The US Space Development Agency has placed a $3.5 billion order for 72 satellites with four defense suppliers, including Lockheed Martin, L3Harris Technologies, Northrop Grumman, and Rocket Lab USA. The satellites will be used for missile warning and tracking systems and are expected to be launched into low-earth orbit in 2029.
The Space Development Agency, part of the US Space Force, announced on Friday that it has reached agreements with four defense suppliers to build 72 satellites, worth about $3.5 billion collectively. The agency said Lockheed Martin, L3Harris Technologies, Northrop Grumman, and Rocket Lab USA have signed fixed-priced contracts for 18 space vehicles each.
The infrared satellites, which will be used for missile warning, tracking, and defense systems, are expected to be launched into low-earth orbit in 2029. According to the agency’s Acting Director Gurpartap Sandhoo, “The addition of these satellites will achieve near-continuous global coverage for missile warning and tracking, along with payloads capable of generating fire control quality tracks for missile defense.”
These satellites belong to Tranche-3 and support the space agency’s objective of launching a new tranche every two years to refresh its satellite architecture with updated technology. In September, the first Tranche-1 space vehicle, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.
The agency plans to include a total of 154 operational space vehicles in Tranche-1, which will be ready for initial warfighting capability in 2027. The contracts were reported by Reuters, a leading news agency.
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