(Montgomery, Ala.) – Black Horizon, a space app developed to assist with space education, has now been adopted by the U.S. Space Force. The app, originally developed as a result of the Spacecraft Engagement Simulation Experiment Challenge by MGMWERX and later debuted at the 35th Space Symposium, was recently contracted by the SMC STAO to continue development first as a mobile app and later as a Windows version for classroom training of future Space professionals.
“Through the MGMWERX challenge, the team was able to quickly solve an Air Force problem set,” said Lt. Col. Edward G. Ferguson, a Blue Horizons fellow at Air University. “In a matter of months Airmen have a tool in their hands to begin addressing operational needs. None of this is possible without the flexibility and adaptability Blue Horizons gets from its partnership with MGMWERX.”
Black Horizon originated as a mobile application providing education on spacelift, orbital mechanics, and satellite constellation design for the U.S. Air Force. The app expands and fast-tracks the traditional space education program by providing broader distribution across the spectrum of mobile platforms. It was beta-tested with users during the symposium just five months after being announced as the Spacecraft Engagement Simulation Experiment Challenge with MGMWERX. The Spacecraft Engagement Simulation Experiment Challenge, conducted by MGMWERX, first began receiving applications in late 2018 and early 2019 for mobile-friendly applications as space operational visualization tools.
“Words can’t express our excitement with Black Horizon project,” exclaimed Joyce Vaughn, Marketing & Events Manager at MGMWERX. “It has been an honor to play a role in this project from its early stages and to now see it be adapted by the Space Force.”
MGMWERX was created under a Partnership Intermediary Agreement to align with the education initiatives of Air University. MGMWERX augments ongoing Air University programs, through events like Pitch Night, to enhance the production of high-quality, innovative research and ideas that span issues of importance to the Air Force. This includes, but is not limited to, doctrine, strategies, capability needs, operational concepts, training, education, and science and technology.