Space Force Bets On Commercial Entrants In $4b Satcom Contest

American warfighters request jam-proof communications, and nan Space Force is readying to walk hundreds of millions to guarantee they person them.

As portion of that effort, nan work established nan Protected Tactical Satcom programme to build retired unafraid battlefield communications via satellites. The Space Force has already awarded contracts to defense primes Boeing and Northrop Grumman to create prototype payloads for satellites heading to far-away geostationary orbit.

Now, nan programme is entering a caller phase. On Tuesday, nan Space Force awarded 5 further contracts for nan creation and objection of purpose-built satellites to supply jam-resistant comms to tactical forces. The winners see erstwhile winners Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Viasat, and Intelsat, positive a comparative newcomer: Astranis, a venture-backed startup based successful San Francisco. (Intelsat will bargain its outer autobus from K2 Space, different venture-backed startup.)

The first awards are comparatively small, totaling $37.3 cardinal combined. But nan programme has a $4 cardinal grant ceiling, truthful nan winners could motion connected to a overmuch much lucrative defense deal.

Each patient will create its architectures done January 2026. After that, nan Space Force will prime 1 creation and grant an further statement for nan first satellite, pinch a motorboat planned successful 2028. Additional accumulation awards will beryllium doled out, besides successful 2028.

The PTS-G contracts are a notable departure from really nan subject has historically procured geostationary satellites, which person typically had highly agelong timelines from statement grant to launch, and would costs hundreds of millions to complete a cardinal dollars per spacecraft.

In contrast, nan Space Force is intelligibly trying to leverage nan velocity of commercialized entrants and promote title by selecting aggregate vendors for nan first shape of nan program.

“Our PTS-G statement transforms really SSC acquires SATCOM capacity for nan warfighter,” programme executive serviceman Cordell DeLaPena Jr. said successful a news release. “The incorporation of commercialized baseline designs to meet subject capacity importantly enhances nan Space Force’s velocity and ratio to adhd capacity to meet emerging threats.”