On Sept. 28, 2026, the U.S. Space Force posted a final solicitation opening a new competitive procurement for next-generation ground antenna infrastructure to manage military satellite command and control operations.
Issued under the restructured Satellite Communication Augmentation Resource (SCAR) initiative, the service requested industry white paper submissions due by Oct. 15, 2026, targeting commercially developed ground architectures.
SCAR Program Evolution and Contract Restructuring History
The issuance of the restructured SCAR solicitation marks a strategic realignment in military ground station acquisition following the termination earlier in 2026 of a $1.7 billion prime contract awarded to AeroVironment. The original contract tasked AeroVironment with developing custom, high-capacity phased-array antennas engineered to simultaneously track and command multiple military satellites.
Following technical integration delays and cost adjustments associated with custom hardware manufacturing, Space Systems Command canceled the original development contract to prevent long-term capability gaps across the Satellite Control Network (SCN).
The SCN currently relies on aging parabolic dishes to execute telemetry, tracking, and commanding (TT&C) operations for Department of Defense and national security space assets. As military space architectures transition from small numbers of high-value geostationary satellites to proliferated multi-orbit constellations, the Space Force requires ground networks capable of managing exponentially higher pass volumes without creating scheduling bottlenecks.
Antenna Network Specifications and Multi-Orbit Telemetry Scope
The restructured SCAR program shifts performance metrics toward commercially proven ground terminal technologies, software-defined beamforming, and modular active electronically scanned arrays (AESA).
Under the updated solicitation guidelines, candidate ground antennas and network architectures must deliver automated tracking, health monitoring, and secure commanding across all operational space regimes, including low Earth orbit (LEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO), geostationary Earth orbit (GEO), and highly elliptical orbits (HEO).
The ground architecture requires multi-beam capabilities to sustain simultaneous contact with multiple orbiting spacecraft from a single aperture installation. Integrating wideband digital backhaul and software-defined radio interfaces allows ground controllers to dynamically reconfigure RF channels, switch frequencies across military and commercial satellite bands, and maintain continuous links with maneuverable defense payloads.
Commercial Off-The-Shelf Procurement Strategy
Prioritizing commercially developed technology represents a structural shift in Space Systems Command’s ground segment acquisition philosophy. Rather than funding lengthy custom hardware development cycles, the restructured SCAR procurement leverages commercial satellite operator networks and established ground-segment-as-a-service (GSaaS) platforms.
Commercially available phased-array antennas and automated ground network software offer shorter deployment timelines, mature supply chains, and lower per-aperture lifecycle costs. By deploying standardized commercial apertures across geographically distributed ground stations, the Space Force can build resilient Downlink and TT&C redundancy, ensuring continuous constellation command authority during electronic warfare or kinetic ground station disruptions.
Submission Schedule and Source Selection Horizon
Defense contractors and commercial ground system integrators must submit initial technical white papers to Space Systems Command by the Oct. 15, 2026 deadline. The Space Force will evaluate white paper submissions through late 2026, selecting qualified vendors to submit formal proposals ahead of competitive prototype development and ground station installation awards in early 2027.
