WASHINGTON — SAIC was re-awarded a $655 million contract for satellite ground systems services that it originally won in January 2019 and was successfully protested by Peraton.

The contract awarded by the U.S. Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center is for the program known as EDIS (engineering, development, integration and sustainment). The contractor will modernize satellite ground systems at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, and Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado.

Following the January 2019 award to Engility Corp. (later acquired by SAIC) Peraton in March 2019 filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office alleging that Engility did not meet requirements for small business participation. Peraton also challenged SMC’s evaluation of the companies’ proposals.

GAO sustained Peraton’s protest in June 2019. SMC conducted a new competition and in February 2020 again selected SAIC.

SMC on Feb. 7 awarded a contract for EDIS services to SAIC, a spokesperson told SpaceNews in a statement. The contract is for five years plus two one-year options. “The EDIS acquisition will also provide integration assistance for ground system prototyping and pathfinding efforts in support of the next-generation of space warfighting capabilities,” the statement said.

Sandra Erwin writes about military space programs, policy, technology and the industry that supports this sector. She has covered the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for nearly two decades as editor of NDIA’s National Defense...