Evolved Strategic Satcom illustration. Credit: Boeing
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force awarded Sphinx Defense a $287 million contract to develop ground software for the next generation of military satellite communications that will underpin the nation’s strategic nuclear command, control and communications system.
The award covers the mission planning application for the Evolved Strategic Satellite Communications (ESS) program, a software component that will plan, allocate and manage communications across the future satellite constellation. Boeing is developing the ESS satellites to replace the current Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) strategic communications system.
The Space Systems Command said July 27 that the agreement was awarded to Sphinx Defense through the Space Enterprise Consortium using an Other Transaction Authority (OTA), a procurement mechanism the Pentagon uses to fund prototype projects outside the traditional federal contracting process.
Sphinx Defense develops software for satellite ground systems, including mission planning, communications scheduling and network optimization.
