WASHINGTON – The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced that the agency has selected four companies to expand the agency’s Near Space Network’s commercial direct-to-Earth capabilities services, which is a mission-critical communication capability that allows spacecraft to transmit data directly to ground stations on Earth. NASA says the contracts are worth up to $4.82 billion. The contracts are firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity agreements, with project timelines running from February 2025 to September 2029 and an optional five-year extension through September 2034.
Intuitive Machines of Houston will receive two task orders for Subcategory 1.2 GEO to Cislunar Direct-to-Earth (DTE) Services and Subcategory 1.3 xCislunar DTE Services. These contracts aim to support NASA’s Lunar Exploration Ground Segment, providing additional capacity to reduce demand on the Deep Space Network and meet requirements for highly elliptical orbits. The company also previously secured a task order for Subcategory 2.2 GEO to Cislunar Relay Services.
Kongsberg Satellite Services of Tromsø, Norway, will receive two task orders for Subcategory 1.1 Earth Proximity DTE, and Subcategory 1.2. These awards will support science missions in low Earth orbit and NASA’s Lunar Exploration Ground Segment, also easing demand on the Deep Space Network.
SSC Space U.S. Inc. of Horsham, Pa., will receive two task orders for Subcategories 1.1 and 1.3 to support low Earth orbit science missions and meet the needs of unique, highly elliptical orbits.
Viasat, Inc. of Duluth, Ga., will be awarded a task order for Subcategory 1.1 to support science missions in low Earth orbit.
Related: NASA awards Firefly Aerospace contract to deliver tech to the moon’s Gruithuisen Domes
“NASA’s goal is to provide users with communication and navigation services that are secure, reliable, and affordable, so that all NASA users receive the services required by their mission within their latency, accuracy, and availability requirements,” the agency stated.
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., will manage the work under the agency’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program. The Near Space Network supports missions up to 1.2 million miles (2 million kilometers) from Earth by facilitating data exchange between spacecraft and mission operators. Using geosynchronous space relays and a global system of direct-to-Earth antennas, the network processes terabytes of data daily.
English 
Français