Sierra Space has secured a $798-million contract to build 18 missile warning and tracking satellites supporting the US Golden Dome missile defense architecture.
Awarded by the Space Development Agency, the agreement covers spacecraft for the Accelerated Missile Defense Tranche 3 (AMDT3) Tracking Layer.
Sierra Space will base the satellites on its Horizon spacecraft platform, which it is already using for its work on the Tranche 2 Tracking Layer.
Under that earlier program, the company has completed structures for all 18 spacecraft and is preparing for qualification testing of a nine-satellite launch configuration this summer, followed by system verification testing later this year.
“By combining cutting-edge design and manufacturing systems with industrial depth and systems integration expertise, we’re able to move faster, manage risk better, and deliver more cost-effective solutions,” Sierra Space CEO Dan Jablonsky said.
US Golden Dome
The Golden Dome initiative envisions a layered network of sensors and interceptors designed to defend the US homeland against advanced air and missile threats across the boost, midcourse, and glide phases of flight.
Sierra Space’s award comes alongside a separate contract for L3Harris Technologies for 18 missile defense satellites under the same AMDT3 effort. Those spacecraft will carry sensors designed to provide tracking data for advanced missile threats, including hypersonic and ballistic weapons.
In May, Booz Allen Hamilton received a contract to develop and deliver a testbed missile interceptor solution for the US Space Force’s Space Systems Command. The award falls under a $3.2-billion framework involving multiple industry partners developing space-based defense prototypes in support of Golden Dome.
Earlier, in March, the US Department of Defense raised the program’s projected cost by up to $10 billion to accelerate critical space-based capabilities, bringing the potential total to as much as $185 billion. Lockheed Martin, RTX, and Northrop Grumman were also confirmed as prime contractors.
