The U.S. Space Force awarded $615 million in firm-fixed-price contracts to Rocket Lab, Systems and Technology Research and a third unnamed company to develop alternative satellite technologies for tracking aircraft and missiles from orbit. The awards follow a $4.16 billion contract to SpaceX for the initial constellation and signal the Pentagon’s intent to avoid single-vendor dependence for a mission that would move airborne surveillance into space.
Rocket Lab takes the largest slice
Rocket Lab secured $397 million to develop, launch and operate multiple “Flatellites”, a flat-panel satellite design the company says is optimized for large constellations with space-based sensors and low-latency, high-bandwidth links. The contract includes an option for additional satellites within the total value. Rocket Lab will launch the spacecraft on its Neutron rocket, still in development, and operate them from secure facilities to deliver track data to the Space Force.
STR brings DARPA sensor experience
Systems and Technology Research, a Virginia-based defense technology firm, received an undisclosed portion of the $615 million. The company specializes in advanced sensors, signal-processing software, artificial intelligence and command-and-control systems. Its prior work with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency combining commercial spacecraft with advanced signal processing for national-security missions aligns with the Space Force’s goal of evaluating fundamentally different sensing approaches.
Diversification is the stated strategy
Col. Ryan Frazier, acting portfolio acquisition executive for Space-Based Sensing and Targeting, said the core focus of this second task order is diversifying capabilities and avoiding reliance on a single technical solution. The SpaceX award established the program’s initial operational baseline; these new agreements are explicitly aimed at exploring unique innovations and complementary technologies. The Space Force did not disclose how the $615 million was divided among the three vendors.
Neutron timeline and the third vendor bear watching
Rocket Lab’s ability to deliver turns on the Neutron rocket’s schedule, which the source does not specify. The identity of the third contractor also remains undisclosed. The Flatellite option provides a mechanism for the Space Force to scale Rocket Lab’s contribution without a new competition, but the firm-fixed-price structure places development and schedule risk on the contractors, a notable contrast to the cost-plus arrangements common in early-stage military space programs.