Insider Brief
- The U.S. Space Force (USSF) has launched the STEP 2.0 initiative, establishing a 10-year, $237 million Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract aimed at streamlining spacecraft procurement and leveraging commercial technologies.
- STEP 2.0 will involve 12 selected vendors, including Lockheed Martin, General Atomics, and Blue Canyon Technologies, with the first delivery order expected in January 2026, significantly reducing costs and expediting the delivery of innovative solutions for the Department of Defense.
- Managed by the Space Systems Command’s Space Test Program office, the initiative is designed to enhance collaboration among industry, academia, and government agencies, accelerating the testing and deployment of next-generation space technologies critical for national security.
PRESS RELEASE – The U.S. Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command’s (SSC) Department of Defense (DOD) Space Test Program (STP) office is paving the way to procure full lifecycle solutions for Science & Technology experiments through a Space Test Experiments Platform (STEP) 2.0 contract awarded to 12 vendors. STEP 2.0 establishes a 10-year multi-award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with a $237M ceiling to bolster spacecraft procurement within STP. The first STEP 2.0 Delivery Order is scheduled to begin in January 2026.
“The DoD Space Test Program will gain measurable value from leveraging industry insights and capabilities to provide proven spacecraft to host the DoD’s next generation of space technologies,” said SSC Director of the DoD Space Test Program, USSF Lt. Col. Brian Shimek.
Under the purview of Space Systems Command, STP plays a crucial role in facilitating experimental payload access to the space domain. Working in collaboration with government agencies, industry, and academia, the program aims to demonstrate promising technologies to aid the warfighter. By leveraging commercially developed spacecraft and fostering industry partnerships, STEP 2.0 aims to accelerate the development of cutting-edge space technologies over the next decade for the DoD and their mission partners.
The 12 vendors selected for this award are:
- Axient LLC
- Blue Canyon Technologies, LLC
- General Atomics
- Lockheed Martin Corp.
- Loft Orbital Federal LLC
- Lynk Global LLC
- Orbit Systems LLC
- Spire Global Subsidiary Inc.
- Turion Space Corp.
- Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems Inc.
- Utah State University Space Dynamics Lab
- York Space Systems LLC
SSC is the USSF’s field command responsible for acquiring, developing, and delivering resilient capabilities to protect our nation’s strategic advantage in, from, and to space. SSC manages a $15.6 billion space acquisition budget for the Department of Defense and works in partnership with joint forces, industry, government agencies, academic, and allied organizations to outpace emerging threats. Our actions today are making the world a better space for tomorrow.
