Space Systems

The U.S. Space Force has selected Boeing to build the first two satellites of the Evolved Strategic SATCOM program, issuing a $2.8 billion fixed-price-incentive contract that includes options for two more spacecraft. The decision, announced late July 3, positions the company to deliver the future backbone of nuclear command-and-control communications well into the 2030s.

The Space Force wants $277 million next year to launch the Military Internet (MILNET) constellation and has frozen money for the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 3 Transport Layer. Defense officials confirm the shift appears in the service’s fiscal 2026 budget books, released on June 26.

WASHINGTON — The Chinese spacecraft Shijian-21 and Shijian-25 have come within docking range high over the equator twice this month, and data suggest a third close pass is hours away. According to industry sources, the two satellites occupy nearly identical geostationary slots and have matched speed, altitude, and longitude with meter-level precision.