Irvine-based Tyvak Nano Satellite Systems Inc. was awarded a contract to build 42 satellites for the Pentagon to support “global warfighter missions” with a vast communications and surveillance network in outer space.
Parent company Terran Orbital Corp. (NYSE: LLAP) said the order is part of a contract that Lockheed Martin was awarded by the U.S. military’s Space Development Agency, or SDA.
The contract “validates our ability to deliver game-changing capability in partnership with Lockheed Martin,” said Marc Bell, co-founder and chief executive of Baca Raton, Fla.-based Terran.
Terms of the contract for the small satellites were not disclosed. While a March 15 e-mailed announcement says Tyvak was awareded the contract, it also says parent Terran got the award.
Terran, which went public in late March, also said it had more than $200 million in outstanding orders, companywide.
Report: Space Internet
The satellites will be for the “Pentagon’s first-ever internet in space—a network of small satellites in low Earth orbit to support military communications, surveillance and tracking of enemy targets,” according to trade industry website SpaceNews.com.
SDA Director Derek Tournear said the plan is to launch the next batch of satellites starting in September 2024, according to a recent SpaceNews report.
“SDA’s constellation, if successful, could become a model for how DoD (Department of Defense) can deploy satellite networks that are more resilient against cyberattacks and other threats,” SpaceNews said.
Enabling Warfighters
The military program depends on “ubiquitous data and communications from a constellation of relatively small, mass-producible space vehicles.”
Terran said the satellites “will provide and support global telecommunications access and persistent regional encrypted connectivity enabling warfighters across all areas of operation.”
Bell said the company had already received a contract for an earlier phase of the project’s deployment.
1,000/Year Aim
Tyvak, which specializes in small spacecraft of various sizes including nano-satellites and micro-satellites, sees a huge and growing market.
The company aims to ultimately deliver more than 1,000 satellites per year as prices come down and both defense and commercial uses grow.
“Space is big,” Terran’s Satellite Solutions President Boris Becker told the Business Journal in December. “There’s plenty of room.”
The 1,000-satellite goal, which is likely several years away, will represent major growth for Terran’s wholly owned subsidiary Tyvak.
“In our history, we have launched dozens of our own satellites, including over a half dozen in 2021,” according to Becker.
Tyvak designs and builds satellites that range from about 25 pounds and the size of a boot box to mini fridges that weigh from around 200 to over 800 pounds, according to Becker, a retired rear admiral in the U.S. Navy.
SPAC Completion
Parent company Terran Orbital started trading as a publicly listed company on March 28 after completing a merger with special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, Tailwind Two Acquisition Corp.
Trading opened at $12.69 per share and shares were trading around $9 late last week, for a valuation around $1.2 billion. Tailwind went public at $10 a share.
Terran and Tyvak have upped their presence on both coasts of late. They’ve taken over four floors at the 400 Spectrum Center tower, added a second production building close by in Irvine. Terran has also announced plans to develop a new $300 million commercial spacecraft facility in Florida in partnership with Space Florida, Florida’s aerospace and spaceport development authority.
