Naomi Cooper
Rocket Lab USA has selected six subcontractors to provide payloads and subsystems for the 18 Beta satellites the company is developing for the second tranche of the Space Development Agency’s data communications transport layer.
The company said Monday it leads the design, production, testing and operation of satellites for the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture’s Tranche 2 Transport Layer-Beta variant prototype constellation under a $515 million contract.
The subcontractors and their respective payloads and subsystems are:
- CesiumAstro: Vireo active electronically scanned array radio frequency communications payload
- Collins Aerospace: Waveform for a software defined radio system
- Mynaric: CONDOR Mk3 optical communication terminals
- Parsons: NEBULA Operations – Vendor Architecture
- Redwire Space: Antennas and radio frequency hardware
- SEAKR Engineering: Tactical satellite communications software defined radio and network encryption system
Rocket Lab will build and integrate other satellite subsystems and components, including avionics, radio, solar panels, flight software, structures, star trackers, reaction wheels and launch dispensers.
In a separate announcement, Mynaric said it will begin deliveries of the CONDOR Mk3 terminals, worth approximately $15 million, in 2025.
“As an existing strategic supplier to the program, it’s great to be able to expand our customer list and to deliver our leading-edge technology solutions to Rocket Lab as it debuts as a defense prime and jointly deliver next-generation space capabilities to the SDA,” said Tim Deaver, vice president of global sales and solutions at Mynaric.
