Boeing, a leading global aerospace company and top U.S. exporter, has been awarded a $2.8 billion contract by the U.S. Space Force for the development and production of two Evolved Strategic Satellite Communications (ESS) satellites, with options for two additional satellites in the future. The ESS program aims to deliver resilient space-based nuclear, command, control, and communications (NC3) for the President of the United States and joint strategic forces worldwide.
The ESS program is a part of the U.S. nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) architecture and will provide modernized, protected, and secure strategic satellite communications connectivity for Presidential National Voice Conferencing and the nation’s (NC3) enterprise. The initial contract is for two satellites, with options for two more in the future.
Cordell DeLaPena, the U.S. Space Force Program Executive Officer for the Military Communications and Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Directorate, stated, “It’s a critical time to advance U.S. space capabilities to ensure peace through strength. The strategic communication mission requires protection, power and always-available capability, even through adversary attempts to interrupt our connectivity. These satellites will provide connectivity from space as part of a refreshed NC3 architecture for our nation.”
Boeing has been executing technical maturation and risk reduction under a rapid prototyping contract for the U.S. Space Force since 2020. The company’s ESS solution is based on technology developed for the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS)-11 and WGS-12 satellites and has already proven successful on-orbit aboard the commercial O3b mPOWER constellation. It will provide increased capacity, flexibility, reliability, and resilience compared to the current strategic communications satellites in orbit.
Kay Sears, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space, Intelligence and Weapon Systems, stated, “The U.S. needs a strategic national security architecture that works without fail, with the highest level of protection and capability. We designed an innovative system to provide guaranteed communication to address an evolving threat environment in space.”
Boeing’s ESS solution will be equipped with flexible and resilient signals to protect against interruption or interception. The first of two space vehicles is set to be delivered by 2031. Michelle Parker, vice president of Boeing Space Mission Systems, stated, “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. We scaled our production capacity, invested in our team, hired cleared talent, and assembled hot production lines to make sure that we can hit the ground running from day one. We are committed to delivering this critical capability to meet the strategic need.”
When deployed in geostationary orbit – about 22,000 miles or 35,700 km from the Earth’s surface – ESS will provide persistent coverage to strategic warfighters worldwide. The spacecraft will leverage a highly protected waveform and classified technologies developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense.
Boeing is committed to fostering a culture based on its core values of safety, quality, and integrity and is set to deliver the first of two space vehicles by 2031. For more information about Boeing and its products and services, please contact Zeyad Maasarani at +1-562-400-5533 or zeyad.maasarani@boeing.com. For media inquiries, please contact Boeing Media Relations at media@boeing.com.
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