Maxar Technologies filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office, seeking fairness in the Space Development Agency’s procurement of the 126 initial satellites for Transport Layer Tranche 1. A spokesperson for Maxar said the space tech company “wants to ensure that the government is following its own rules in connection with the procurement” and that […]
LMI announced it will help NASA understand the future state and requirements of the Upper Class E airspace. The Federal Aviation Administration defines Upper Class E airspace operations as those that take place over 60,000 feet above mean sea level in the National Airspace System. Through the Air Traffic Management-eXploration project, NASA wants to conduct […]
The National Reconnaissance Office has issued a broad agency announcement in its bid to purchase commercial synthetic aperture radar datasets. According to NRO Director Christopher Scolese, the BAA will offer a flexible acquisition process that would allow the agency to evaluate, leverage and integrate new and emerging phenomenologies like radar, hyperspectral and radio frequency sensing […]
Launch services and space systems provider Rocket Lab USA has been tasked with launching NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System using the company’s Electron launch vehicle. ACS3 will launch as part of a rideshare mission that is slated for mid-2022 in New Zealand. The Long Beach, California-based company’s Electron rocket is known for its ability […]
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has awarded Maxar Technologies a $44 million contract to exercise option year two of the Global Enhanced GEOINT Delivery program. The G-EGD contract has three option years in total and is valued at a maximum of $176 million. Under option year 2, Maxar will continue providing unclassified, online and offline, on-demand […]
Hyperspace Challenge, a business accelerator funded by the U.S. Space Force, has selected 24 finalists, including universities and startups, for its 2021 prize competition. The finalists will take part in a virtual pitch competition on Dec. 2, where they will present technology concepts to support various space technology areas. Winners will share $100,000 in awards. […]
The National Reconnaissance Office is expected to announce the details of its Electro-Optical Commercial Layer program to potential contractors in the U.S. satellite imagery industry. The agency’s anticipated move will mark the beginning of an open competition for satellite imagery products, SpaceNews reported Tuesday. Under the planned procurement, the NRO will buy products from multiple […]
The Defense Innovation Unit is seeking input from space and information technology companies on how to build a hybrid architecture of government and commercial satellites. In a solicitation, the DIU said it requires that the architecture integrate emergent commercial space sensor and communications capabilities with U.S. government space systems while incorporating best-in-class commercial practices to secure […]
The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has approved a sweeping policy bill for fiscal year 2022 that includes legislation authorizing Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall to create and fund a National Space Intelligence Center. Proponents of the House Intelligence Authorization Act argue that the Space Force should have its own intelligence organization to provide […]
Ball Aerospace and L3Harris Technologies have each secured a 20-month, $8 million NASA contract for work on Geostationary and Extended Observations. The GeoXO solution is a planned satellite constellation that will perform a variety of tasks for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The contracts were announced on Friday. Under the contracts, Ball and L3Harris […]
