Story perspectives

Space Force Awards $398 M Prototype Contract Amid $2.4 B Cancelation

5/17/2026

Summary

Story summary

The U.S. Space Force awarded Northrop Grumman a $398 million contract on May 15 to build a PTS-P prototype.
The satellite will use the ESPAStar-HP bus, launch no earlier than 2030 and test a Protected Tactical Waveform that resists jamming.
Boeing will add a hosted-payload version to two Wideband Global Satcom satellites scheduled soon.
The service cancelled a $2.4 billion follow-on procurement in June 2025 yet FY 2027 budget documents keep free-flyer and hosted-payload demos.

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Story summary

The U.S. Space Force awarded Northrop Grumman a $398 million contract on May 15 to build a PTS-P prototype.
The satellite will use the ESPAStar-HP bus, launch no earlier than 2030 and test a Protected Tactical Waveform that resists jamming.
Boeing will add a hosted-payload version to two Wideband Global Satcom satellites scheduled soon.
The service cancelled a $2.4 billion follow-on procurement in June 2025 yet FY 2027 budget documents keep free-flyer and hosted-payload demos.