The U.S. Space Force has awarded L3Harris Technologies a contract worth as much as $1.2 billion for the upkeep and modernization of the military’s ground-based sensors that track objects and activities in space.

The contract, which could last as long as 10 years, is part of the Maintenance of Space Situational Awareness Integrated Capabilities, or MOSSAIC, program. That contract is a follow-on to the Systems Engineering and Sustainment Integrator program, which L3Harris won in 2002.

The initial contract is worth $23 million.

In an April 1 announcement, L3Harris said the contract covered sustainment services for current and future ground-based space domain awareness sensors and space battle management command and control capabilities.

“Space as a warfighting domain has a complex and interdependent system supporting it from the ground, air and space,” Ed Zoiss, president of space and airborne systems at L3Harris said in the release. “L3Harris supports our customers in each of these domains, giving us a unique understanding of the ecosystem and the mission, and enabling us to make quick modifications, provide necessary sustainment and introduce new capabilities.”

This new contract expands the previous scope of work, which had focused on the U.S. Air Force’s Groundbased Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance System. That program includes three radars that track objects in geostationary orbits. The new contract also provides support to space situational awareness centers in California, Colorado, and Virginia.

About Mike Gruss

Mike Gruss served as the editor-in-chief of Sightline Media Group's stable of news outlets, which includes Army Times, Air Force Times, C4ISRNET, Defense News, Federal Times, Marine Corps, Military Times and Navy Times.

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