AFWERX, SpaceWERX Advance DataEX Application: from Hackathon Concept to Digital Spaceport Capability

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — An idea developed during a Space Launch Delta 45 (SLD 45) hackathon is being developed into a broader spaceport capability through collaboration among Beast Code, AFWERX, SpaceWERX and U.S. Space Force operators.

Annual launch activity at the Eastern and Western ranges supported a combined 175 launch missions in 2025, a significant increase from a decade earlier. Projections indicate the combined launch tempo could reach 650 to 700 or more launches annually by 2035, or roughly 13 launches per week. The increased launch and booster-recovery tempo is prompting spaceport organizations to evaluate existing processes, infrastructure and software tools. Projected launch rates could require operations to be managed on a daily rather than monthly basis, creating requirements similar in some respects to those of an airport.

DataEX, developed by defense software company Beast Code, is intended to provide Guardians and Airmen with digital tools for planning, coordination and execution of spaceport activities. The application combines information from multiple systems, databases and mission sets into a common operating picture intended to help users access relevant information in an environment where conditions can change rapidly.

The effort began in April 2023, when Beast Code software developers participated in an inaugural hackathon at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida. Working with SLD 45 operators and innovation teams, the company developed an initial spaceport visualization concept focused on helping users plan and coordinate installation activities.

AFWERX and SpaceWERX subsequently selected Beast Code to support its Digital Spaceport of the Future initiative, which seeks to examine ways to integrate and automate spaceport operations as launch activity increases. Through two related Small Business Innovation Research Phase II contracts, Beast Code began developing the DataEX application and supporting data infrastructure to connect existing spaceport systems with cloud-based capabilities.

In October 2025, SpaceWERX awarded Beast Code a four-year, $15 million Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) contract to further develop the effort. Initial work focused on SLD 45 operations at Patrick Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The effort is also being evaluated for potential application to other U.S. Space Force operations, including Space Launch Delta 30 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.

According to Beast Code, the DataEX effort incorporates requirements identified through discussions with personnel from Spaceport Integration, now designated the 1st Space Launch Squadron, as well as the 45th Safety Squadron, 1st Range Operations Squadron, 45th Range Management and digital transformation offices. The company used those discussions to identify information and workflow requirements for the application.

DataEX is built on Beast Code’s software framework and is designed to bring information from multiple existing sources into a consolidated view without requiring wholesale changes to the systems that generate or transmit the underlying data. The application currently displays information including Star Gate launch schedule data, ground movements, safety zones, security roadblocks, construction zones, hazard areas and user-generated events. The information is intended to support situational awareness, planning, coordination and deconfliction among participating units.

The development of DataEX from a five-day hackathon prototype into a project supported through a STRATFI contract illustrates how operational requirements identified by users can inform the development and evaluation of emerging technology.

SpaceWERX works with industry, government organizations and military users to identify and develop technologies that may address U.S. Space Force requirements. The DataEX effort is one example of that process, moving from an initial concept to continued development and evaluation in an operational environment.

*Disclaimer: References to non-federal entities do not constitute or imply Department of War or Air Force endorsement of any company or organization.