Rocket Lab to Build 1 GEO Satellite for US Space Force PTS-G

For the space and defense community, the Viasat-Rocket Lab pairing signals a shift in how prime contractors assemble protected SATCOM platforms. By handing a GEO military spacecraft to a launch-and-small-satellite specialist, Viasat is betting on Rocket Lab's vertically integrated production model to deliver a mission-critical orbit asset.

According to a company announcement distributed via GlobeNewswire on August 17, 2026, Viasat has selected Rocket Lab to build a geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite for the U.S. Space Force's Protected Tactical SATCOM-Global (PTS-G) program. The announcement, also carried by RFGlobalNet the following day, confirms Viasat's role as the program lead and Rocket Lab's assignment as the spacecraft manufacturer. Financial terms, the contract vehicle, and a delivery schedule were not disclosed in the public release.

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For the space and defense community, the Viasat-Rocket Lab pairing signals a shift in how prime contractors assemble protected SATCOM platforms.

The PTS-G program is a U.S. Space Force initiative designed to deliver protected, anti-jam tactical communications to warfighters operating beyond line of sight. Unlike commercial satellite communications, protected tactical waveforms incorporate frequency hopping, encryption, and resilience features suited to contested electromagnetic environments. A GEO satellite provides persistent coverage of a large region from roughly 35,786 kilometers altitude, complementing lower-altitude proliferated constellations and the existing Advanced Extremely High Frequency family.

Viasat's decision to select Rocket Lab stands out because the GEO military satellite market has long been dominated by legacy prime contractors such as Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and Airbus. Rocket Lab's heritage is primarily in small launch and small-satellite platforms, including its Photon bus, but it has been expanding its space systems division as a vertically integrated satellite manufacturer. Winning a GEO spacecraft build for a high-assurance military payload suggests that the Space Force and Viasat see enough technical maturity and supply-chain readiness in Rocket Lab's approach to entrust it with a platform that must survive and operate in high-threat conditions.

For Viasat, the move appears to reflect a systems-integrator strategy rather than an in-house spacecraft build. Viasat has deep experience in satellite network engineering, ground systems, and protected waveforms; bringing in a spacecraft manufacturer allows it to focus on payload integration, network operations, and program management. For Rocket Lab, the award, even if its full value is not public, signals entry into the military GEO satellite segment. The company has been expanding beyond launch with satellite buses, components, solar cells, and software; a GEO military spacecraft contract provides a reference design that could unlock further U.S. Department of Defense work. It also places Rocket Lab in direct competition with traditional spacecraft manufacturers and other new entrants in the national security space market.

This selection is consistent with broader Space Force acquisition trends toward disaggregated and proliferated architectures, nontraditional vendors, fixed-price and commercial-style procurement, and a desire to avoid single points of failure. The Space Force's protected tactical SATCOM portfolio has been moving from a few exquisite satellites to a mix of GEO and proliferated low Earth orbit assets. A dedicated GEO satellite for PTS-G will likely complement other layers and may be launched on either a national security or commercial launch vehicle; no launch provider was identified in the announcement.