Overview
- Space Development Agency issued a firm-fixed-price task under its HALO Other Transaction to fund rapid on-orbit experiments within the Tranche 2 Demonstration and Experimentation System.
- AST SpaceMobile will use its BlueBird satellites to demonstrate resilient, low-latency tactical communications directly to government end devices and pursue integration with existing tactical radios.
- Testing is slated to conclude by December 2027, with AST saying it will provide communications with military radios as a service.
- The award is the first under HALO’s Europa Track 2, which is designed to validate existing commercial solutions for tactical satellite communications.
- SDA’s acting director GP Sandhoo said leveraging commercial systems aims to prove mission utility, reduce risk for future PWSA tranches, and accelerate capability delivery; AST currently has six BlueBirds on orbit and is preparing BlueBird-7 for launch on Blue Origin’s New Glenn.