Industry News

A fifth batch of 10 Iridium Communications satellites entered testing and validation phase shortly after the latest set in the company’s NEXT constellation launched into space. Friday’s launch increased the number of NEXT satellites in orbit to 50 and marked the second use of SpaceX‘s Falcon 9 first-stage booster, Iridium said Tuesday. “I’m beyond proud of our team at the Satellite […] More

Frequency Electronics has received two contracts worth $37.2 million combined from the U.S. Air Force to build and demonstrate an atomic clock for space systems. The company will help the service branch create an atomic frequency standard for timing applications and test a space-qualified clock through a flight experiment as part of a $19.4 million contract, the Defense Department said Tuesday. […] More

General Dynamics‘ Bath Iron Works subsidiary has completed builder’s trials on an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer for the U.S. Navy. The future USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 61) completed in-port and at-sea tests required to evaluate the vessel’s systems and delivery readiness, the Naval Sea Systems Command said Monday. Arleigh Burke-class warships are designed to incorporate the Aegis Baseline […] More

DynCorp International has received contract modifications from the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy worth $24.4 million and $40 million, respectively, to extend the company’s base life support and aircraft maintenance services. DynCorp said Monday it will carry out additional base life support and maintenance services for U.S. forces in Afghanistan under the Army’s Logistics Civil Augmentation Program IV contract. The company […] More

The Defense Logistics Agency has posted a request for information on commercial hosting platforms that can support an enterprise resource planning program designed to facilitate financial management functions across the Defense Department. DLA said Friday in a FedBizOpps notice that it will consider cloud-based hosting solutions that could aid the migration of the Defense Agencies Initiative ERP system […] More

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has begun to solicit proposals for the second set of technology development activities, called “swarm sprints,” as part of an effort to build platforms for drone swarm operations. DARPA said Friday the second sprint of the OFFensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics program will focus on the development of autonomy systems. OFFSET seeks to […] More

A SpaceX-made spacecraft took off Monday aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to bring more than 5,800 pounds of crew supplies and research investigations to the International Space Station. NASA said Tuesday the Dragon spacecraft’s launch marks the 14th ISS cargo delivery mission under the Commercial Resupply Services contract. Dragon is […] More

Two Northrop Grumman-built instruments onboard a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather satellite have been activated to perform post-launch data collection. The initial set of data from Northrop’s Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder and Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System Flight Model 6 will aid startup and checkout tests before NOAA’s Joint Polar Satellite System 1 reaches full operational status,  […] More

Orbital ATK plans to perform two certification flights for its Next Generation Launcher rocket in early 2021 from a launch site at Kennedy Space Center in Florida with plans to conduct operational flights later that year, NASASpaceflight.com reported Friday. The company has completed the initial two phases of the rocket propulsion system development effort and now expects […] More

The Polish government has signed a letter of offer and acceptance agreement to procure an Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System developed by Northrop Grumman. Northrop said Wednesday the U.S. government can now start the contracting process with the company to produce and deliver IBCS to Poland’s military. IBCS is designed to integrate sensors and interceptors that offer wide […] More