DARPA
Telesat wins DARPA contract to manufacture satellite buses for Blackjack program
Telesat won a $18.3 million DARPA contract to produce two satellite buses for the Blackjack low-Earth orbit constellation.
Blue Canyon selects Orbion electric thrusters for DARPA’s Blackjack satellites
Orbion is a four-year-old startup in Houghton, Michigan, that specializes in Hall-effect plasma thrusters for small satellites.
Tech executive Victoria Coleman named director of DARPA
Coleman is a member of the Defense Science Board and has held several senior posts in the private sector and academia.
DARPA’s Stephen Forbes named Blackjack program manager
Forbes has been Blackjack’s deputy program manager since 2018.
DARPA has no plans for another space launch prize competition
DARPA acting director Highnam said the agency sees no need to demonstrate launch capabilities that are now available from commercial providers.
Loft Orbital satellite to carry experiment for DARPA’s Blackjack program
DARPA's Pit Boss experiment, dubbed Sagittarius A*, is projected to launch in early 2021.
Blue Canyon Technologies could produce up to 20 satellite buses for DARPA’s Blackjack
If DARPA exercises all options, the contract awarded to Blue Canyon Technologies has a potential value of $99.4 million.
Raytheon wins $37 million DARPA contract for Blackjack payloads
The contract awarded to Raytheon is for Overhead Persistent Infrared sensor payloads.
DARPA awards Blackjack contracts to Blue Canyon, SA Photonics
Blue Canyon received a contract for satellite buses. SA Photonics' contract is for optical communications terminals.
DoD to test laser communications terminals in low Earth orbit
The Space Development Agency says optical inter-satellite links are "one of the most critical technologies to be demonstrated."
DARPA to begin launching Blackjack satellites in late 2020
Three payloads will fly to low Earth orbit in late 2020 and early 2021 to start building an optically meshed network.
Lockheed Martin wins DARPA contract to integrate Blackjack satellites
Lockheed Martin will integrate satellite buses and payloads with data processors.
DARPA picks Northrop Grumman as its commercial partner for satellite servicing program
Under the agreement, DARPA will provide the robotics payload for a Mission Robotic Vehicle.
DARPA Launch Challenge ends without winner
A DARPA responsive launch competition that started two years ago came to an end March 2 without a winner as the sole remaining team was forced to scrub their final launch attempt less than a minute before liftoff.
DARPA makes last-minute change to launch competition rules
With just a week before the first scheduled launch in DARPA’s responsive launch competition, the agency is tweaking the rules to allow the sole remaining company to perform both launches from the same spaceport.
