[Satellite Today – 1-8-08] Boeing Satellite Systems Inc. and Lockheed Martin Space Systems Corp. have been awarded $75 million contract extensions for work the U.S. Air Force‘s Transformational Satellite Communications System (TSAT) contract, the U.S. Department of Defense announced Jan. 8.
    The TSAT program is designed to provide American warfighters with a secure, interoperable, high-capacity global communications network.
    The contracts have been extended to July 7, and the companies will continue to work on the design and development of their proposals. Under the contract, the winner will build and launch up to five satellites as well as develop ground-based space vehicle command and control and the high data-rate ground communications gateway. The contract has a value of $15 billion if all options are exercised.