(Image credit: U.S. Space Force)

Investing in Space: Pentagon’s satellite constellation awards near $10 billion

By Michael Sheetz, Published by CNBC, 18 January 2024 Overview: PWSA Sweepstakes I’ve written a bit about the Space Force’s satellite constellation program before but, with new awards already rolling this year, it’s worth checking in on who’s been added to the fray that I’m calling the PWSA Sweepstakes. A quick refresher: In the

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Space Development Agency awards contracts worth $2.5 billion for missile-tracking satellites

Rendering of L3Harris' Tracking Layer Tranche 2 missile-tracking satellites for the Space Development Agency. Credit: L3Harris By Sandra Erwin, Published by Space News, 16 January 2024 L3Harris, Lockheed Martin and Sierra Space were selected to each produce 18 satellites for SDA’s Tracking Layer. WASHINGTON — The Space Development Agency announced

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SDA Tracking Layer optimized to keep tabs on low-flying, maneuvering hypersonic missiles. (SDA graphic)

Space Development Agency to buy 54 missile-tracking satellites

The Space Development Agency awarded three contracts to build 54 missile tracking satellites. (Space Development Agency) By Courtney Albon, Published by Defense News, 16 January 2024 WASHINGTON — The Space Development Agency selected three companies to build 18 satellites each for its space-based missile warning, tracking and defense constellation. The

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Space Force’s first six missile-defense satellites in medium orbit to cost about $500 million

Notional graphic of MEO missile tracking Epoch 1 satellites. Credit: Millennium Space By Sandra Erwin, Published by Space News, 18 December 2023 The Space Systems Command last month selected Millennium Space Systems to produce six satellites WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force awarded Millennium Space Systems contracts worth $509.5 million

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New report urges US to look beyond cheap low-earth satellites for missile warning

From the CSIS paper "Getting on Track Space and Airborne Sensors for Hypersonic Missile Defense" CSIS By Patrick Tucker, Published by Defense One, 18 December 2023 Tracking hypersonic missiles across oceans is like trying to “find a cup of tea that you’ve dropped into a swimming pool.” Lots of cheap satellites

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Space Force taps 4 firms to vie for missile warning C2 prototype

The Space Force is developing the Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution (FORGE) program as the ground system for the SBIRS and Next-Gen OPIR missile warning satellites. (Graphic: RTX) By Theresa Hitchens, Published by Breaking Defense, 9 November 2023 The Space Force expects the multi-faceted Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution (FORGE)

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