Anduril awarded $100 million increase to Pentagon contract to enhance space-tracking technology
by Vaughn Cockayne · The Washington TimesDefense technology company Anduril Industries has received a $100.3 million boost to an existing government contract to improve the system the U.S. military uses to monitor objects in space.
The increase brings the total contract ceiling to more than $200 million, with a completion target set for September 2027.
The funding will upgrade the Space Surveillance Network (SSN), a global system of sensors and radar stations that tracks satellites, space debris and potential threats in orbit, with an advanced “mesh networking architecture.”
The mesh networks allow space-based sensors to communicate across multiple routes, eliminating single points of failure and enabling faster data sharing even in contested environments.
The upgrade is considered increasingly important as space becomes crowded and contested. The tracking network plays a critical role not only in national security by detecting potential threats from foreign satellites or missiles, but also in civilian safety by ensuring that spacecraft and astronauts can navigate orbit without colliding with debris.
The contract modification comes as the defense industry and the Pentagon increasingly focus on U.S. space capabilities. This month, Anduril announced that it would lead a group of industry partners in developing affordable solutions to support the U.S. Space Force’s Space-Based Interceptor (SBI) program.
“By bringing Anduril’s proven expertise across a range of owned capabilities and combining it with proven, best-of-breed capabilities from across the commercial space industrial base, we will deliver affordable, scalable solutions to counter the rapidly evolving missile threat,” Anduril said in a statement.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.