Rocket Lab Wins $397 Million Space Force Contract for Space-Based Airborne Target Tracking

Rocket Lab has been awarded a $397 million contract by the U.S. Space Force under the Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator (SB-AMTI) program to develop, launch, and operate a constellation of next-generation satellites designed to track airborne threats from orbit.

Under the award, Rocket Lab will build multiple Flatellites, its new flat satellite platform optimized for large constellations, and launch them aboard its upcoming Neutron rocket.

The company will also provide mission operations and deliver tracking data to the Space Force through secure ground facilities. The contract includes options for additional Flatellites.

The SB-AMTI program aims to establish a resilient space-based sensing architecture capable of providing persistent, real-time tracking of airborne threats in contested environments.

Rocket Lab said the constellation will combine advanced sensors with low-latency, high-bandwidth communications to strengthen the Space Force's space-based sensing capabilities.

By combining its Flatellite spacecraft with Neutron launch services, Rocket Lab said it will provide greater deployment flexibility and vendor diversity for the SB-AMTI architecture.

"Rocket Lab is honored to play a key role in the SB-AMTI program, which is critical to expanding the Space Force's layered, resilient tracking architecture," said founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck.

The SB-AMTI program is led by the Space Force's Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Space-Based Sensing and Targeting and is intended to reduce reliance on vulnerable airborne surveillance platforms by shifting persistent airborne target tracking to space.

The architecture will combine space-based sensors, secure communications, AI-enabled data processing, and ground systems to provide continuous battlefield awareness for U.S. military operations.

Image Credits: Rocket Lab