Rocket Lab Wins Satellite Development Contract Worth IDR 7.9 Trillion

Illustration of the launch of the Tranche satellite into orbit (photo: dock. SDA)

JAKARTA - Rocket Lab, aerospace manufacturer and launch service provider, has received contracts from US government agencies to build 18 satellites.

From the Spacenews report, the contract that has been submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is worth US$515 million or around Rp7.9 trillion. Most likely, this contract was issued by the Space Development Agency (SDA).

In the contract, it is written that the Rocket Lab National Security will take full responsibility for satellite production. They will design, produce, deliver, and operate the 18 satellites.

There is strong evidence that SDA is the customer who issued the contract. This is in line with the focus of the institution over the past few times, namely building a network in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) under the name Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.

This contest will be decorated by Transport Layer Tranche 2 Beta. SDA has awarded contracts to Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman for $1.5 billion to build 72 satellites.

In early December, SDA Director Derek Tournear said they plan to add 18 Beta satellites to the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. They are also discussing contracts with suppliers.

"We are considering installing about 18 more satellites in the contract and we are working with a third vendor to do so," Tournear said at the National Security Space Association forum, quoted by Spacenews.

Although Tournear has not disclosed a third party in its contract to date, it is very possible that Rocket Lab will get the contract. What's more, the number of satellites mentioned by Tournear and those listed in the SEC's regulatory filing is exactly the same.