Iridium Ground Station. Credit: Ivar Stakvik/Iridium Communications Inc/PRNewswire.

General Dynamics Mission Systems and Iridium Communications have secured a contract from the Space Development Agency (SDA) in the US.

The contract has an estimated value of $324.5m, which includes a $162.95m base amount and $161.56m in options.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

The contract involves establishing a ground operations and integration (O&I) segment for Tranche 1 of the US National Defence Space Architecture (NDSA).

The two companies will work together to build ground entry points and operations centres for NDSA.

Additionally, General Dynamics Mission Systems and Iridium will provide systems integration and network operations services for the SDA’s next tranche of proliferated low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.

The core operations and integration functions encompass network, enterprise, mission and payload data management, along with constellation monitoring spanning the ground, link, space and user segments of the architecture.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

General Dynamics Mission Systems president Chris Brady said: “We are incredibly proud to bring our long heritage of mission-critical space and ground communications and networking expertise to the SDA.

“Together with our partners, we’re excited to build the foundation for the SDA’s initial warfighting capability and backbone of Joint All-Domain Command and Control.”

General Dynamics Mission Systems and Iridium Communications team will work with partners at KSAT USA, Raytheon and EMERGENT to develop, equip, staff, operate and maintain commercial-like operations centres.  

The companies will also acquire and operate ground entry points and support ground-to-space integration efforts.

Iridium CEO Matt Desch said: “Iridium, General Dynamics Mission Systems and the US Government have a long and successful history of working together and partnering on this project is a natural evolution of our relationship.