A total of 15 providers are involved in the Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition program, which NASA uses to support its Earth science research and application activities.
Fourth launch lifts more satellites, but experts say production bottlenecks, debris mitigation, and ground-station build-out will make or break the program.
Lockheed Martin won a contract to build three satellites for NOAA’s Geostationary Extended Observations program, with the option to develop an additional four spacecraft, under a $2.27 billion award announced on Tuesday.