SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb. 11 (UPI) -- The U.S. Air Force has extended a contract with the Lockheed Martin/Northrop Grumman development team for continued work on an advanced satellite system.
U.S. companies Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman partnered to develop the Transformational Satellite Communications System. The TSAT contract, managed by the Air Force Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing, has been extended by six months in a deal worth $75 million.
As part of the extension, the Lockheed Martin/Northrop Grumman TSAT Space Segment Team will be expected to deliver an Interim Design Review for the initial TSAT satellite constellation.
The TSAT program is part of a Defense Department initiative to advance global communication capabilities for future network-centric initiatives.
"Our team has met every risk reduction and system definition milestone on this contract, making TSAT ready to enter full-scale development," Mark Pasquale, Lockheed Martin vice president and program manager for TSAT, said in a statement.
"We look forward to executing a successful review with our customer and demonstrating our strengths for achieving operational excellence and mission success on this critical program."
