Space Archives - Defense Daily

Space Force Awards Viasat And Intelsat General $438 Million For Continued Work On PTS-G

Frank Wolfe — Fri, 22 May 2026 21:42:39 +0000

U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command has awarded Viasat [VSAT] and Intelsat General–the U.S. division of Luxembourg’s SES–a nearly $438 million contract for satellites under the Protected Tactical Satellite-Global (PTS-G) […]

Rocket Lab To Design, Build And Operate Two GEO Satellites For Space Domain Awareness Under $90 Million Contract

Frank Wolfe — Fri, 22 May 2026 18:26:22 +0000

The Space Force’s Space Systems Command has awarded Rocket Lab [RKLB] a $90 million contract to design, build and operate for up to five years two geostationary (GEO) satellites with […]

SpaceX’s IPO Filing Gives First Look Into Company’s Financials

Rachel Jewett — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:15:09 +0000

The space industry and public got the first real look into SpaceX’s financials on Wednesday as the company published initial documents ahead of a planned initial public offering (IPO). SpaceX […]

SSC And SpaceWERX To Launch Orbital Logistics Challenge

Frank Wolfe — Wed, 20 May 2026 21:40:46 +0000

The Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) and the service’s SpaceWERX innovation arm are to launch an In-Domain Orbital Logistics Challenge to find and advance commercial technologies to sustain satellites. […]

Northrop Grumman’s Mission Robotic Vehicle May Launch This Summer

Frank Wolfe — Tue, 19 May 2026 21:26:34 +0000

DULLES-Va.—Northrop Grumman‘s [NOC] Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV) is to launch this summer on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, as the U.S. Space Force looks to refueling, maneuver, and repair and […]

Sandhoo Named SDA Director, PAE For Missile Warning And Tracking

Cal Biesecker — Tue, 19 May 2026 20:18:51 +0000

After serving as the acting director of the Space Development Agency (SDA) since last September, Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo was named director of the agency effective May 11, SDA said on […]

York Space Systems To Acquire Space Solar Tech Company Solestial To Shore Up Supply Chain

Cal Biesecker — Tue, 19 May 2026 13:34:11 +0000

York Space Systems [YSS] on Tuesday said it has agreed to acquire Solestial Inc., a domestic developer and manufacturer of solar cells and related technology used on spacecraft, in a […]

Space Force Awards Northrop Grumman $398 Million For Enhanced PTS-P

Frank Wolfe — Fri, 15 May 2026 21:18:31 +0000

The Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) has awarded Northrop Grumman [NOC] a $398 million firm-fixed price contract to develop and build an Enhanced Protected Tactical Satellite Communications-Prototype (PTS-P) for […]

Space Force Soliciting Industry Prototypes For $783 Million Program To Upgrade Ground-Based Radars

Frank Wolfe — Thu, 14 May 2026 21:36:49 +0000

The Space Force’s fiscal 2027 future years defense plan includes $783 million to upgrade eight ground-based radars in collaboration with the Missile Defense Agency, including nearly $129 million in fiscal […]

SPACECOM Chief: Maneuver Needed For High Value Satellites

Frank Wolfe — Tue, 12 May 2026 21:05:12 +0000

While safety in numbers is a defining trait of low Earth orbit satellites, including those in the Space Development Agency’s future Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, key geosynchronous orbit satellites, such […]

NRO Launches 13th Proliferated Architecture Mission

Cal Biesecker — Tue, 12 May 2026 14:19:09 +0000

The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) on Monday night launched its 13th proliferated architecture mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex-4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base, […]

NRO Created GPU-Based Testing Environment To Validate AI Models, Director Says

Cal Biesecker — Mon, 11 May 2026 20:43:26 +0000

To test and verify the artificial intelligence-based models that the agency is increasingly using as it applies the technology to its workflows, on-orbit checkout, satellite tasking and data fusion, the […]

USSOCOM Experimenting With Commercial GEOINT Imagery And Analytics At The Edge

Cal Biesecker — Mon, 11 May 2026 16:12:45 +0000

SkyFi is under a research and development contract with U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) to allow Special Forces to assess the startup’s commercial-based self-service Earth observation platform and analytics on […]

Space Control Budget More Than Doubles To About 30 Percent Of Space Force Request

Frank Wolfe — Fri, 08 May 2026 19:43:27 +0000

Space Control is about 30 percent of the Space Force’s fiscal 2027 budget request of $71 billion, which is to include $12 billion in a future reconciliation bill, according to […]

NGA Director Focused On AI Support for Mission, Transformation, And Workforce

Cal Biesecker — Wed, 06 May 2026 21:14:13 +0000

AURORA, Colo.—To ensure the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is postured to meet rapidly evolving threat and warfighters’ needs, is resilient, and exploits emerging technologies, the agency’s new director on Wednesday […]

NGA’s New Rapid Capabilities Office Taking Risks, Not Seeking 100 Percent Solution

Cal Biesecker — Wed, 06 May 2026 13:07:19 +0000

AURORA, Colo.—The new Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) stood up last fall within the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is focused on quickly getting emerging technologies into the hands of operators and […]

Anduril Outlines Team For Space-Based Interceptors Program

Cal Biesecker — Tue, 05 May 2026 21:09:21 +0000

Anduril Industries on Tuesday named its teammates that are helping it prototype technologies for the Space-Based Interceptor (SBI) program that is part of the Golden Dome homeland missile defense initiative. […]

Vast Majority Of Luno Contracts Use Artificial Intelligence, NGA’s Commercial Chief Says

Cal Biesecker — Tue, 05 May 2026 13:53:19 +0000

AURORA, Colo.—Most of the contracts the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is awarding for unclassified commercial analytics around economic monitoring and domain awareness are using artificial intelligence tools, and that will […]

NRO, NGA Create Cybersecurity Framework For Commercial Partners

Cal Biesecker — Tue, 05 May 2026 00:47:34 +0000

AURORA, Colo.—To gain greater trust about the commercial vendors they work with, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) have developed a three-tiered cybersecurity framework that allows […]

Lockheed Martin Joins Seagate Space and Firefly Aerospace to Develop Sea-Based Launch

Rachel Jewett — Mon, 04 May 2026 20:59:05 +0000

Lockheed Martin [LMT] is contributing to a recently announced partnership between Seagate Space and Firefly Aerospace [FLY] to develop sea-based launch. The three companies will collaborate on an offshore launch platform for Firefly’s […]

Vantor Nabs $70 Million NGA Award For GEOINT Portal Use

Cal Biesecker — Mon, 04 May 2026 14:51:35 +0000

Vantor on Monday said it has received a $70 million award from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) for the first option year of a program that gives the agency and […]

Orbital Warfare Systems Top Priority for Space Chief Nominee

Frank Wolfe — Fri, 01 May 2026 17:12:34 +0000

Fielding more systems for orbital warfare has been the top priority of the White House’s nominee to succeed Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman. The Trump administration on […]

Space Force Again Moves To Terminate Next-Generation Missile Warning Polar Satellite Program

Cal Biesecker — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:45:56 +0000

The Space Force in its fiscal year 2027 budget request said it plans to terminate a space-based missile warning program covering the Arctic region that it has spent more than […]

True Anomaly Raises $650 Million In New Round To Continue Scaling

Cal Biesecker — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 19:16:02 +0000

True Anomaly on Tuesday said it raised $650 million in a new funding round that will be used to hire employees and scale its capabilities to meet customer demand for […]

HawkEye 360 Files To Go Public; Plans To Raise Upwards Of $424 Million

Cal Biesecker — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 20:29:17 +0000

Satellite-based signals intelligence collection and analytics company HawkEye 360 on Monday launched its roadshow for its pending initial public offering (IPO) that aims to raise between $384 million and $424.2 […]

Space Force Awards $3.2 Billion To 12 Companies For Space-Based Interceptor Work

Rich Abott — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 21:49:52 +0000

The Space Force last announced 12 companies have won contracts totaling up to $3.2 billion to prototype technologies for Space-based Interceptors in support of the Golden Dome initiative. Space Force’s […]

Space Force Budget Includes $1.8 Billion To Modernize Launch at Vandenberg And Cape Canaveral

Frank Wolfe — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 22:00:19 +0000

Part of the Department of the Air Force’s $13.6 billion operations and maintenance (O&M) budget in fiscal 2027 for facility improvements–a $7.2 billion increase from last year’s appropriation–is to bolster […]

Pentagon To Move Forward On AEP Upgrades For GPS, As DoD Cancels GPS OCX

Frank Wolfe — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:38:50 +0000

The Pentagon has decided to end the GPS Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX) by RTX [RTX] and instead move forward on upgrades to the existing ground system for GPS, […]

Rapid Detection And Display of Adversary Drones Cited As Need

Frank Wolfe — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 20:02:50 +0000

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.–Kamikaze drones have been a mainstay of Iranian attacks since the start of the Pentagon’s Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28, and the rapid detection of such drones […]

Final GPS III Satellite To Launch On Monday With Optical Cross Link Demonstration Payload

Frank Wolfe — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:42:18 +0000

On Monday, a SpaceX Falcon 9 is to carry the last GPS III satellite by Lockheed Martin [LMT] into orbit with an optical cross link payload designed to increase the […]

Space Force Awarded AMTI Contracts To Nine Vendors To Get Initial Space-Based Capability

Cal Biesecker — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:40:07 +0000

The Space Force last Friday said it awarded small contracts to nine vendors that will lead to an initial operating capability for detecting and tracking moving aerial targets from space. […]

Boeing And Millennium Space Systems Add Mid-Class Resolute Satellite Bus

Rachel Jewett — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:08:43 +0000

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—Boeing [BA] and its subsidiary Millennium Space Systems are rolling out a new mid-class satellite platform called Resolute — designed to give more capability than a traditional small satellite, […]

Air Force Let Development Contract For Space-Based AMTI; Meink Says Risk Low

Cal Biesecker — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:10:21 +0000

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—The Department of the Air Force has awarded a contract for space-based air moving target indication (AMTI) to multiple vendors to begin development activities, Air Force Secretary Troy […]

COMSO Targets Expanding Working Capital Fund And Determining CASR Funding

Rachel Jewett — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 22:49:51 +0000

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — With various funding mechanisms in place to take advantage of commercial capabilities, Space Systems Command’s (SSC) Commercial Space Office (COMSO) is looking at expanding the Working […]

Transport Layer Of PWSA Will Eventually Transition From SDA To New Acquisition Executive, Sandhoo Says

Cal Biesecker — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 21:03:20 +0000

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—As part of the Space Force’s rollout of its new acquisition structure, the communications layer of the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) will eventually […]

Space Force Picks Blue Origin As Lessee For Heavy Pad Development At Vandenberg

Frank Wolfe — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:49:53 +0000

Billionaire Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is the Space Force’s choice as a lessee to develop heavy and super heavy launch pads for Space Launch Complex-14 (SLC-14) at Vandenberg Space Force […]

Space Force Releases Visions For Future Force, Warfare Expectations

Cal Biesecker — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:16:32 +0000

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—The Space Force on Wednesday released its long-awaited vision for its future force that outlines nearly a dozen mission areas and the types of capabilities that might be […]

White House Lays Groundwork For 2030 Moon Reactor Mission

Sarah Salem — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:00:28 +0000

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy unveiled in a Tuesday memorandum a new initiative focused on the use of nuclear power in space. Within 30 days of […]

Space Force Examining “Many Possible Swap Opportunities To Get Capability On Orbit”

Frank Wolfe — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:41:39 +0000

As U.S. Space Force continues to examine the root cause of a booster anomaly during the Feb. 26 launch of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan Centaur and possible remedies, […]

U.S. Space Command Chief Outlines Need For Maneuver Warfare Strategy

Cal Biesecker — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:24:14 +0000

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—Chinese actions in space the past year around refueling and logistics in orbit have further “intensified” the Defense Department’s need to develop a space maneuver warfare strategy, U.S. […]

Rocket Lab Closes Mynaric Acquisition At Higher Price Than Originally Agreed

Cal Biesecker — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 21:13:52 +0000

Rocket Lab [RKLB] on Tuesday said it closed its acquisition of optical communications terminal (OCT) supplier Mynaric AG for $155.3 million, $5.3 million more than the original deal terms announced […]

Interoperability Of Space Systems Not A “10,” But Not A “1,” Space Force Official Says

Frank Wolfe — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 20:11:44 +0000

While not charged with managing the building of satellites, ground stations, or software, U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Integration Office (SSIO) may have one of the most difficult acquisition jobs […]

Remaining Space Force PAEs To Be Announced Shortly; Organizational Design This Summer, Garrant Says

Cal Biesecker — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 19:55:31 +0000

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—In the coming weeks the Department of the Air Force is expected to announce the remaining acquisition portfolios and their respective leaders for the Space Force to be […]

BAE Adds Refuelable, Highly Maneuverable Ascent Spacecraft To Elevation Product Line

Cal Biesecker — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:23:46 +0000

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—BAE Systems on Tuesday introduced a new spacecraft that is designed for dynamic space operations and plans to deliver the first Ascent in 2027 to a classified customer, […]

Lockheed Martin Planning Next-Generation Space Dominance Demos On Orbit

Cal Biesecker — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 21:16:17 +0000

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—To meet the Defense Department’s appetite for orbital warfare capabilities, Lockheed Martin [LMT] is self-funding two next-generation space dominance efforts for rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) and command […]

Trump’s $1.15 Trillion Request For DoD Is The ‘New Normal,” HASC Chairman Says

Cal Biesecker — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 17:58:41 +0000

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—The Trump administration’s nearly $1.2 trillion baseline defense budget request for fiscal year 2027 will be adopted and will be the foundation for the “new normal” going forward, […]

Vantor Introduces Two New Satellite Classes For High Resolution Imaging, Frequent Revisits

Cal Biesecker — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:01:59 +0000

Commercial satellite operator and spatial intelligence provider Vantor on Thursday introduced two new classes of electro-optical imaging satellites that packaged together offer its customers high-resolution imagery and frequent revisit rates […]

Space Force Awards 14 Companies Space Domain Awareness Contracts Under “Andromeda”

Frank Wolfe — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 22:00:59 +0000

U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) said on Wednesday that it has awarded 14 companies more than $1.8 billion in firm fixed price “Andromeda” contracts for the Geosynchronous Reconnaissance […]

Kratos Nabs Space Force Contract For Ground System Architecture Worth $447 Million

Cal Biesecker — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 20:47:11 +0000

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions [KTOS] on Wednesday said it received a potential $446.8 million the Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) for a new Ground Management and Integration (GMI) […]

Space Systems Command Wants Rapid GTO To GEO Propulsion Options

Frank Wolfe — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 18:48:46 +0000

The Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) wants industry to provide insights on propulsion options that would allow the rapid movement of spacecraft from geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) to geosynchronous […]