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Space Force awards $615M to Rocket Lab and STR for tracking tech. The U.S. Space Force awarded contracts totaling $615 million to Rocket Lab, Systems & Technology Research, and an unidentified firm to develop satellite tracking technologies for the Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator program. The initiative aims to provide persistent space-based surveillance over contested areas globally. Space Force awards $615 million for orbital tracking technologies. The U.S. Space Force distributed a $615 million package among three defense contractors to develop advanced technologies for a satellite network intended to track aircraft and missile threats from orbit. While the military branch withheld the exact financial breakdown for operational-security reasons, Rocket Lab claimed the largest disclosed portion with a $397 million agreement. Under that agreement, Rocket Lab will build, launch, and operate multiple next-generation Flatellite spacecraft. These flat satellite designs are optimized for large constellations and equipped with space-based sensors alongside low-latency, high-bandwidth communication links. The firm-fixed-price contracts form part of the Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator program, known as SB-AMTI, which seeks to give the military persistent tracking over regions where surveillance aircraft face operational risks. Discover more Company Earnings Business news analysis Expanding the vendor base and alternative sensing approaches. The latest awards follow a massive $4.16 billion agreement awarded to SpaceX to build the initial AMTI constellation designed to detect and maintain custody of fighter aircraft, bombers, cruise missiles, and potential hypersonic weapons. Whereas the SpaceX pact establishes the operational baseline, the newer agreements focus on alternative sensing technologies and expanding supplier diversity. "The core focus of this second task order is diversifying our capabilities and ensuring we don't rely on a single technical solution. With these new partnerships, we are exploring unique innovations and technologies and fundamentally different ways to accomplish the airborne moving target indication mission." Col. Ryan Frazier, acting Space Force portfolio acquisition executive for Space-Based Sensing and Targeting Systems & Technology Research, a Virginia-based defense technology firm commonly known as STR, joined the effort alongside Rocket Lab and an unnamed third contractor. The agency noted that the broader architectural design will combine space-based sensors, communications links, and ground processing to produce updated tracks detailing a target's location, speed, and direction. Operational goals and launch logistics. Rocket Lab announced it will launch its Flatellites on the company's upcoming Neutron rocket and operate them from secure facilities. The company brings an end-to-end vertical integration model to the initiative, handling everything from satellite design and manufacturing to launch and on-orbit operations. The defense initiative responds directly to the vulnerabilities of traditional aerial platforms. Large surveillance aircraft provide wide-area radar coverage, but their proximity to conflict zones is increasingly constrained by long-range missiles and sophisticated air defenses. Moving these sensing missions into space creates a resilient layer of protection, projecting an initial capability on orbit by 2028. Discover more Business & Industrial Managing technical hurdles and future milestones. Despite the rapid contract awards, military officials emphasize that the 2028 architecture marks only a first step toward global space-based targeting. Program leaders point to significant technical hurdles involving data processing limits and orchestration challenges. Furthermore, managing a vast fleet of sensors requires sophisticated ground processing algorithms and orchestration software. More on this July 29, 2026 In "Business" Rocket Lab to Launch Japanese Tech Satellite, Continuing Record-Breaking YearTable of ContentsRocket Lab to Launch Japanese Tech Satellite, Continuing Record-Breaking YearExpanding Partnership with JAXARAISE-4: A Platform for InnovationA Year of Unprecedented Success Rocket Lab is poised to launch a cutting-edge technology demonstration satellite for Japan tonight, December 6th, marking a... December 6, 2025 The U.S. Space Force is once again shifting a national security payload to SpaceX, this time reassigning the GPS III SV10 satellite to a Falcon 9 rocket launch slated for late April. The move comes after continued delays and an ongoing investigation into an anomaly experienced during the inaugural launch... March 22, 2026 Former software engineer turned tech reporter. Explores AI, cybersecurity, gadgets and start-up culture.

STR moves forward on DARPA AIR job to develop artificial intelligence (AI) for swarming uncrewed aircraft.