The ESS initiative aims to provide secure, resilient and modernised satellite connectivity for critical communications, including Presidential National Voice Conferencing. Boeing has been supporting the project since 2020 under a rapid prototyping contract to mature the necessary technologies and reduce risks.
Cordell DeLaPena, U.S. Space Force Programme Executive Officer for Military Communications and Positioning, Navigation, and Timing, stated: “It’s a critical time to advance U.S. space capabilities to ensure peace through strength.” He added, “These satellites will provide connectivity from space as part of a refreshed NC3 architecture for our nation.”
According to Boeing, the ESS satellites will offer greater capacity, flexibility and resilience than existing strategic communications systems. The spacecraft will operate in geostationary orbit, around 35,700 kilometres from Earth, to ensure continuous coverage for strategic military operations.
Kay Sears, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space, Intelligence and Weapon Systems, commented: “The U.S. needs a strategic national security architecture that works without fail, with the highest level of protection and capability.” She noted, “We designed an innovative system to provide guaranteed communication to address an evolving threat environment in space.”
The ESS solution draws on technologies developed for Boeing’s Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS)-11 and WGS-12 satellites and has been validated on the commercial O3b mPOWER constellation. These advancements will support protected signals capable of withstanding attempts to disrupt or intercept communications.
Michelle Parker, vice president of Boeing Space Mission Systems, said: “This win validates all the investments and innovations we’ve made in our satellite technology, creating a technically mature and low-risk offering for the government.” She emphasised, “We scaled our production capacity, invested in our team, hired cleared talent, and assembled hot production lines to make sure that we can hit the ground running from day one.”
Boeing is scheduled to deliver the first of the two contracted satellites by 2031. The ESS system will use classified technologies developed in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Defense to meet evolving strategic needs.
