{"id":19805,"date":"2021-01-07T21:16:01","date_gmt":"2021-01-07T21:16:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2021\/01\/07\/space-development-agency-confirms-spacex-l3harris-awards-following-protest\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T17:59:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T17:59:41","slug":"space-development-agency-confirms-spacex-l3harris-awards-following-protest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/space\/2021\/01\/07\/space-development-agency-confirms-spacex-l3harris-awards-following-protest\/","title":{"rendered":"Space Development Agency confirms SpaceX, L3Harris awards following protest"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 Following a protest by Raytheon Technologies, the Space Development Agency has reevaluated awards it made for eight satellites capable of tracking hypersonic weapons, opting to stick with its original vendors: SpaceX and L3Harris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe reevaluation confirmed the original selection decision announced in October and concluded that [SpaceX] and L3Harris Technologies\u2019 proposals offered the best value to the government,\u201d said SDA spokesperson Jennifer Elzea in a Jan. 7 statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The agency initially announced contracts Oct. 5 for the eight satellites. L3Harris and SpaceX were awarded $193 million and $149 million<\/a> respectively to each design and develop four satellites equipped with wide field of view (WFOV) overhead persistent infrared (OPIR) sensors. Those satellites would make up the agency\u2019s inaugural tracking layer, a low Earth orbit constellation capable of detecting and tracking ballistic and hypersonic weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shortly thereafter, competitors Raytheon Technologies and Airbus U.S. Space and Defense individually filed protests against the award with the Government Accountability Office<\/a>. A stop work order was put in place, preventing L3Harris and SpaceX from moving forward with the contracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\t