NASA Announces Ka-Band Satellite Relay Awards for Space Communications

NASA selected three companies on Wednesday to perform work to develop Ka-band space relay capability concepts that are compatible with current missions in space, ensuring service continuity for existing spacecraft without requiring modifications to their onboard systems. Through this work, NASA will aim to acquire end-to-end solutions that include space, gro

The top 3

  1. Strategy for Legacy Mission Continuity: NASA is targeting service continuity for legacy spacecraft that cannot easily change their flight hardware or adapt to standard non-compatible commercial services. By developing these specific Ka-band relay concepts, NASA ensures these assets remain functional as the agency retires its own Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) fleet.
  2. Commercial Procurement Model: NASA is moving toward an 'end-to-end' service model, treating itself as one of many customers in the commercial marketplace rather than an operator. The contracts include options to scale from initial concept development to in-orbit flight demonstrations, allowing the agency to minimize risk while leveraging private sector infrastructure.

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