Posted: Fri, Aug 25, 2023, 7:15 PM ET (2315 GMT)
The Space Force's Space Development Agency (SDA) awarded contracts Monday to Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman for a new set of communications satellites. The SDA selected the two companies to each build 36 satellites for the "Beta" portion of the Tranche 2 Transport Layer network. Lockheed's contract is valued at $816 million and Northrop's at $733 million. The Beta variant of the Tranche 2 Transport Layer vehicles are similar to the 126 Tranche 1 Transport Layer satellites that SDA ordered last year from Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and York Space. SDA plans to acquire an additional 100 "Alpha" satellites for the Tranche 2 Transport Layer.

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•  SpaceNews article
•  Breaking Defense article
•  SDA press release