Boeing Wins $2.8B Space Force Contract for ESS Satellite Development

Boeing has won a potential $2.8 billion contract from the U.S. Space Force to build and produce four space vehicles for the Evolved Strategic Satellite Communications, or ESS, program.

Space Force’s Evolved Strategic Satcom Program

The company said Thursday the ESS program is the space-based component of the U.S. nuclear command, control and communications, or NC3, architecture and is designed to deliver secure strategic satcom connectivity to the U.S. president and strategic warfighters worldwide when deployed in geostationary orbit.

“These satellites will provide connectivity from space as part of a refreshed NC3 architecture for our nation,” said Cordell DeLaPena, the Space Force’s program executive officer for the military communications and positioning, navigation and timing directorate.

The ESS satellites will use classified technologies and a highly protected waveform developed in partnership with the Department of Defense.

“The U.S. needs a strategic national security architecture that works without fail, with the highest level of protection and capability,” said Kay Sears, vice president and general manager of Boeing’s space, intelligence and weapon systems.

“We designed an innovative system to provide guaranteed communication to address an evolving threat environment in space,” added Sears, a two-time Wash100 awardee.

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ESS Satellite Production Contract

DOD said Thursday Space Systems Command launched a competitive procurement process and received two offers for the cost-plus-incentive-award-fee contract.

The government is obligating $100 million in research, development, test and evaluation funds for fiscal year 2025.

Work will occur in El Segundo, California, through the end of December 2033.

Boeing said the initial ESS contract covers the production of two satellites and includes options for the development of two more spacecraft. The company expects to deliver the first of two satellites to the service branch by 2031.

Boeing’s ESS Platform

Boeing said its ESS platform is supported by technology it has developed for the Wideband Global SATCOM-11 and WGS-12 satellites and has proven on-orbit aboard the O3b mPOWER constellation.

“This win validates all the investments and innovations we’ve made in our satellite technology, creating a technically mature and low-risk offering for the government,” said Michelle Parker, vice president of space mission systems at Boeing.

Since 2020, the defense contractor has been performing technical maturation and risk reduction work under a Space Force rapid prototyping contract.