Via Satellite
• Rachel Jewett
L3Harris Technologies confirmed the successful deployment of its first perimeter truss reflector aboard ViaSat-3 Flight 3. SpaceX launched the satellite, marking an on-orbit milestone for L3Harris’s reflector technology and the ViaSat-3 satellite program.
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L3Harris Technologies confirmed the successful deployment of its first perimeter truss reflector aboard ViaSat-3 Flight 3. SpaceX launched the satellite, marking an on-orbit milestone for L3Harris’s reflector technology and the ViaSat-3 satellite program.
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Canada’s Defence Investment Agency awarded Telesat a $1.9 billion service contract and MDA Space a separate $474 million contract to expand the Telesat Lightspeed constellation with 69 additional Ka-band satellites for Arctic security connectivity. The deal increases network capacity by 44%, with most Telesat payments due between 2026 and 2028.
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President Donald Trump said the Qatar-donated Boeing 747-800/747-8i that serves as the new Air Force One will be taken offline for further upgrades after lawmakers and security questions over the aircraft’s defenses. Modifications follow concerns that L3Harris-rapidly updated systems did not meet typical presidential transport security standards.
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The Space Development Agency plans to resume launches after a nine-month pause, sending a second (Tranche 1) batch of 21 York Space Systems transport-layer satellites on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from California. SDA says it implemented tech fixes to restart momentum for its Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) and secure military/ally communications.
The U.S. Space Development Agency awarded $1.75 billion for Tranche 3 Tracking Layer satellites supporting the Golden Dome missile defense shield. L3Harris received $955 million to produce 18 satellites, with Sierra Space getting $798 million, under fixed-price OTA rapid-prototyping contracts targeting Tranche 3 by end-2028.
L3Harris has been selected for an FAA airspace surveillance modernization contract that runs through 2045. The agreement covers more than 700 ground stations across the U.S., supporting ongoing updates to the national surveillance infrastructure used for airspace monitoring.
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L3Harris used roughly 10 months to convert the Qatar-donated Boeing 747-8i into an interim VC-25B presidential transport. The build accelerates the near-term Air Force One replacement path while the broader next-generation VC-25B program continues to mature.
L3Harris is advocating Poland as the likely location for a new business-jet conversion hub, arguing the country offers strong engineering and technical capability for domestic and export customers. The push frames Poland as a base for scalable conversion work rather than a one-off program footprint.
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