Viasat picks Rocket Lab to build a GEO satellite bus

Viasat selected Rocket Lab on August 17 to build, integrate and support launch and on-orbit checkout of a mini-GEO satellite bus for the U.S. Space Force's Protected Tactical SATCOM-Global program, using a specialized Lightning-GEO variant of Rocket Lab's modular satellite platform to host Viasat's dual-band X/Ka anti-jam payload. The award is Rocket Lab's second GEO satellite production program, alongside its existing $90 million Heimdall space domain awareness contract with the Space Force.