Boeing awarded $2B deal to build next-gen comms sats for Space Force
Space Systems Command announced Wednesday that Boeing will provide two additional satellites for the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) constellation — extending operations for one of the Defense Department’s critical SATCOM networks.
Boeing beat out Lockheed Martin for the MUOS Service Life Extension program, initiated by the Space Force to ensure the tactical satellite communications constellation remains operational until 2035. Under the $2 billion contract, Boeing will develop, deliver and conduct on-orbit tests for two new space vehicles slated for launch “no earlier than 2031 and 2032,” SSC said in a news release.
The MUOS constellation operates as a global, space-based cellular network to provide Pentagon users with secure connectivity via smaller terminals — meaning warfighters can communicate with one another while on the move. The network operates in Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) bands that allows for comms in crowded terrain, urban environments and austere weather conditions.
MUOS was first developed by the Navy as a replacement for the Cold War-era UHF Follow-On constellation. Lockheed Martin was named prime contractor for the program in 2004, and the service launched a total of five MUOS satellites — four operational birds and one spare — into geosynchronous orbit during the 2012-2016 time frame.
The Space Force officially took over responsibility for the MUOS constellation in 2023. Shortly after, the service kicked off a program to address the approaching end-of-service-life for the existing MUOS satellites and prevent future communications gaps.
The service awarded Boeing and Lockheed Martin contracts worth $66 million each in 2024 for the first phase of the MUOS service-life extension effort, covering preliminary design and risk-reduction work.
Boeing will now deliver the sixth and seventh satellites for the constellation, allowing MUOS to remain operational through the mid-2030s. The two new space vehicles will extend the system’s Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) capability that converts commercial 3G cellular technology into a secure comms network for the Pentagon.
“This award strengthens our global communications infrastructure, ensuring our joint and coalition partners have the tools needed for advanced mil-UHF WCDMA communications,” Erin Carper, acting Space Force program acquisition executive for SATCOM and PNT, said in a statement. “By empowering our warfighters with secure and reliable connectivity, we enhance operational effectiveness across the globe.”
