Northrop Grumman has joined the Hosted Payload Alliance (HPA). HPA formed in March 2011 as a group of satellite manufacturers, spacecraft operators, system integrators and launch vehicle providers that aim to lobby for increased hosted payload utilization and to support government agencies in acquiring space assets and services.
   “HPA can help us leverage its experience in hosted payloads and disaggregated space to meet global security needs on cost and on schedule,” Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems Deputy General Manager Robert Burke said in a statement. “Our extensive experience in providing protected communications payloads to the military offers an affordable and flexible solution to help alleviate the growing demand for network and the increasing threat to military satellite communication services.”