other Transaction Authority, DIU expects to award contracts by the end of the year.

1. DOD INTERESTED IN COMMERCIAL
PROPULSION TECHNOLOGY FOR SPACE
MISSIONS
Pamela Berkowsky

2. INTRODUCTION
The president of Blue Sapphire Strategies, a Miami-based public
affairs consulting firm, Pamela Berkowsky holds a master’s degree in
national security studies from the Fletcher School of Law and
Diplomacy and a bachelor’s degree in public and international affairs
from Princeton University.

3. Pamela Berkowsky, who with her husband, Adam Shapiro,
founded Aerospace Medical Sleep Consultants, also serves as a
senior executive defense consultant to the South Florida Defense
Alliance (www.southfloridadefensealliance.org), where she focuses
on the national security implications of climate change, defense
innovation, and opportunities to expand Department of Defense
(DOD) investments in South Florida, including the aviation and
aerospace sectors.

4. In September of this year, DOD’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)
requested proposals from private-sector companies for
“lightweight, portable, long-duration” nuclear power and
propulsion technologies that may be utilized to power future DoD
missions in space. Existing electrical and solar-based propulsion
technologies, according to the DoD, cannot support trips beyond
Earth’s orbit nor are they compatible with the reduced size and
weight requirements of next-generation spacecraft. As a result, a
sophisticated propulsion system that can provide significant
variations in velocity and power to payloads while being fuel-
efficient is essential.

5. Due to the low-temperature nature of space, the DoD additionally
asked that proposed systems be able to deliver heat to spacecraft
systems and that the quantity of radiation emitted be kept to a
minimum. While NASA is already working to develop fission-based
propulsion and power systems, DIU’s solicitation is focused on
identifying commercial technology that can be used in the nearer
term. Using Other Transaction Authority, DIU expects to award
contracts by the end of the year.