The Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin “more than $50 million” on March 3 for a contract to perform launch and range operations on the East and West Coast, mission integration, systems engineering and program management, subcontract work, factory support engineering, and special studies—everything short of the launch itself. That comes in a separate contract, according to Florida Today, which noted that the exact amount of this contract is under wraps until USAF reaches a similar agreement with Boeing.
Small satellites meant to improve the way the U.S. measures Earth’s magnetic field—an option to expand the military’s position, navigation, and timing enterprise—launched March 30 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif.