Technology
Viasat Selects Rocket Lab to Build GEO Satellite for U.S. Space Force’s Protected Tactical SATCOM-Global Program
Viasat and Rocket Lab will partner on delivery of maneuverable, anti-jam satellite for national security missionsCARLSBAD, Calif., and LONG BEACH, Calif., Aug. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global leader in satellite communications, today announced it selected Rocket Lab Corporation (Nasdaq: RKLB), a leading launch and space systems company, to build a satellite bus for the U.S. Space Force’s (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) under the Protected Tactical SATCOM-Glob
About this update from Viasat, Inc.
Viasat and Rocket Lab will partner on delivery of maneuverable, anti-jam satellite for national security missions CARLSBAD, Calif., and LONG BEACH, Calif., Aug. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global leader in satellite communications, today announced it selected Rocket Lab Corporation (Nasdaq: RKLB), a leading launch and space systems company, to build a satellite bus for the U.S. Space Force's (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) under the Protected Tactical SATCOM-Global (PTS-G) program. On May 22, 2026, Viasat was awarded a prime contract to deliver one of the first small, maneuverable geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) satellites for the PTS-G constellation. The initial production award, known as Swarm 1, includes manufacturing, integration and test, launch, and on-orbit checkout of the mini-GEO satellite system. PTS-G is a key part of USSF's strategy to deliver global, resilient, and scalable satellite communications to warfighters by leveraging commercial designs and technology to support smaller, faster-to-produce satellites with enhanced anti-jam capabilities. Viasat's government space team within its Defense and Advanced Technologies segment will lead this work to advance the PTS-G initial operating capability. Rocket Lab will deliver a GEO configuration of its high-performance Lightning spacecraft platform to host Viasat's dual-band X/Ka-band payload. Lightning-GEO features a high-power architecture built with Rocket Lab's own vertically integrated components and subsystems, including tracking, telemetry, and command (TT&C) radios, solar power, star trackers, reaction wheels, flight and ground software, and more. The combination of Rocket Lab's high reliability Lightning platform and Viasat's mini-GEO satellite architecture and high-performance payload will provide secure communications for the warfighter. This mini-GEO satellite will provide a next-generation, anti-jam, resilient communications capability designed to ensure secure connectivity for U.S. and allied forces operating in contested environments around the world. Viasat will provide its technical and operational expertise designing and delivering high-performance dual-use satellite solutions, as well as a deep understanding of USSF and U.S. Department of War mission requirements. Rocket Lab's GEO configuration also leverages commercial solutions, furth...