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3w ago

Space Force Launches PTS-G Design Phase With $37.3 M in Awards

This step engages five aerospace firms to develop commercial-based jam-resistant satellite designs ahead of a planned 2028 launch

The Pentagon building in Arlington, Virginia, US, on Friday, April 21, 2023. Senators from both parties called for changes to the US government's system for classifying secret information after a closed-door briefing on the biggest leak of closely held documents in a decade. Photographer: Tom Brenner/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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Overview

  • Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Viasat, Astranis Space Technologies and Intelsat won a combined $37.3 million in initial PTS-G design and demonstration contracts under a $4 billion program ceiling
  • The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity awards target medium-assurance Ka- and X-band communications to bolster resilience against adversary jamming
  • Space Systems Command has requested $239.6 million in its FY 2026 budget for PTS-G research, development, test and evaluation covering design, manufacturing and testing of four prototype satellites
  • Each contractor will refine its satellite architecture through January 2026, after which the Space Force will select one design for an initial production award and first-satellite contract
  • The PTS-G initiative aims for initial operational capability by FY 2028 and full operational capability with a fleet of 12 satellites by FY 2030