NASA awarded three companies contracts to develop Ka-band satellite relay capabilities that work with existing spacecraft without requiring hardware modifications. The contracts support NASA's plan to retire its Tracking and Data Relay Satellite fleet and transition to commercial space communications services.
Astranis Space Technologies Corp. received $264.3 million. Global Enterprise Solutions Inc. received $340.4 million. Viasat Inc. received $460.9 million. These amounts represent maximum potential value including all future options.
The awards fall under the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships-3 Broad Agency Announcement Appendix E as firm-fixed-price contracts. NASA can provide additional funding to advance work from initial concept development and risk reduction through in-orbit flight demonstration.
Initial work runs from November 4, 2026 through May 3, 2027, with priced options to continue through 2029. The Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program's Communications Services Project facilitated the awards. Ka-band services are needed to support select in-orbit missions that cannot transition to compatible commercial services or undergo hardware modifications.