The Space Force has locked in a $981 million contract pool spread across 15 companies to build the next generation of space training systems, with the acquisition unit steering the effort based in Colorado Springs. The deal, known as NITE-STAR, was awarded July 30 and is designed to give Guardians realistic virtual and live ranges to rehearse against real-world threats in orbit.
Space Systems Command’s System Delta 81 formally established the NITE-STAR contract vehicle on July 31 to build a specialized pool of contractors supporting the Operational Test and Training Infrastructure enterprise, according to Military Aerospace. The contract marks a structural shift for the branch, moving away from one-off rapid acquisition deals toward a 10-year, multi-award structure split into two five-year ordering periods meant to build high-fidelity virtual and live ranges, as reported by Air & Space Forces Magazine. As the Denver Gazette first reported, the indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract lets the government place orders for individual requirements as they arise, distributing work among the 15 firms as needed.
Why the Space Force Says It Can’t Wait
Space Force Combat Forces Command head Gen. Greg Gagnon said in July that key space mission areas face critical gaps because of a shortage of simulators, instructors, and dedicated training facilities needed to prepare Guardians for contested space operations, according to Breaking Defense. Craig Hackbarth said the effort sets the foundation for rapidly advancing and integrating test and training tools for Space Force Guardians, per the Denver Gazette’s reporting. NITE-STAR is meant to build a broad, diverse industrial partnership that promotes continuous competition and innovation, and its capability development is intended to accelerate test and training tools across the entire architecture, available to the whole OTTI enterprise.
The Department of the Air Force published an official procurement notice, FA2553-26-R-B001, on SAM.gov this month, laying out formal federal guidelines for hardware, modeling, simulation, and software task order requests, according to HigherGov. NITE-STAR stands for the National Space Test and Training Complex Innovative Technology and Engineering’s Space Test and Range, and it’s meant to let the Space Force rapidly acquire a wide range of solutions rather than negotiating each contract from scratch.
Colorado Firms Angle for Early Task Orders
Denver-headquartered York Space Systems announced its selection as a NITE-STAR contractor and said its work will pair its satellite platforms with the global ground network run by its subsidiary, ATLAS Space Operations, per a company release cited by Business Wire. York will partner with Space Systems Command as NITE-STAR comes online, and Melanie Preisser said the company will help support a program that sharpens how U.S. space operators train against real-world threats, according to the Denver Gazette. Rocket Lab Corporation separately announced it was onboarded to the program, positioning the launch and satellite manufacturer to compete for task orders spanning satellite development, space software, digital environments, and ground systems, per GlobeNewswire…