Cathode Advancements in Science and Technology for Oxygen Resistance (CASTOR)

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is issuing a Disruption Opportunity (DO), inviting submissions of innovative basic or applied research for efficient, high-performance, long-lived oxygen-compatible cathodes for use in air-breathing very low earth orbit (VLEO) electric propulsion (EP) systems. This DO is issued under the Program Announcement for Disruptioneering, DARPA-PA-25-07. All awards will be made in the form of an Other Transaction (OT) for Prototype project. The total award value for the combined Phase 1 base (Feasibility Study) and Phase 2 option (Proof of Concept) is limited to $900,000 (see Section I.C for information more information on phase structure). This total award value includes Government funding and performer cost share if required or proposed. To view the DARPA Program Announcement (PA) for Disruptioneering, visit SAM.gov under solicitation number DARPA-PA-25-07: https://sam.gov/opp/bae5fa32f4ee4cdb9a070a14309b2c66/view.