spacetoday.net: Rocket Lab wins large government contract

Posted: Sat, Dec 30, 2023, 9:41 AM ET (1441 GMT)
Rocket Lab has won a contract from a U.S. government agency worth up to $515 million for 18 satellites. Rocket Lab disclosed the contract in an SEC filing Dec. 21, saying that it would design, build and operate the satellites, with launch planned in 2027. The contract has a base value of $489 million with $26 million in options. The company did not disclose the identify of the customer, but a likely candidate is the Space Force's Space Development Agency (SDA). SDA Director Derek Tournear said earlier this month that the agency was negotiating a contract with an unspecified supplier for 18 satellites for the Transport Layer Tranche 2 Beta communications constellation.