17 August 2026 – Viasat announced it selected Rocket Lab Corporation to build a satellite bus for the U.S. Space Force’s (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) under the Protected Tactical SATCOM-Global (PTS-G) program. On May 22, 2026, Viasat was awarded a prime contract to deliver one of the first small, maneuverable geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) satellites for the PTS-G constellation. The initial production award, known as Swarm 1, includes manufacturing, integration and test, launch, and on-orbit checkout of the mini-GEO satellite system. PTS-G is a key part of USSF’s strategy to deliver global, resilient, and scalable satellite communications to warfighters by leveraging commercial designs and technology to support smaller, faster-to-produce satellites with enhanced anti-jam capabilities. Viasat’s government space team within its Defense and Advanced Technologies segment will lead this work to advance the PTS-G initial operating capability. Read more