Tag: Space Development Agency
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Capella Space Validates First Optical Communications Terminal on Acadia-10 Satellite
Capella Space has successfully validated its first optical communications terminal (OCT) aboard the Acadia-10 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite, marking the company’s first deployment of laser communications technology in orbit. The milestone follows the launch of Acadia-10 in March and coincides with the release of the satellite’s first SAR imagery. Faster Data Transmission Capella said…
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Rocket Lab Secures German Approval for Mynaric Acquisition
Rocket Lab said it has received regulatory clearance from Germany to proceed with its planned acquisition of Mynaric, with the transaction expected to close in April. The approval was granted by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, enabling the company to move forward with the deal as part of its strategy to expand…
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Sierra Space Raises $550 Million Series C at $8 Billion Valuation
U.S. aerospace company Sierra Space said it has raised $550 million in a Series C funding round led by LuminArx Capital, valuing the company at $8 billion. The company said the new funding will help increase production capacity and support expansion beyond its current satellite and spacecraft mission programs. “Sierra Space has sharpened its focus…
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L3Harris Selects Intuitive Machines’ Lanteris Unit for SDA Tranche 3 Satellites
L3Harris Technologies has selected spacecraft platform provider Lanteris Space Systems, a subsidiary of Intuitive Machines, to supply satellite buses for its work on the Space Development Agency (SDA) Tranche 3 Tracking Layer program. Under a contract awarded in late 2025, L3Harris will build 18 satellites for the SDA’s missile-tracking constellation as part of the Proliferated…
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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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Starfish Space wins $52.5M contract to provide satellite disposal service for Space Development Agency
An artist’s conception shows an Otter spacecraft in proximity to another satellite. (Starfish Space Illustration) Starfish Space has secured a $52.5 million contract from the U.S. Space Force’s Space Development Agency to dispose of military satellites at the end of their operational lives. The Tukwila, Wash.-based startup says it’s the first commercial deal ever struck…
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U.S. Space Agency Awards Starfish Space $52.5 Million Satellite Disposal Contract
The U.S. Space Development Agency has awarded Seattle-based Starfish Space a $52.5 million contract to provide end-of-life disposal services for satellites in the agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, marking what the company described as the first operational contract of its kind for on-orbit satellite disposal. Under the agreement, Starfish Space will use its Otter spacecraft…
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Intuitive Machines Completes $800 Million Acquisition of Lanteris Space Systems
Intuitive Machines said it has completed the acquisition of Lanteris Space Systems, formerly known as Maxar Space Systems, in a move aimed at transforming the company into a vertically integrated space prime serving defense, civil and commercial customers. The transaction, first announced in November, was completed under unchanged terms, with a purchase price of $800…
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SpaceX Wins $739 Million in U.S. Military Launch Contracts for Missile Tracking Missions
SpaceX has secured $739 million in new U.S. military launch contracts to support missile warning and tracking missions, reinforcing the company’s role in America’s national security space architecture. The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) said on Friday that the contracts were awarded under National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 task…
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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…