On August 17, 2026, Viasat Inc. announced it selected Rocket Lab Corporation to manufacture a small geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) satellite bus for the U.S. Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command under the Protected Tactical SATCOM-Global (PTS-G) program.
Under the contract, Rocket Lab will build, integrate, and support the launch and on-orbit checkout of a mini-GEO platform hosting Viasat’s dual-band X-band and Ka-band anti-jamming payload.
Satellite Bus Architecture and Vertically Integrated Components
Rocket Lab will deliver a specialized GEO variant of its modular Lightning satellite platform. The Lightning-GEO bus features a high-power architecture utilizing internally produced subsystems to reduce external supply chain dependencies.
Key subsystems integrated into the Lightning-GEO platform include:
- Tracking, Telemetry, and Command (TT&C): In-house flight radios and encrypted telemetry units.
- Power Systems: Proprietary solar arrays and power management electronics.
- Attitude Determination and Control: Vertically integrated reaction wheels, star trackers, and flight control software.
The small, maneuverable bus is engineered to support Viasat’s low Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) dual-band payload, providing tactical military users with high-speed communications across contested orbital sectors.
Context of the PTS-G Swarm 1 Production Program
The partnership builds upon Viasat’s prime contract selection for the PTS-G Swarm 1 Delivery Order awarded on May 22, 2026. The PTS-G initiative operates under a multi-award Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract framework holding a $4 billion total program ceiling.
Swarm 1 represents the initial hardware production phase following successful design-maturation reviews. The program tasks prime contractors with delivering end-to-end mission capabilities—encompassing the spacecraft bus, payload integration, launch procurement, tracking, telemetry, and command (TT&C) ground architecture, and operational sustainment.
Shift Toward Proliferated and Maneuverable GEO Architectures
The selection reflects an ongoing transition by the U.S. Department of War and Space Systems Command away from legacy, multi-billion-dollar “exquisite” GEO satellites toward distributed, proliferated constellations of smaller, maneuverable spacecraft. Designed to supplement existing military communications assets, the PTS-G constellation deploys tactical anti-jamming capabilities utilizing the military’s Protected Tactical Waveform (PTW) alongside spatial antenna nulling.
By leveraging Rocket Lab’s standardized satellite manufacturing facilities alongside Viasat’s commercial payload technology, the U.S. Space Force aims to accelerate acquisition cycles and lower overall constellation deployment costs.
Manufacturing Timeline and Delivery Objectives
Work under the PTS-G Swarm 1 contract will be managed by Viasat’s government space group within its Defense and Advanced Technologies segment. Bus fabrication, assembly, and payload integration will take place across Rocket Lab’s Space Systems facilities in Long Beach, California.
Following final satellite integration, environmental testing, and launch, Rocket Lab and Viasat will conduct initial on-orbit checkout before handing the spacecraft over to Space Systems Command to support initial operating capability demonstrations projected for 2029.
