U.S. Space Force

The U.S. Space Force’s Space Delta 2 has been working over the last year or so to revamp itself in preparation for providing enhanced space domain awareness. The Delta, which is headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, with space domain awareness functions at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California; Eglin Air Force Base, Florida; Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico; Maui, Hawaii; Huntsville, Alabama; and the Naval Support Facility in Dahlgren, Virginia; is now comprised of four squadrons, up from two.

BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been awarded a $24,538,730 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification (P00010) to previously awarded contract FA8807-21-C-0003 for the Military Global Positioning System User Equipment Increment 2 Miniature Serial Interface (MSI) contract. The modification incorporates MSI Engineering Change Proposal-1 into the baseline and provides continued MSI with Next Generation Application-Specific Integrated Circuit Technology Development capabilities. Work will be performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and is expected to be completed by Aug. 31, 2025.

GEOST LLC, Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a $31,988,200 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00003) to previously awarded contract FA8819-21-C-1001 for a low size, weight, and power Space Domain Awareness hosted payload. The modification provides for additional in-scope work for an end-to-end demonstration, payload storage, host vehicle integration and on-orbit support efforts. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by January 31, 2023. Fiscal 2022 Space Force research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $3,434,128 are being obligated at the time of award. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $38,837,942.

Palantir USG Inc., Palo Alto, California, has been awarded a $43,000,000 firm-fixed-price modification (P00005) to previously awarded contract FA8806-21-C-0010 for a Data-as-a-Service platform. The modification provides for the exercise of an option for additional term software licenses, cloud hosting, enablement services, support and training for each platform solution being performed under the basic contract. Work will be performed in El Segundo, California; Palo Alto, California; Washington, D.C.; and New York, New York, and is expected to be completed by May 31, 2022.

The U.S. Space Force Space Launch Delta 45’s addition of zero-trust architecture to the launch enterprise could bring earth-shattering flexibility to its mission operations, its commander says. Under a year-long pilot effort, officials at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, Space Launch Delta 45’s headquarters, and nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, its launch range, have installed zero trust-related software and hardware into the launch mission system and are conducting beta testing and evaluation of the capabilities.

The Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory LLC, Laurel, Maryland, has been awarded a $9,609,797 task order (FA8819-22-F-1000) to previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract FA8819-18-D-0009 for Space Domain Awareness engineering and analysis in support of the development, technical assessment, evaluation and independent review of identified prototype and deployed systems. Work will be performed at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, and is expected to be completed by May 10, 2025. The Space Systems Command, Los Angeles AFB, California, is the contracting activity. 

The Aerospace Corp., El Segundo, California, has been awarded a $1,150,958,695 modification (P00065) to previously awarded contract FA8802-19-C-0001 for systems engineering and integration support for the National Space Community. This modification provides for the exercise of Option Year Three for fiscal 2022 services being procured under the multiple year contract. Work will be performed in El Segundo, California, and is expected to be completed by September 30, 2022. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $4,470,506,651. Space Systems Command, El Segundo, California, is the contracting activity.

Palantir USG Inc. Palo Alto, California, was awarded a $48,500,000 firm-fixed-price definitization modification (PZ0004) to contract FA8806-21-C-0010 for a Data-as-a-Service Platform. This effort will provide the government with a term software licenses, cloud hosting, enablement services, support and training for each platform solution. The location of performance is El Segundo California; Palo Alto, California, Washington, D.C.; and New York, New York. The work is expected to be completed by November 30, 2021, with three six-month options. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $91,500,000.

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC, Laurel, Maryland, has been awarded a $12,483,112 bilateral modification (P00006) to previously awarded contract FA8819-18-D-0009’s task order FA8819-20-F-1005 for additional studies, concept development, systems engineering and technical assessments, modeling, simulation, and prototyping/experiments. Work will be performed at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, and is expected to be completed by May 10, 2025. The total value of the task order is $22,138,689. Fiscal 2019, 2020 and 2021 operation and maintenance; and research and development funds in the amount of $2,226,000 were obligated at the time of award.

The U.S. Space Force officially stood up the Space Systems Command, or SSC, today. Leaders spent the last year developing the new field command redesignated from the Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base.

The SSC stand up cleared one of the last hurdles with the U.S. Senate’s July 26 voice vote approval of SSC’s first commander, Maj. Gen. Michael Guetlein, USSF, to become lieutenant general. The commander, who had most recently served as the deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), took lead of SSC during a ceremony at the base today; Lt. Gen. John Thompson, USAF, the commander of SMC, retired July 27.

L3 Harris Interstate Electronics Corp., Inc., Anaheim, California, has been awarded a $14,608,799 modification (P00005) to contract FA8807-21-C-0005 for the Military Global Positioning System (GPS) User Equipment (MGUE) Increment 2 Miniature Serial Interface (MSI) contract. The contract modification is to incorporate an MSI engineering change proposal into the baseline. Work will be performed in Anaheim, California, and is expected to be completed March 14, 2025. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $157,891,672. Fiscal 2021 Space Force research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $7,524,022 are being obligated at the time of award.

Sigmatech Inc., Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been awarded a $17,345,725 One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services task order for Launch, Range, and Networks advisory and assistance support. This contract provides for technical support in the areas of operations, planning, budgeting, resource analysis, requirements development and justification, mission communications engineering and enterprise support, configuration control, project integration, studies, aeronautical procedures and program reviews in support of mission operations, research and development needed to support system development and integration, and sustainment activities.

The United States military has to broaden its space-based intelligence capabilities, to provide astute situational awareness and analysis to conducting space-related missions, as the threats to the domain rise. Those in the sector have been warning that space had become a threatened domain for the last decade, said Lara Schmidt, principal director, Strategic and Global Awareness Directorate, The Aerospace Corporation. Today there are about 70 nations operating in space in one way or another.

Col. Todd R. Moore, USAF, has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general, U.S. Space Force. 

Qayaq Government Solutions LLC,* Anchorage, Alaska, was awarded a $7,902,831 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of a new space control facility at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. Bids were solicited via the internet with eight received. Work will be performed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with an estimated completion date of March 3, 2022. Fiscal 2018 military construction, defense-wide funds in the amount of $7,902,831 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Property and Fiscal Office, Colorado, is the contracting activity (W50S6V-21-C-0001).

The formation of the U.S. Space Force has led to more advanced cooperation in the space domain with existing and new partners, according to the force’s chief of space operations. Gen. John Raymond, USSF, noted that some nations even followed the U.S. example in giving space an increased priority as a warfighting domain.

Speaking at a Defense Writers Group media roundtable, Gen. Raymond stated that the United States is stronger as a nation with a stable and secure space domain. “The United States is a spacefaring nation, and we’ve long known that access to space and freedom to maneuver in space underpin all the instruments of our national power,” he declared.

During the AFCEA TechNet Cyber conference, the U.S. Space Force revealed a total of 25 commercial satellite communications (COMSATCOM) contracts to be awarded in the coming months. 

Mike Nichols, chief of the COMSATCOM Solutions program, a business unit of the Commercial Satellite Communications Office, U.S. Space Force, highlighted several of the opportunities. Some programs released requests for proposal in November, but industry still has time to respond.

Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, Redondo Beach, California, has been awarded a $298,044,362 firm-fixed-price Evolved Strategic Satellite Communications contract.  This contract provides a payload to develop hardware and software. Work will be performed in Redondo Beach, California, and is expected to be completed May 2025. This is a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $31,190,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity (FA8808-20-C-0049).

To outpace its adversaries in space, the U.S. Space Force intends on being a digital service. With a smaller force of about 16,000 total warfighters, civilians and contractors, the Space Force will have to rely on industry to bring the technologies needed to be a digitally advanced, said Lt. Gen. Chance Saltzman, USSF, deputy chief, Space Operations, Cyber, and Nuclear, Space Force. 

A new memorandum of understanding was announced today by NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. John “Jay” Raymond, USSF, during a Mitchell Institute virtual event.