The program is designed to improve monitoring of activities in contested orbits. It is intended to provide commanders with faster and clearer insight into developments in space.
A total of 32 proposals were submitted during the competition. Contracts were awarded as fixed-price, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity agreements running through April 8, 2036.
At the time of award, only $1.4 million in research and development funding from the fiscal year 2025 budget was obligated. Most expenditures will occur through future task orders issued under the program.
The IDIQ structure is intended to provide flexibility for rapid follow-on procurement. It allows the Space Force to issue additional orders without restarting the entire acquisition process.
The program focuses on defining, designing and building technologies for space domain awareness missions. Future orders may include maneuverable spacecraft, payloads, optical and radio sensors, relay nodes and supporting software.
The solicitation did not reference kinetic weapons. Instead, it emphasized capabilities related to observation, tracking and data transmission in orbit.
The selected contractors include established defense firms and emerging space companies. Their offerings suggest the types of architectures being considered for the program.
Among the participants, Astranis Space Technologies develops radiation-hardened spacecraft for higher orbits. Northrop Grumman’s ESPAStar and Lockheed Martin’s LM 400 provide modular orbital platforms.
Millennium Space Systems focuses on spacecraft with advanced onboard processing. Redwire Space Missions offers the SabreSat platform for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance payloads.
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems provides payload integration and optical communications capabilities. Other participants include True Anomaly with its Jackal vehicle and Sierra Space with the Eclipse Velocity platform.
Additional contractors selected for the program include Anduril Industries, BAE Systems, L3Harris Technologies, Intuitive Machines and Quantum Space. The mix of companies reflects a broad industrial base supporting the program.
The first competition under Andromeda will fund satellites for the RG-XX program. This effort is intended to replace the current Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program fleet.
The existing GSSAP system consists of a small number of highly capable but costly satellites. The new approach signals a shift toward a larger and potentially more distributed architecture.
Such a system is expected to allow more frequent updates and improved resilience. It reflects evolving requirements as orbital threats become more complex.
