Internship Program Equips Students to Drive Innovation in Cyber Threat Detection for U.S. Space Force
August 25, 2025 – Chantilly, Va. – AMERICAN SYSTEMS, an employee-owned, leading provider of mission essential and information engineering services to federal customers, is excited to announce an innovative partnership with Purdue University that will advance the future of national security and space technology through the university’s scalable Data Mine of the Rockies (DMR) experiential learning and workforce development initiative. By joining forces, this initiative is empowering the next generation of space domain leaders to tackle one of today’s most critical challenges: enhancing Space Domain Awareness (SDA) of Resident Space Objects (RSO) with Cyber-Suspicious Indicators (CSI). This groundbreaking initiative will put cutting-edge analytical tools and real-world threat scenarios into the hands of emerging talent—propelling breakthrough solutions for the U.S. Space Force (USSF) and shaping new industry standards for space security.
This project enables 10 collegian students working at the USSF/SSC/BMC3I SDA TAP Lab to assist AMERICAN SYSTEMS with designing and developing an approach, methodology, and eventual prototype of a User-Interface/User-Experience (UI/UX) system capable of categorizing, classifying, and labeling CSIs for RSOs. Participating students will receive the opportunity to utilize modern analytical tools to develop cutting edge approaches for in-demand capabilities to specifically address USSF Kill Web requirements. Students will gain exposure to advanced threat detection tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) for performing Camouflage, Concealment, Deception, and Maneuver (CCDM) evaluations. Students will also become pioneers in the establishment of industry standards for detecting, tracking, monitoring, and reporting against CSIs.
“At AMERICAN SYSTEMS, we believe that the greatest breakthroughs happen when fresh perspectives meet real-world challenges,” said John Steckel, AMERICAN SYSTEMS’ President and CEO. “By partnering with Purdue University on this initiative, we’re not just developing advanced solutions for USSF—we’re igniting the creativity and passion of the next generation of space security leaders.”
“We have been humbled by the tremendous support from Colorado’s academic institutions and project partners,” said Dr. Dan Hirleman, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University and Director of DMR. “Collaborating with a company like AMERICAN SYSTEMS, with over 50 years of experience, highlights the caliber of work our students deliver—work that rivals the commercial sector.”
Once completed, the final prototype will include a threat scoring engine and operator-facing module aligning the detection and classification of outputs, producing actionable intelligence. The AMERICAN SYSTEMS UI/UX system will provide USSF Guardians with a clear understanding of object behavior, automated risk assessments, and evidence to guide escalation of events to the appropriate decision makers.
About Data Mine of the Rockies
Data Mine of the Rockies (DMR) is shaping the future workforce by equipping today’s college students to become tomorrow’s leading data scientists. Based in Colorado Springs as part of the Securing Space Assets Tech Hub, DMR launched with inaugural grant funding from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT).
In its first year, DMR united more than eight Colorado academic institutions as Academic Partners who are returning in year two. Overall, DMR has secured 15 real-world projects from leading aerospace, defense, and private sector organizations. Together, these efforts trained 100 aspiring data scientists in just two academic semesters. DMR anticipates training a total of 200 students by the end of the 2026 academic year.
More information about Data Mine of the Rockies, including student applications, can be found at www.dataminerockies.org.