Aviation News July 4, 2025 – Boeing has secured a $2.8 billion contract from the U.S. Space Force to support the Evolved Strategic Satellite Communications (ESS) program a cornerstone of the United States’ space-based nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) network. The agreement includes the development and production of two satellites, with options to build two additional units in the future.
The ESS program is designed to deliver secure, resilient, and modernized satellite communication capabilities that will support Presidential National Voice Conferencing and the broader NC3 enterprise. These advanced satellites will ensure reliable, always-on communication for the President of the United States and joint strategic forces, even amid contested space environments.
“This is a pivotal moment to strengthen U.S. space capabilities and maintain deterrence through technological superiority,” said Cordell DeLaPena, Program Executive Officer for Military Communications and Positioning, Navigation, and Timing at the U.S. Space Force. “Our strategic communication systems must be secure, resilient, and operational under any circumstance. These ESS satellites are a critical part of that mission.”
Boeing’s ESS satellites are engineered to offer greater bandwidth, enhanced reliability, and adaptability, surpassing the capabilities of current strategic communications satellites. The company has been working on technology development and risk mitigation for ESS under a rapid prototyping contract since 2020.
“As threats in space evolve, the United States must maintain a communications architecture that is both robust and impervious to disruption,” said Kay Sears, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space, Intelligence and Weapon Systems. “We’ve designed a next-generation solution that ensures uninterrupted communication under any conditions.”
The ESS platform builds on proven technologies developed for Boeing’s Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS)-11 and WGS-12 systems, as well as successful components from the commercial O3b mPOWER constellation. The resulting satellite constellation will feature flexible, anti-jam signals and advanced protections against interception or interference.
“This contract reflects the trust placed in our technology and our team’s readiness to deliver,” added Michelle Parker, vice president of Boeing Space Mission Systems. “We’ve invested in scaling our production capabilities, strengthening our workforce with top security-cleared talent, and establishing efficient assembly lines. Boeing is fully prepared to begin delivering on this essential national security program.”
Once launched into geostationary orbit—approximately 22,000 miles (35,700 kilometers) above Earth—these satellites will provide global coverage to support U.S. strategic operations. They will incorporate a highly protected waveform and utilize classified technologies developed in close coordination with the U.S. Department of Defense.
Boeing is expected to deliver the first ESS satellite by 2031.
