NASA awards Ka-band satellite relay work to three companies

NASA said it selected three companies on Wednesday to perform work on Ka-band space relay capability concepts. The concepts are compatible with current missions in space and are intended to ensure service continuity for existing spacecraft without requiring modifications to their onboard systems.

NASA will aim to acquire end-to-end solutions that include space, ground, launch, operations, and integration elements. The agency will seek these solutions as one of many customers in the commercial marketplace. The work supports NASA's decision to gradually retire the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite fleet and adopt commercial services for future missions.

The awards are firm-fixed-price contracts under the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships-3 Broad Agency Announcement Appendix E. They give NASA the option to provide additional funding up to the award limit. The optional funding can advance the work from initial concept development and risk reduction to an in-orbit flight demonstration.

The initial period of performance runs from Nov. 4 through May 3, 2027. Additional priced options would continue the work through 2029.

Astranis Space Technologies Corp. received an award with a maximum potential value of $264.3 million, including all future options. Global Enterprise Solutions Inc. received an award with a maximum potential value of $340.4 million, including all future options.

The work is facilitated through the agency's SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) program's Communications Services Project. NASA said Ka-band services are needed to support select in-orbit missions that cannot feasibly modify flight hardware or transition to non-compatible commercial services. They are also needed alongside commercial capabilities currently under development by the program's industry partners.