Naomi Cooper
Maxar Technologies is set to begin production of its new small satellite bus series purchased by L3Harris Technologies for the Space Development Agency’s missile-tracking satellite constellation after completing the critical design review phase of the program.
The review validates the structural design, power, attitude control and command and data handling functions of the Maxar 300 series, the company’s smallest and most modular bus that can carry eight or more space vehicles per launch mission to low Earth orbit, Maxar said Monday.
Chris Johnson, senior vice president and general manager for space at Maxar, shared that the company will commence production in late 2023 with initial deliveries scheduled for early 2024.
L3Harris ordered 16 satellite buses for SDA’s Tranche 1 Tracking Layer constellation for tracking hypersonic weapon systems and other advanced missile threats.
SDA awarded L3Harris a $700 million contract in July 2022 to build and deploy the satellite constellation and provide ground operations and equipment for the first tranche of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture’s tracking layer.
