Maxar Technologies company SSL has been selected to help define next-generation secure satellite communications for the US Air Force (USAF).
Under the deal, SSL will be responsible for developing, testing and evaluating antenna subsystem prototypes for the USAF’s Space and Missile Systems Center.
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The current award will be carried out under a contract with the Space Enterprise Consortium and managed by Advanced Technology International. It demonstrates SSL’s ability to contribute to US leadership in space with new concepts for the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) next-generation spacecraft systems.
SSL Government Systems president Richard White said: “The combination of SSL’s agile mindset and innovative new space technologies with our team’s experience in multiple generations of military satellite communications architectures uniquely positions us to accelerate the DoD’s development and integration of cost-effective and highly advanced solutions that will support the defence of our nation.
“There are more than 85 SSL-built communications satellites currently in-orbit, and we are proud to leverage that experience to further expand and support USAF capabilities.”
The company will use its knowledge in satellite communications and next-generation advances both in space and on the ground to develop new antenna subsystem prototypes.
Prototypes will be used to define and demonstrate major technologies for a resilient, cost-effective and high-performance protected tactical satellite communications capability.
The current study is built on previous SSL studies conducted to develop and demonstrate next-generation military satellite communications architectures for the USAF Space and Missile Systems Center.
