The Space Development Agency is preparing an on-orbit demonstration of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture satellites carrying radio and optical communications payloads. The spacecraft make up the Transport Layer, which will work to facilitate satellite-to-satellite data transport and connectivity with military systems. The Transport Layer satellites will comprise the space portion of Link 16, an […]
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory has awarded SES Space & Defense a multi-year contract to support the Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet program. The DEUCSI program establishes communications with military platforms through commercial internet constellations in different orbits. SES Space & Defense will demonstrate multi-orbit, multi-band solutions that can switch among commercial space […]
The Space Development Agency has awarded QinetiQ US a five-year, $224 million contract to provide acquisition, engineering, management and technical services supporting the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, a low-Earth orbit satellite constellation meant to provide communications and missile-tracking capabilities to U.S. and allied warfighters. According to QinetiQ US CEO Shawn Purvis, a 4×24 member and […]
NASA has awarded four contracts worth about $19 million in total to conduct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Sounder for Microwave-Based Applications Phase-A study. Ball Aerospace, Northrop Grumman, Orbital Micro Systems and Spire Global Subsidiary received a one-year contract each to study and design SMBA formulation activities. SMBA instruments, part of NOAA’s Near-Earth Orbit […]
Firefly Aerospace and Millennium Space Systems are awaiting an order from the Space Systems Command to deploy a satellite into orbit as the companies enter the six-month hot standby phase for the Tactically Responsive Space-3 Victus Nox mission. The SSC intentionally did not inform the companies when the deployment order would be issued within the […]
The 72 satellites comprising the Beta portion of the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 2 Transport Layer constellation will carry payloads enabling the Integrated Broadcast Service, a legacy Department of Defense network involved in the transmission of intelligence and targeting data from multiple sources. IBS payloads have historically operated in geosynchronous orbit. T2TL Beta will bring […]
Science Applications International Corp. has secured a $574.5 million ground-based radar maintenance and sustainment contract from the U.S. Space Force. The space military branch is operating a network of early warning radar sensors for missile threat and space object surveillance and detection. The radar sites are at various locations, including Alaska, California, Greenland and the […]
NASA will send its Integrated LCRD Low Earth Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal to the International Space Station within the year to demonstrate how laser communications systems can be used aboard the space station. ILLUMA-T will work with the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration to complete NASA’s two-way, end-to-end laser relay system. Matt Magsamen, deputy […]
The Defense Innovation Unit, in partnership with the Space Force’s Space Safari acquisition program office, is soliciting proposals to prototype and demonstrate on-orbit tactically responsive space systems. According to the solicitation, the DIU is interested in TacRS capabilities that can enable satellite launch within 24 hours of notice; characterization of on-orbit threats within 48 hours […]
The U.S. Space Force has awarded digital engineering software startup Sedaro a $1.5 million Small Business Innovation Research Phase 2 contract to design spacecraft using digital twin technology. Sedaro will partner with Space Dynamics Laboratory and Draper Labs to design spacecraft for the Space Force’s in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing mission. The contract, issued under […]
