Northrop-Built OmegA Spacecraft to Launch Satellites in Inaugural Flight; Charlie Precourt Quoted

A Northrop Grumman-built space launch vehicle will carry satellites from Saturn Satellite Networks as part of the spacecraft’s debut flight in 2021.

OmegA will take off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida and field two NationSat systems via geosynchronous transfer orbit, Northrop said Thursday.

The spacecraft and its launch sites are currently undergoing validation and detail design processes under a $792M other transaction agreement with the U.S. Air Force.

“The first flight of OmegA is a key step in our certification process for the U.S. Air Force National Security Space Launch program,” said Charlie Precourt, vice president of propulsion systems at Northrop.

Aside from Northrop, Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance have secured OTAs to develop prototype rockets in support of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle initiative.