An artist illustration shows the functions of the Space Development Agency’s satellite constellation. Space Development Agency
* The Pentagon’s Space Development Agency on Monday awarded $1.5 billion in contracts to Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman for prototype communications satellites.
* The 72 satellites will be for a Beta variant in part of SDA’s growing constellation, a network the U.S. military is building to provide encrypted communications through a fleet of hundreds of satellites.
* Lockheed’s contract is worth $816 million, and Northrop’s is worth $733 million.
The Pentagon’s Space Development Agency on Monday awarded $1.5 billion in contracts to Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman for prototype communications satellites.
SDA said the 72 satellites will be for the Beta variant of its Tranche 2 Transport Layer constellation, a network the U.S. military is building to provide encrypted communications through a fleet of hundreds of satellites, which it calls the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.
Lockheed and Northrop will each build 36 of the prototype satellites, scheduled to begin launching by September 2026. Lockheed’s contract is worth $816 million, and Northrop’s is worth $733 million.
An SDA spokesperson told CNBC that the agency received six proposals for the contract.
Read more ....
The Militarization Of Space Continues
Lockheed, Northrop share $1.5 billion contract for new transport satellites -- Defense One
Space Development Agency awards contracts to Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman for 72 satellites -- Space News
Pentagon awards contracts for next 'swarm' of tiny missile defense satellites -- UPI
Space Development Agency awards $1.5 billion for transport satellites -- C4ISRNET
In other words, the future prospect of millions of pieces of orbiting debris from destroyed satellites is moving right along, from possible to guaranteed. Which can only mean we need to double down on satellite-dependent technology!
ReplyDeleteWe were headed for Kessler syndrome long before this sadly with the outbreak with any type of real conflict involving heavy hitters. Scary shit.
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