Viasat Selects Rocket Lab to Build GEO Satellite for U.S. Space Force’s Protected Tactical SATCOM-Global Program

CARLSBAD, Calif. and LONG BEACH, Calif., Aug. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Viasat Inc.(NASDAQ: VSAT), a global leader in satellite communications, today announced it selected Rocket Lab Corporation (Nasdaq: RKLB), a leading launch and space systems company, to build a satellite bus for the U.S. Space Force’s (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) under the Protected Tactical SATCOM-Global (PTS-G) program. On May 22, 2026, Viasat was awarded a prime contract to deliver one of the first small, maneuverable geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) satellites for the PTS-G constellation. The initial production award, known as Swarm 1, includes manufacturing, integration and test, launch, and on-orbit checkout of the mini-GEO satellite system.

PTS-G is a key part of USSF’s strategy to deliver global, resilient, and scalable satellite communications to warfighters by leveraging commercial designs and technology to support smaller, faster-to-produce satellites with enhanced anti-jam capabilities. Viasat’s government space team within its Defense and Advanced Technologies segment will lead this work to advance the PTS-G initial operating capability.