From NBC Universal:

The Pentagon awarded $2.5 billion in contracts to L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, and Sierra Space to build 54 satellites for the U.S. military’s Space Development Agency. These satellites are part of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture and will be used for the “Tranche 2 Tracking Layer” related to missile defense. Each company will build 18 satellites, with a total value of $919 million for L3Harris, $890 million for Lockheed Martin, and $740 million for Sierra Space. They are expected to launch in April 2027.

The awards reflect the Pentagon’s increased ambitions in space to keep up with China’s growing capabilities, with the Space Force’s budget doubling from 2021 to 2024. The Space Development Agency has also previously awarded contracts to other companies for the same satellite network, including Northrop Grumman, SpaceX, and Rocket Lab.

Sierra Space, a spinoff from Sierra Nevada Corporation, is part of the contract to build the satellites. The company recently underwent a restructuring and added approximately 150 employees with security clearances after shipping its first Dream Chaser spaceplane.

The satellite constellation, known as the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, is designed to have hundreds of satellites in orbit, offering greater resiliency and redundancy than previous U.S. military satellites. The network is being built in tranches, each representing a new generation of satellites with increasing capabilities. Each tranche consists of two “layers:” Transport, for mesh communications, and Tracking, for targeting locations and missile defense.



Read more: Pentagon awards satellite contracts: L3Harris, Lockheed, Sierra Space