The classified work of surveillance satellites in geosynchronous orbit is the latest segment of military space flagged for a fast-track procurement approach in the face of rising capabilities from U.S. adversaries.
The satellites of the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program, first acknowledged by military leaders in 2014, typify the system designed to watch other man-made objects on orbit. Prime contractor Northrop Grumman and its predecessors Orbital ATK and Orbital Services built the satellites. They orbit at 36,000 kilometers altitude.
Now, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is seeking proposals for companies to build and operate the satellites and then transfer them to government control, all within 36 months, SpaceNews reported. DIU is bypassing normal procurement programs with their regulatory requirements and using what’s known as a Commercial Solutions Opening. Under this streamlined method, companies often put up their own money.
In the solicitation, DIU said space adversaries are “escalating threats against the very systems the United States relies on for strategic deterrence and decision making,” SpaceNews reported.