Boeing wins $2 billion Space Force contract for communications satellites
Boeing won a contract worth up to $2 billion to build two next-generation military communications satellites for the U.S. Space Force, prevailing over Lockheed Martin in a competition to extend the life of one of the Pentagon's most heavily used satellite networks.
The contract covers the design, development, production and testing of two satellites for the Mobile User Objective System, or MUOS, the military's primary narrowband communications constellation. The satellites are to be delivered by 2035, according to a June 23 contract announcement.
Lockheed Martin built all five satellites currently operating in the MUOS constellation. Boeing and Lockheed Martin had been competing head-to-head under the Space Force's MUOS Service Life Extension program, which was launched after the service assumed responsibility for the network from the Navy in 2023.
MUOS connects troops, ships, aircraft and special operations forces through a network of satellites in geostationary orbit. Often described as a cellphone network in space, the system allows users equipped with relatively small terminals to communicate far beyond the reach of terrestrial networks.
User radios connect to one of five MUOS satellites positioned in geostationary orbit. Signals are routed through ground stations and relayed to other users around the world.
Operating in the ultra-high-frequency, or UHF, portion of the spectrum, MUOS is valued by military users because UHF signals can penetrate foliage, urban environments and some weather conditions.
The U.S. Navy launched the MUOS program in the early 2000s to replace the aging UHF Follow-On constellation, a Cold War-era network that had become strained by operational requirements.
The first MUOS satellite was launched in 2012, followed by three operational satellites and an on-orbit spare.
The network was originally expected to remain in service into the 2030s. As the satellites aged, concerns about long-term reliability and continuing military demand for secure narrowband communications prompted the Space Force to pursue a replacement effort.
While commercial satellite communications services have expanded rapidly in recent years, military officials have continued to view narrowband communications as a mission area requiring dedicated government systems.
Thank you for reading the article! Follow us at Google News.
