Terran Orbital Corporation (“Terran Orbital”), a vertically integrated provider of end-to-end satellite solutions, announced that its wholly-owned, Tyvak Nano Satellite Systems, Inc., was awarded a contract by Lockheed Martin to build 42 satellites for the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 1 Transport Layer, the Initial Warfighting Capability Tranche of the National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA).
“Terran Orbital is excited to build upon our Transport Layer contracts with Lockheed Martin,” said Marc Bell, Co-Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Terran Orbital. “This contract for Tranche 1, along with our previous contract for Tranche 0, not only affirms confidence in our industry-leading spacecraft designs but also validates our ability to deliver game-changing capability in partnership with Lockheed Martin. We are honored and very proud to participate in this important award in support of U.S. military forces around the world.”
“Partners like Terran Orbital are critical to delivering national defense space capabilities for the Space Development Agency,” says Lockheed Martin Space Protected Communications Mission Area Leader Erik Daehler. “We see our work with them as a prime example of how to work hand-in-hand with our mission partners to build a strong marketplace that enables us to quickly deliver.”
The NDSA’s operational utility depends on ubiquitous data and communications from a constellation of relatively small, mass-producible space vehicles in the Transport Layer of low Earth orbit. Spacevehicles in Tranche 1 of the Transport Layer will be similar to those currently under development for Tranche 0 with targeted technology enhancements, mission-focused payload configurations, increased integration, and greater production efficiencies. Tranche 1 will provide global communications access and deliver persistent regional encrypted connectivity in support of warfighter missions around the globe by serving as the backbone for the Department of Defense’s Joint All Domain Command and Control built on low-latency data transport, sensor-to-shooter connectivity, and direct-to-weapon connectivity.
On February 15, 2022, Terran Orbital announced a record $170+ million in new contracts and awards since September 30, 2021. That record number is inclusive of today’s announcement and the announcement made by Terran Orbital on February 17, 2022, that it was awarded a contract by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics to build and support three microsatellite class satellites.
Terran Orbital has previously announced that it entered into a business combination agreement with Tailwind Two Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: TWNT), (“Tailwind Two”), a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), pursuant to which Terran Orbital will combine with Tailwind Two.