U.S. Space Force allocated an additional $605 million in November to Raytheon Technologies and Millennium Space Systems to design prototypes of satellites that can detect and monitor hypersonic and ballistic missiles from medium Earth orbit. These companies were selected by the Space Force in May 2021 to build missile warning sensors for its Missile Track Custody program.
The Space Force has not revealed the contract values, but Raytheon’s deal is worth up to $727 million, and Millennium’s is worth up to $412 million. The contracts include options for design, operation, data processing, and the purchase of up to three aircraft. After a successful review of their sensor payload designs in November, additional options were exercised in the original contracts, awarding Raytheon $396 million and Millennium $209 million. With this funding, the companies will construct satellite prototypes that may fly as soon as 2026, as well as developing ground-based control and data-processing systems. The Missile Track Custody program is aimed at making the Space Force’s on-orbit missile warning and tracking capabilities more resilient against threats from China and Russia.
