Space Force Awards Bae $1.2 Billion For Missile Tracking Sats

The U.S. Space Force has tapped BAE Systems Space and Mission Systems–formerly Ball Aerospace–to build 10 satellites for the next phase of its missile warning and missile tracking constellation in medium Earth orbit (MEO).

Space Systems Command (SSC) awarded a $1.2 billion contract on May 29 through a firm, fixed-price other transaction authority agreement for Epoch 2 of the Resilient Missile Warning and Tracking (MWT) architecture in MEO, the command said in a June 2 press release. The first satellite delivery is scheduled for fiscal 2029, it said.

BAE Systems acquired Ball Aerospace in February 2024 and subsequently launched its new Space & Mission Systems business.

Epoch 2’s primary purpose is delivering resilient global hypersonic missile tracking access, the press release said. It is the next phase of the Space Force’s program to provide next-generation overhead persistent infrared (OPIR) capabilities via a multiplane space segment in MEO, along with an integrated ground segment and constellation-level systems operations, SSC has previously said.

BAE Systems is also building a prototype ground system to provide command and control (C2) capabilities for OPIR assets in geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) and highly elliptical orbits (HEO) under SSC’s Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution C2 program.

The Epoch 2 request for proposals was released on Aug. 9, 2024. The solicitation included plans for up to 18 satellites that will build upon the current Epoch 1 contract, and said the government plans to award up to two firm-fixed price agreements, with one award per vendor. SSC did not clarify whether it will award a second contract for Epoch 2 by Aviation Week’s deadline on June 3.

Plans call for the MEO-based constellation to be fielded over the next six years via a spiral acquisition process that would put new capabilities into orbit every two-three years under the so-called Epochs. Millennium Space Systems, a Boeing subsidiary, is on contract to build 12 satellites in two planes under the program’s Epoch 1 contract, with a projected delivery date of 2026-27.

The Space Force launched the program to provide persistent tracking of modern asymmetric threats such as hypersonic glide vehicles being developed by Russia and China, as well as ICBM launches. The sensors in MEO would bolster constellations with similar mission sets in GEO and HEO, as well as low Earth orbit.

SSC, the Space Development Agency and the Missile Defense Agency are working together through a combined program office to coordinate the development of missile warning, missile tracking and missile defense capabilities.