Tag: Lockheed-Martin
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GAO Warns SDA Missile-Tracking Satellite Program Faces Capability and Cost Risks
The Space Development Agency’s effort to deploy a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites for missile warning and tracking is at risk of falling short of its goals and operational requirements, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office released on Thursday. The report, covering the period from October 2023 to January 2026,…
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SpaceX Launches Jam-Resistant GPS III Satellite for U.S. Space Force
SpaceX on Tuesday night launched an advanced, jam-resistant GPS satellite for the U.S. Space Force, marking the company’s fastest turnaround to date for a national security mission. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the GPS III-SV09 spacecraft lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 11:53 p.m. EST (0453 GMT on Jan. 28), following a…
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Pentagon to Invest $1 Billion in L3Harris Missile Unit Ahead of Planned Spinoff
The Pentagon said it will invest $1 billion in the missile business of L3Harris Technologies as part of a plan to spin the unit off into a separate publicly traded company, a move intended to accelerate weapons production for future conflicts. L3Harris said on Tuesday the missile segment would be separated into a stand-alone company,…
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Space Development Agency awards roughly $3.5 billion to 4 companies for 72 missile tracking and warning satellites
An artist’s rendering of Rocket Lab’s Tracking Layer Tranche 3 (TRKT3) program satellites, which are built on its Lightning satellite platform. Image: Rocket Lab The U.S. Space Force’s Space Development Agency (SDA) awarded roughly $3.5 billion to four companies to begin building out the third generation of its low Earth orbit constellation. The SDA issued…
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ESA Weighs New Roles for Orion Service Module and Mars Orbiter Amid U.S. Budget Uncertainty
The European Space Agency (ESA) is assessing options to repurpose two of its major spacecraft programmes after growing uncertainty over continued U.S. support for the NASA missions they were originally built to serve, ESA officials told ministers during the agency’s Ministerial Council in Bremen this week. ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher presented proposals that would…
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U.S. Space Force Awards Prototype Contracts for Space-Based Missile Interceptors
The U.S. Space Force has awarded initial prototype contracts to multiple companies to develop space-based interceptors capable of disabling enemy missiles within minutes of launch, as part of the Pentagon’s Golden Dome missile defense initiative, the service said in a statement. The contracts were issued under competitive Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs), a mechanism used to…
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Avio Secures Raytheon and Lockheed Martin as Key Customers for New U.S. Rocket Motor Plant
Italian rocket manufacturer Avio said on Monday that Raytheon and Lockheed Martin will be major customers for its planned solid rocket motor (SRM) plant in the United States. Under separate agreements, both defense contractors will have preferred access to a share of the plant’s production, Avio said. The company has not yet disclosed the plant’s…
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NASA’s Artemis 2 Moon Flyby on Track for April Launch, Potentially February
NASA officials said on Tuesday that Artemis 2, the first crewed flight in the agency’s Artemis program, is on schedule for an April launch, with the possibility of moving the date up to February. The 10-day mission will see four astronauts fly around the moon and return to Earth, serving as a precursor to the…
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Lockheed Martin Launches “AI Fight Club” to Test Military AI Algorithms in Virtual Battleground
Lockheed Martin announced a new initiative, “AI Fight Club,” a virtual battleground designed to test artificial intelligence algorithms intended for military applications. The program, unveiled June 3 by John Clark, Lockheed’s senior vice president of technology and strategic innovation, seeks to create a government-standard digital proving ground spanning air, land, sea, and space operations. Speaking…
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U.S. Space Force Orders Two Additional GPS IIIF Satellites from Lockheed Martin
The U.S. Space Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a $509.7 million contract for two more Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites, expanding the military’s investment in the advanced GPS III Follow-on (GPS IIIF) constellation aimed at bolstering both civilian and defense navigation services. The new satellites, GPS IIIF-21 and IIIF-22, are scheduled for delivery by 2031,…