Rocket Lab wins first GEO satellite production contract from U.S. Space Force
SpaceNews • • business
Key Points:
- Rocket Lab secured a $90 million contract from the U.S. Space Force to design, build, and operate two geostationary satellites for monitoring and tracking orbital objects, marking its first GEO satellite production program.
- The contract covers spacecraft manufacturing, launch integration, and up to five years of on-orbit operations, with satellites hosting electro-optical sensor payloads previously contracted from Geost, a company acquired by Rocket Lab in 2025.
- The satellites will use Rocket Lab’s Lightning spacecraft bus, a platform also employed for missile-tracking satellites and commercial constellations, advancing the program from prototyping to operational deployment.
- The Heimdall space domain awareness payloads are designed to enhance persistent tracking and situational awareness of satellites in orbit, supporting the Space Force’s goal to improve geostationary orbit monitoring through distributed, commercially derived surveillance technologies.