Ireland Degges
Hughes Network Systems, an EchoStar company, has won a spot on a $900 million U.S. Space Force contract to provide Low Earth Orbit satellite-based offerings.
The five-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity award enables the Department of Defense, other federal agencies and international coalition partners to procure fully managed, low-latency LEO services from Hughes using capacity on two satellite constellations, the Germantown, Maryland-based enterprise announced on Tuesday.
“These important LEO capabilities will give the DOD cost-effective solutions and added reliability and resiliency in satellite communications across all domains, and we look forward to addressing upcoming requirements for procurement of these services,” said Rick Lober, vice president and general manager of Hughes’ defense and government systems division.
The contract is a multiple-award vehicle under which 16 companies were selected to deliver satellite communications services. As a contractor, Hughes will utilize capacity from two constellations – OneWeb and EchoStar Lyra – to meet public sector SATCOM needs.
“As government and defense agencies explore the power and potential of LEO services in delivering capabilities to the warfighter faster and at lower cost, we’re proud to offer not one, but two compelling solutions,” said Hughes Vice President Leslie Blaker-Glass.
She said that with Hughes’ OneWeb, which uses a low-power, lightweight, flat panel antenna, and its EchoStar Lyra S-band Internet of Things system, the company is positioned to provide robust and resilient low-latency connectivity to public sector clients at a competitive price.
SATCOM capabilities are one of many benefits offered by space technologies, which are rapidly advancing. For a deep dive into the U.S. government’s space priorities, ExecutiveBiz is hosting its Space Technologies Forum on August 29. To learn more and register to attend the event, which will bring together experts from both the public and private sectors to consider the nation’s future in the evolving domain, click here.
