K2 Space, Rocket Lab win key supplier roles in Space Force satcom program
K2 Space and Rocket Lab have landed key supplier roles in the U.S. Space Force's next-generation military communications network, SpaceNews has learned.
K2 Space will provide the satellite platform for SES's entry in the Protected Tactical Satcom-Global program, known as PTS-G, while Rocket Lab will supply the spacecraft bus for Viasat's PTS-G satellite. A spokesperson for the Space Systems Command confirmed both companies' role in the PTS-G program.
The supplier selections shed new light on the industrial teams behind the first operational phase of PTS-G, a Space Force effort to build a more resilient military communications network using commercially derived satellites in geostationary orbit.
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Communications satellite operators SES and Viasat were selected last month as prime contractors under a combined $437.7 million award to each build and operate a satellite for five years. The spacecraft are expected to enter service in 2029.
The satellite bus is the underlying spacecraft platform that provides power, propulsion, thermal management and other core functions. The selection of K2 Space and Rocket Lab places both companies at the center of a program intended to expand the military's use of commercial space technology.
PTS-G is designed to provide protected military communications through a constellation of geostationary satellites operating in X-band and military Ka-band frequencies. The system is intended to support communications in contested environments where adversaries may attempt to disrupt satellite links through electronic warfare or jamming.
Unlike satellites that process and route communications traffic onboard, PTS-G uses a transponded architecture, where the satellites function primarily as relays in space, receiving, amplifying and retransmitting signals between users and ground infrastructure. The Space Systems Command has said the satellites will carry both military Ka-band and X-band payloads and will remain compatible with existing military communications systems.
In announcing the contract awards, Erin Carper, acting portfolio acquisition executive for satellite communications, said the program is intended to "leverage commercial innovation through a competitive acquisition approach."
The selection extends an existing relationship between K2 Space and SES. The California-based startup was previously chosen to provide spacecraft buses for SES's planned next-generation broadband constellation, giving K2 an entry point into the commercial geostationary communications market. PTS-G expands that partnership into the military sector.
For Rocket Lab, the Viasat partnership marks another step in the launch provider's effort to build a larger satellite manufacturing business. Its role in PTS-G follows a recent Space Force award to build two geostationary satellites.
Viasat in a news release described its PTS-G offering as a maneuverable "mini-GEO" satellite capable of operating in both X-band and Ka-band frequencies. The company said its associated ground infrastructure will be designed to dynamically allocate communications capacity to areas where military demand is highest.
The first production awards under PTS-G were made from a pool of five companies selected by the Space Force to develop concepts and payload demonstrations. In addition to SES and Viasat, the group includes Astranis, Boeing and Northrop Grumman.
The broader program is being procured through an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract with a ceiling value of $4 billion. Space Systems Command has said additional orders are planned beginning in 2028 but has not stated whether future competitions will be limited to SES and Viasat or reopened to the wider pool of vendors.
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