The U.S. Space Force is getting its orbital ducks in a row as it prepares to develop a constellation of “neighborhood watch” satellites called Andromeda that will monitor activity in geosynchronous position 22,000 miles above the Earth. Toward that end, a preferred list of vendors has been announced to help get Andromeda off the ground with the goal of maintaining a smooth sense of continuity through 2036 for the $1.8 billion program. The 14 companies selected mean the Space Force can tap into these vendors as Andromeda develops without having to reopen competition for each element of the program as it evolves. The idea is to speed up the procurement process and allow suppliers to lock in their investment strategies for the long haul.
The new “Andromeda strain” of vendors includes both space veterans and relative newcomers. Industry giants include Anduril Industries, BAE Systems Space Mission Systems, General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems, L3Harris Technologies, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Sierra Space. The field is rounded out by Boeing’s Millennium Space Systems, Arantis Space Technologies, Intuitive Machines, Quantum Space, Redwire Space Missions, True Anomaly and Turion Space. The door also is open to add additional vendors to the Andromeda club as requirements evolve.
Those requirements are not yet set in stone. But the main one is an ability to maneuver these small reconnaissance satellites from one orbit to another as needed. Maneuverability has already been demonstrated by Russian satellites suspected of intercepting messages by positioning themselves in the narrow beam cone used for data transmissions between satellites and ground stations. Chinese satellites also have been accused of “space-stalking” by parking near satellites from other countries while also performing maneuvers consistent with intelligence gathering. Andromeda satellites, also known as RG-XX birds, would be able to closely approach other satellites to inspect and monitor them while also providing intelligence that ground-based sensors can’t. Under discussion is the inclusion of a “gas tank” so that each satellite could be refueled while in orbit. The prospect of multiple satellites trying to out-maneuver each other is bringing a space twist to the term “dog-fight.”
Exactly how large the Andromeda constellation will be remains to be seen but it is designed to augment and probably replace the existing satellites in the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness (GSSAP) program. These GSSAP satellites are fewer in number and individually more costly than those envisioned for Andromeda. The first Andromeda satellites are expected to be online as soon as 2030. The Andromeda contracts use a firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) structure. Overall work will be managed by Space Systems Command in El Segundo, California.
