Rocket Lab announced Feb. 24 that it will design and build 17 spacecraft buses at its Long Beach facility after being awarded a subcontract from space technology company MDA.
“Rocket Lab is a strong fit for MDA and working with them on this system is an opportunity to flex, expand, and strengthen the capabilities of both companies, now and in the future,” Mike Greenley, CEO of MDA, said in a statement.
The spacecraft buses will be used as low Earth orbit satellites by Globalstar, a company that provides mobile satellite services to businesses and individuals.
“We are thrilled to be collaborating with MDA to develop Globalstar’s new satellites and are honored to have the trust and support of two of the space industry’s most innovative companies,” said Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab.
According to Rocket Lab, Globalstar is planning to launch the satellites by the end of 2025.
The $143 million contract is the largest order of spacecraft buses ever placed with Rocket Lab, according to the company.
“With this contract Rocket Lab is executing on its strategy to go beyond launch and lead the new space economy,” Beck said in a statement.
Rocket Lab is developing a new high-volume spacecraft manufacturing line to support the growing customer demand for its satellites.
The satellites will feature components and subsystems created by smaller companies that were recently bought by Rocket Lab. This includes solar panels and structures from SolAero Technologies in Albuquerque, New Mexico and reaction wheels from Sinclair Interplanetary in Toronto, Canada.
“Cross-company collaboration and co-development is key to bringing new capabilities to market quickly to meet growing customer demand for advanced satellite technology,” Greenley said in a statement.
