U.S. Space Force Awards $2.0 B in Contracts for Missile‑Tracking Satellites and Strategic SATCOM

The U.S. Space Development Agency, part of the Space Force, announced contracts totaling $1.75 billion with Sierra Space and L3Harris Technologies to build 36 Golden Dome missile‑warning and tracking satellites. Sierra Space will deliver 18 satellites on its Horizon platform, while L3Harris will supply the other 18. The satellites, intended to detect ballistic and hypersonic threats, are slated for launch by the end of 2028.

Separately, the Space Force awarded a $287 million Other Transaction Authority agreement to Sphinx Defense for Phase 3 prototyping of the Evolved Strategic SATCOM (ESS) mission‑planning application. ESS will provide secure, jam‑resistant communications for national leadership and strategic forces as part of a next‑generation nuclear command‑and‑control system.