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Low Earth

"Keeping watch on the 2,000-kilometer economy."

Low Earth Orbit RFP Tracker — LEO Contracts & Procurement

The Low Earth page tracks every active and pending solicitation shaping the LEO economy, from NASA Commercial LEO Destinations and SDA constellation contracts to debris removal missions and Earth observation procurements. Browse active LEO solicitations, follow the commercial station race, or explore mega-constellation programs. For the full ranked view across all destinations, visit the 2026 tracker. For real-time bid updates, watch the live ABOI feed.

Latest Analysis

EDITORIAL STEM

SDA / 4 PRIMESopen

The Tracking Layer | SDA's $3.5B Missile-Warning Constellation

$3.5B72 sats · FY2029

Tranche 3 split $3.5B across Rocket Lab, L3Harris, Lockheed, and Northrop for 72 missile-tracking satellites. Rocket Lab's $816M is its largest contract ever. The proliferated-LEO defense buildout in a single award.

EDITORIAL STEM

AMAZONopen

Amazon Leo | Racing the FCC Clock It Set Itself

302 satsFCC deadline Jul 30

Formerly Kuiper, now 302 satellites on orbit with enterprise beta live. The July 30 FCC deployment deadline is at risk and Amazon is seeking an extension. The second mover racing the license it already holds.

EDITORIAL STEM

SPACE RCOopen

The SATCOM Augmentation Scramble | Commercial Capacity for milSATCOM

Sources SoughtDue Jul 26, 2026

Space RCO is sounding the market to harden military SATCOM against jamming and outage by buying commercial capacity. Where commercial constellations plug into the defense comms layer, and who is positioned to sell.

EDITORIAL STEM

USSF / 3 PRIMESopen

NSSL Phase 3 | The $13.7B Launch Backbone

$13.7B54 missions 2027-2032

SpaceX ($5.9B), ULA ($5.4B), and Blue Origin ($2.4B) split the National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 2 ceiling. The contracts that decide who lofts the next five years of defense payloads.

EDITORIAL STEM

EU / SPACERISEopen

IRIS² | Europe's €10.6B Sovereign Constellation

€10.6BDeploying mid-2026

The EU's answer to Starlink and a NATO-partner alternative for secure connectivity. SpaceX begins deploying mid-2026 while Europe builds toward sovereign control of its own orbital comms.

EDITORIAL STEM

SDA / PWSAopen

The Transport Layer | SDA's Data Mesh in Orbit

Tranche 3FY2029 mesh

The companion to the tracking layer: a proliferated mesh moving targeting data between satellites and shooters in seconds. Where optical intersatellite links become a defense procurement category of their own.

EDITORIAL STEM

NAVY / SBIRopen

The Navy's Commercial Imagery Play | Optimizing Across Vendors

SBIR 1/2Due Jul 22, 2026

Two live Navy SBIR solicitations, one to optimize satellite imagery across commercial vendors and one for intra-satellite communications. The service buying its way to a multi-source orbital ISR picture.

EDITORIAL STEM

USSF / SLD 30open

Vandenberg Opens the Range | West Coast Launch Capacity RFI

RFIDue Jul 9, 2026

Space Force is sounding industry on Vandenberg Space Force Base capacity as the West Coast manifest tightens. Who gets pad time when polar and sun-synchronous demand outruns supply.

EDITORIAL STEM

TELESAT / EUTELSATopen

The Other Constellations | Telesat Lightspeed and OneWeb

198 + 650 satsEnterprise + hybrid

Beyond Starlink and Amazon, Telesat Lightspeed targets enterprise and military Ka-band while Eutelsat OneWeb runs the only GEO-LEO hybrid. The LEO broadband market is not a two-horse race yet.

Active RFPs

SOL-2025-SDA-T3TRK

SDAawarded

SDA Tranche 3 Tracking Layer | 72 Missile Tracking Satellites

$3.5BAwarded Dec 19, 2025

Space Development Agency awarded $3.5B to L3Harris ($843M), Lockheed Martin ($1.1B), Rocket Lab ($805M), and Northrop Grumman ($764M) for 72 tracking layer satellites. FY2029 launch.

SOL-2026-SSC-HADES

USSFopen

HADES | Hybrid Architecture Development for Experimental Systems

$200MDue Dec 1, 2026

Space Systems Command IDIQ for R&D ground system support at Kirtland AFB. Updated draft RFP posted March 2026. Award projected December 2026.

SOL-2026-SDA-STEC-BAA

SDAopen

SDA STEC BAA | Advanced Capability Development

VariesRolling

Broad Agency Announcement for novel architecture concepts, optical comms terminals, commercial sensing integration, and in-space processing for future PWSA tranches.

SOL-2026-UKSA-CLEAR

UKSAclosing

UK Active Debris Removal Mission (CLEAR)

TBDDue Jun 30, 2026

UK Space Agency competition between ClearSpace and Astroscale to remove two defunct satellites from LEO. ClearSpace completed Phase 2 testing in May 2025.

SOL-2025-ASTROSCALE-ELSA

ASTROSCALEopen

Astroscale ELSA-M | Commercial End-of-Life Satellite Service

CommercialDue Jun 1, 2026

World's first commercial end-of-life service for prepared satellites. Launch on Isar Aerospace. In-orbit demonstration of multi-client debris removal capability.

SOL-2026-NASA-CLD-P2

NASAclosing

NASA Commercial LEO Destinations | Phase 2 Acquisition

~$1.5BTBD

Phase 2 acquisition for at least 2 commercial station providers. Currently on hold pending administration review. Axiom, Starlab, and Orbital Reef from Phase 1.

Commercial Stations

PROGRAM TRACKER

NASAactive

Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) Program

~$1.5B Phase 2Phase 2 acquisition on hold

NASA's program to ensure continuous U.S. presence in LEO after ISS retirement. Axiom, Starlab, and Orbital Reef selected in Phase 1. Phase 2 expected to award at least 2 companies.

PROGRAM TRACKER

AXIOMactive

Axiom Space Station

$3.5B+ programPPTM manufacturing; 2027 launch

Leading on hardware maturity with the Payload Power Thermal Module in manufacturing. First commercial module attaches to ISS before free-flying.

PROGRAM TRACKER

VOYAGER/AIRBUSactive

Starlab Space Station

$40B facility financingCCDR Feb 2026 | Single Starship launch

Voyager Space and Airbus joint venture with strongest financing commitment. Single-launch Starship architecture simplifies deployment.

PROGRAM TRACKER

VASTactive

Vast Haven-1

$1B+ investedLaunch Q1 2027

Fastest to orbit among commercial station providers. First artificial gravity spin experiment planned. Integration phase underway.

Constellations

PROGRAM TRACKER

SDA/USSFactive

Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA)

$25.5B over 5 yrs450+ sats by FY2029

The largest military constellation program. Tranche 3 Transport Layer ($1.8B) is the current major procurement. Multi-orbit mesh for missile tracking and data transport.

PROGRAM TRACKER

SPACEXOperational

Starlink Constellation

$11B+ revenue10,000+ sats operational

Dominant LEO broadband provider with 10M+ subscribers and $1.75T+ IPO valuation. Vertical integration creates barriers for all competitors.

PROGRAM TRACKER

AMAZONDeploying

Project Kuiper

$10B+ investedFCC deadline: half-constellation Jul 2026

Amazon's LEO broadband constellation racing FCC deployment deadline. 212+ satellites deployed. $10B+ total investment committed.

Debris & Servicing

PROGRAM TRACKER

ASTROSCALEactive

ADRAS-J & J2 Active Debris Removal

Contract TBDADRAS-J complete; J2 contracted

World's first commercial debris rendezvous and proximity operation (15m approach to real debris). J2 will attempt physical removal.

PROGRAM TRACKER

NORTHROPactive

Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) & Robotic Vehicle (MRV)

Commercial pricingMEV operational | MRV 2026

Only company with proven commercial satellite docking and undocking in GEO. MRV adds robotic servicing capability launching 2026.

PROGRAM TRACKER

ORBIT FABactive

RAFTI Refueling Interface & Fuel Depot

$30K/portRAFTI qualified; depot demo 2026

Space Force-endorsed refueling interface standard. Depot demonstration mission planned for 2026. Enabling persistent on-orbit servicing.

Earth Observation

PROGRAM TRACKER

PLANETOperational

Planet Labs Fleet (Dove + Pelican)

NYSE: PL200+ sats; daily global coverage

Only provider with daily global coverage. Pelican constellation adds 30 cm resolution to the existing Dove fleet. 200+ satellites operational.

PROGRAM TRACKER

MAXAROperational

WorldView Legion

NGA anchor contract6 sats; constellation complete Feb 2025

NGA anchor supplier with 34 cm resolution. Full 6-satellite constellation deployed February 2025. Highest-resolution commercial optical fleet.

PROGRAM TRACKER

ICEYEOperational

ICEYE SAR Constellation

62+ satsGen4 at 16 cm resolution

Largest SAR fleet globally with 62+ satellites. Gen4 achieves 16 cm resolution. Growing defense contract portfolio across NATO nations.

Earth-2 / GEO

EDITORIAL STEM

USSF / 5 PRIMESopen

The PTS-G Playbook | Astranis on the Same Contract as Boeing

$4B IDIQFirst launch 2028

Astranis, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Viasat, and Intelsat General share the same Protected Tactical SATCOM ceiling. Eighteen months of task-order competition decide who actually builds the next generation of military satcom. The moment small-GEO went mainstream for defense.

EDITORIAL STEM

SES + INTELSATopen

After Intelsat | The Largest Western Satcom Merger in a Decade

$3.1B closeClosed July 2025

The SES-Intelsat merger absorbs Intelsat General Communications and reshapes the DoD commercial-satcom market overnight. Two independent operators became one, and the Pentagon now buys commercial satcom from half the vendors it had a year ago. The market is still digesting through 2026.

EDITORIAL STEM

DOD / FRAMEWORKopen

What Stays GEO | The Five Requirements That Keep Geostationary Alive

Reference pieceFramework

Nuclear C3 (ESS), strategic warning (Next-Gen OPIR), protected tactical (PTS-G), weather (GeoXO), and broadcast remain GEO-exclusive. Tactical comms, tracking, and ISR have migrated to LEO and MEO. The Pentagon's unwritten filter for what still belongs at 36,000 km, in one place.

EDITORIAL STEM

NASA / NOAAopen

GeoXO Instrument Tier | A $2.27B Prime Is Not the Whole Story

$100M-$500M eachAwards expected 2026-2028

NASA awarded Lockheed Martin a $2.27B GeoXO prime in June 2024 for NOAA's follow-on to GOES-R. The imager, sounder, ocean color, atmospheric composition, and lightning mapper instruments are still open. The cameras America will fly for the next thirty years.

EDITORIAL STEM

ASTRANIS / K2 / SWISSTO12open

Small-GEO Primes | The Flagship Bus Is Dead

$250M Series CK2 raised at $3B in Dec 2025

Regional operator RFPs (Thaicom, APCO, Orbith, OmanSat, Space Norway) and USG procurements increasingly spec 400 to 1,000 kg software-defined buses with rideshare GTO injection. The flagship era that Boeing and Lockheed built is giving way to smaller, software-defined satellites from companies most people have never heard of.

Sector Profiles

Sector profiles cover 19 programs across commercial stations, constellations, debris and servicing, and Earth observation. Full profiles sourced from verified research across SAM.gov, NASA Procurement, SDA, and official agency announcements.