A wave of military satellite contracts
Within the span of just a few days, the US Space Force committed over 527 million dollars to expanding its geostationary satellite infrastructure. At the center of this spending push is the Protected Tactical Satcom-Global (PTS-G) program, designed to provide American forces with worldwide, jam-resistant tactical communications even in highly contested environments.
The largest share — a 437 million dollar contract — went jointly to commercial operators Viasat and SES, who will build and deliver four small geostationary satellites. The spacecraft must meet stringent military requirements for link protection and resilience against electronic warfare threats. The pairing of the two companies combines Viasat's established expertise in protected military communications with SES's track record in managing large multi-orbit fleets.
In a separate but related award, Rocket Lab secured a 90 million dollar contract under the same program — its first-ever geostationary satellite production contract from the US Space Force. The New Zealand-founded company will build and operate two satellites carrying optical payloads, the precise specifications of which remain classified.
A milestone for Rocket Lab's defense ambitions
For Rocket Lab, this award marks a genuine industrial turning point. The company built its reputation on small launch vehicles and lightweight spacecraft. Winning a GEO production contract from the Pentagon places it in a competitive tier previously reserved for established primes like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. It also validates the company's broader strategy of moving up the value chain, from launch provider to full satellite manufacturer and operator.
The Viasat-SES pairing, meanwhile, reflects a broader shift in how the Department of Defense structures large acquisitions. Rather than relying on a single prime contractor, the Space Force appears increasingly comfortable with consortium arrangements that blend complementary commercial capabilities. Whether this model will extend to future PTS-G awards or other programs remains to be seen, but the pattern is worth watching.
Doubling the force by 2030
These hardware investments are unfolding alongside a significant institutional expansion. General Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations, confirmed this week that the Space Force is on track to double its active-duty personnel by 2030. Established in December 2019, the youngest branch of the US military currently numbers in the low thousands — a figure that leadership intends to grow substantially over the next four years.
Saltzman acknowledged that growth cannot be unconstrained. Training pipelines and the pace at which new operational units can be stood up are the primary bottlenecks. The political will to expand is clear; translating that into trained, deployable space professionals takes considerably more time.
Taken together, the new contracts and the personnel ramp-up sketch out a consistent strategic direction: a Space Force moving from a lean, newly-minted organization into a mature military branch with genuine operational depth. Against a backdrop of intensifying competition with China and Russia in the space domain, the pace of that transformation is unlikely to slow anytime soon.