WASHINGTON — Like other firms that construct satellites for the U.S. government, L3Harris Technologies is on the lookout for suppliers that can meet the technical and schedule demands of national security programs.
Defense and intelligence agencies wish to reap the benefits of industrial space products but additionally they have unique demands, “so supply chain is a tricky problem,” Kelle Wendling, president of space systems at L3Harris, told in a recent interview.
Schedule setbacks attributable to supplier issues delayed the delivery of 4 missile-detection tracking satellites L3Harris built for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Development Agency.
These satellites might be part of a giant network of sensors in low Earth orbit often known as the Transport Layer. They were projected to ride to orbit together with other SDA Tranche 0 satellites in two recent launches but they weren’t ready. They at the moment are heading in the right direction to launch in October on USSF-124 with two Missile Defense Agency infrared sensor satellites.
Wendling said the delay turned out to be a silver lining because it’ll allow SDA and MDA to check the 4 wide-field-of-view infrared satellites made L3Harris next to MDA’s two medium-field-of-view prototype satellites, certainly one of which was made by L3Harris
L3Harris might be pursuing other SDA contracts, and a key challenge is to fulfill the agency’s demanding schedule targets, said Wendling. L3Harris in July won a contract to construct 14 Tracking Layer Tranche 1 satellites which can be projected to launch in 2025. The corporate also might be competing for a Tracking Layer Tranche 2 contract and for a prototype constellation of classified tracking satellites that SDA recently announced.
“And so it definitely goes to be a price and schedule challenge going forward,” said Wendling, who has been answerable for L3Harris’ space sector for the past 18 months.
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The corporate builds satellites for the Defense Department and intelligence agencies, in addition to for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Wendling said SDA, specifically, “is forcing us to alter the way in which we’re doing business, which I feel is required if we’re going to be conscious of our adversaries.”
Searching for supplier partners
Because it pursues latest contracts, L3Harris is in talks with satellite bus suppliers.
“The conversations are about what can I get on orbit, not only from a lead time perspective, but additionally replenishment,” said Wendling.
SDA’s Tranche 0 satellites used a Moog bus and Tranche 1 satellites might be built on a Maxar bus. No decisions have been made yet on a bus supplier for the Tranche 2 bid, Wendling said. “We’re talking to all of the bus providers because cost and schedule are a giant deal.”
L3Harris is discussing opportunities with Airbus, Ball Aerospace, Terran Orbital and others, she said. “We’re taking a look at all options. We’re ‘bus agnostic’ and we’ve put together a bus strategy that claims I have to be as common as possible.”
Wendling said L3Harris seeks vendors which can be investing in product improvements that may also profit SDA’s and other government satellites.
“For Tranche 0 we had Moog. We went with Maxar for Tranche 1. So we’re evaluating whether or not that is sensible to stick with them for Tranche 2,” she said.
Delivery timelines are top of mind, she said. “Bus lead times today are a minimum of a yr … And never having a bus ready when the payload is prepared is simply too costly for anybody, especially in a fixed-price contract.”
L3Harris is watching the products suppliers across the industry are constructing and asking whether bus providers are prepared to take a position in upgrades, for instance, to construct satellites for various orbits.
“As we take a look at medium, geostationary, cislunar, we’re taking a look at who’s got roadmaps that take capabilities further and better,” she said. “And who’s going to be that long-term investor of their very own dollars in advancing capabilities in order that we don’t at all times need to pay the NRE,” or non-recurring engineering cost.
L3Harris asks potential suppliers “how committed they’re to the federal government environment, which is different from the industrial business model,” said Wendling. “They really need to be committed. Can they really make something to the specifications the federal government needs? And are they in it for the long run?”
DoD and intelligence agencies are procuring satellites in ways in which leverage industrial products, she said, but there’s still a “lot of bespoke.”
Discussions with Blue Origin
L3Harris produces satellites in Melbourne, Florida, not removed from where Blue Origin is constructing hardware for its Latest Glenn rocket.
“We’re serious about a few of their capabilities,” said Wendling, resembling a payload ring adapter that Blue Origin designed to hold small satellites to orbit as secondary payloads — much like the ESPA rings which can be used on large rockets today.
L3Harris is eyeing Blue’s payload adapter as a future choice to launch small satellites for presidency customers, said Wendling.
The corporate is also in discussion with other launch providers that might support government missions. L3Harris recently announced an agreement with Firefly Aerospace to launch three satellites for an intelligence agency in 2026.
Integration of Aerojet Rocketdyne
The recent acquisition of rocket and missile engine manufacturer Aerojet Rocketdyne gives L3Harris Technologies — a $17 billion-a-year defense contractor —a much larger footprint within the space sector.
Aerojet Rocketdyne is now certainly one of L3Harris’ 4 major business units.
Wendling said she is taking a look at opportunities to make use of Aerojet’s propulsion systems for satellites that L3Harris would construct for the U.S. military, for instance.
DoD is talking about procuring satellites with some capability to maneuver, said Wendling. “We want guidance, navigation and control inside the satellite and within the bus to give you the chance to do ‘protect and defend’ missions or other crucial maneuvers.”
As L3Harris continues to soak up Aerojet’s operations, said Wendling, there might be more discussions about what technologies may be applied to future satellites. “I feel we’re going to begin with their propulsion systems, and see what else we will do with guidance, navigation and control, to assist with a number of the newer missions, whether or not they’re offensive or defensive.”