Anduril Industries of Costa Mesa and Turion Space Corp. of Irvine are among 14 companies selected to compete for a maximum of $1.8 billion in contracts for the Andromeda satellite monitoring program, the U.S. Defense Department said.
The U.S. Space Force program is designed to check for threats from orbiting military and intelligence community spacecraft. Work on the contracts will last through 2036.
The companies selected ranged from newer firms to stalwarts such as Lockheed Martin.
“The lineup reflects a deliberate effort by the Space Force to broaden its supplier base, pairing large incumbents with venture-backed entrants that have been pushing into national security missions,” industry website Space News said.
