Ireland Degges
In pursuing a stronger presence in federal contracting, SpaceX has launched the Starshield satellite network, which is geared towards national security support for government organizations.
Utilizing the company’s existing Starlink technology, the Starshield business aims to focus on the areas of earth observation, communications and hosted payloads.
Starshield’s website states that the satellite network provides secure data encryption, a modular design to meet individual mission requirements, interoperability, rapid development and deployment, resiliency and constant connectivity.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, the federal government has been taking steps across agencies to expand its work with the private sector for its endeavors in space. These include the Department of Defense efforts to modify requirements for new launch systems, satellites and ground technology and the Space Force’s establishment of a new office to streamline the process required for companies to work with the DOD.
At an industry conference earlier this week, Frank Calvelli, the Air Force’s space acquisition chief, said that he supported the use of more small satellites and aims for faster deployments of space hardware.
SpaceX has already built a relationship with the federal government. In the past year, the company won multiple NASA awards, which include responsibilities ranging from technology development to mission execution.
Most recently, Elon Musk’s venture received a $1.15 billion contract modification to extend its work on the Starship spacecraft, which began under a $2.89 billion contract granted in 2021.
The company also won a potential five-year, $102 million Air Force contract to contribute to a program designed to assess the viability of utilizing large rockets in support of DOD global logistics missions.
Earlier this month, SpaceX received Federal Communications Commission approval to build, deploy and operate over seven thousand satellites for the second-generation Starlink constellation, which enables the company to provide satellite broadband service to U.S. customers.
GovCon Wire will be hosting its Space Acquisition Forum on Jan. 18, during which Calvelli will deliver a keynote address. To learn more about the event and register to attend, please visit GovCon Wire’s events page.
