Insider Brief
- The Space Development Agency has selected 19 non-traditional space companies to join its Hybrid Acquisition for Proliferated Low Earth Orbit pool.
- This selection aims to enhance the SDA’s ability to solicit and quickly award prototype demonstrations that support future stages of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.
- Each of the selected companies receives an initial agreement valued at $20,000, which helps cover administrative and travel expenses. However, the main opportunity for these companies lies in competing for future HALO demonstration prototype orders.
- These future prototype orders will focus on rapidly demonstrating new technologies, with a goal of launching two identical satellites within 12-18 months of the award. The initial projects will target the Tranche 2 Demonstration and Experimentation System (T2DES), designed to reduce risks and demonstrate feasibility for future tactical data links and optical communication missions.
The Space Development Agency (SDA) has announced the 19 non-traditional space companies selected to join its Hybrid Acquisition for Proliferated Low Earth Orbit (HALO) pool. This selection aims to enhance the SDA’s ability to solicit and quickly award prototype demonstrations that support future stages of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.
HALO operates under an Other Transactions (OT) agreement, following a model similar to indefinite-delivery-indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts. This approach allows for flexibility in how the SDA contracts for prototypes and missions. Each of the selected companies receives an initial agreement valued at $20,000, which helps cover administrative and travel expenses. However, the main opportunity for these companies lies in competing for future HALO demonstration prototype orders.
These future prototype orders will focus on rapidly demonstrating new technologies, with a goal of launching two identical satellites within 12-18 months of the award. The initial projects will target the Tranche 2 Demonstration and Experimentation System (T2DES), designed to reduce risks and demonstrate feasibility for future tactical data links and optical communication missions.
SDA Director Derek Tournear highlighted HALO’s significance in accelerating contracts for these demonstration projects, stating, “HALO provides a faster and more flexible mechanism to compete and award T2DES and other SDA demonstration projects.” He also noted that this initiative will expand the number of companies capable of competing in future SDA programs, enabling more companies to contribute to upcoming space missions.
Companies selected for the HALO pool include established industry players like Airbus U.S. Space & Defense and SpaceX, alongside smaller firms such as Turion Space and Muon Space. This diverse vendor pool reflects the SDA’s intent to foster competition and innovation within the space industry.
As part of the U.S. Space Force, the SDA’s mission is to deliver critical space-based capabilities to support the joint warfighter. With HALO, the SDA is expanding opportunities for private industry to work alongside the Department of Defense, while accelerating the development and deployment of essential space technologies.
List of Companies Selected for HALO:
- Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Arlington, Virginia
- Apex Technology, Inc., Culver City, California
- AST Space Mobile USA LLC, Midland, Texas
- Astro Digital, U.S. Inc., San Jose, California
- Capella Space Corp., San Francisco
- CesiumAstro Inc., Austin, Texas
- Firefly Aerospace, Inc., Cedar Park, Texas
- Geneva Technologies Inc., Monument, Colorado
- Impulse Space, Inc., Redondo Beach, California
- Kepler Communications U.S. Inc., Wilmington, Delaware
- Kuiper Government Solutions (KGS) LLC, Arlington, Virginia
- LeoStella LLC, Tukwila, Washington
- Momentus Space, San Jose, California
- Muon Space, Inc., Mountain View, California
- NovaWurks Inc., Los Alamitos, California
- SpaceX, Hawthorne, California
- Turion Space Corp., Irvine, California
- Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, Inc., Irvine, California
- York Space Systems LLC, Denver
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