Lockheed Martin obtains ESS contract
Company to develop and demonstrate a prototype payload
The US Space Force has awarded Lockheed Martin Space a $258.31 million firm-fixed-price contract under the Evolved Strategic Satellite Communication (ESS) programme.
‘This contract will develop a prototype payload and conclude in a hardware and software in-the-loop, end-to-end demonstration,’ the DoD noted on 9 November.
Work will be performed in Denver, Colorado, and is expected to be completed June 2025.
ESS is envisaged as an adjunct to — and eventual mid-latitude replacement for — the strategic jam-resistant SATCOM mission performed by the existing Advanced Extremely High Frequency constellation (which was also made by Lockheed Martin).
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