Pentagon Reduces Guidelines, Contract Amount for Communications SatellitesJanuary 05, 2009
 The Pentagon issued scaled-down guidelines for new a communications satellite contract hoping to reduce costs for its multi-billion dollar program. The original contract — which envisioned using laser beams to send and receive video, images and voice communications — was worth up to $20 billion. The revised project will be about half of that and puts the use of complex laser beam technology on hold, according to Bloomberg News. The Transformational Satellite Communications program, or TSAT, will now consist of five satellites and ground stations that improve the flow of digital data from various army units, including vehicles in the new Future Combat Systems. The first satellite is now scheduled to be launched in 2019 rather than in 2015. Boeing's El Segundo, California-based Satellite Systems Inc. and Lockheed's Sunnyvale, California-based Space Systems will go head-to-head to win this contract as they did for the original competition. The award is expected by the fourth quarter of 2010, according to the Associated Press. |
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