[SatNews] The U.S. Department of Defense has revealed new U.S. Air Force contracts that find 14 companies involved in the satellite industry benefiting to the tune of nearly one-half billion dollars each.

The companies have each been awarded a $494,900,000 maximum firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract under the Hosted Payload Solutions (HoPS) program. The purpose of the multiple awarded HoPS IDIQ contract is to provide a rapid and flexible means for the government to acquire commercial hosting capabilities for government payloads.

The contract is designed to create a pool of qualified vendors to meet the government's needs for various hosted payload missions. The HoPS IDIQ scope includes procurement of hosted payload missions and procurement of hosted payload studies. Procurement of hosted payload missions includes a fully-functioning, on-orbit hosted payload space and ground system for government-furnished payloads on commercial platforms.

In addition to the space and ground systems, the HoPS mission will also include related on-orbit support for data transfer from the hosted payload to the government end-user(s). The HoPS studies include those study activities related to enabling hosted payloads.

This award is the result of a full and open competitive acquisition. The contract has a five-year ordering period from the date of award. Work will be performed predominantly at the contractors' locations mentioned above, and is expected to be completed by January 31, 2029. A total of 19 firms were solicited and a total of 14 offers were received. This is not a multiyear contract. Fiscal 2014 research and development funds in the amount of $975,696 are being obligated at time of award. The Space and Missile Systems Center Contracting Directorate, El Segundo, California, is the contracting activity.

The companies receiving the contracts are:

• Astrium Services Government, Inc., Rockville, Maryland (FA8814-14-D-0001)
• Harris Corp. Government Communications Systems Business Unit, Palm Bay, Florida (FA8814-14-D-0002)
• Space Systems/Loral, LLC, Palo Alto, California (FA8814-14-D-0003)
• Millennium Engineering & Integration Company, Arlington, Virginia (FA8814-14-D-0004)
• Surrey Satellite Technology, Englewood, Colorado (FA8814-14-D-0005)
• Orbital Sciences Corp., Dulles, Virginia (FA8814-14-D-0006)
• The Boeing Co., El Segundo, California (FA8814-14-D-0007)
• Exoterra Resources, Littleton, Colorado (FA8814-14-D-0008)
• Lockheed Martin Corp., Littleton, Colorado (FA8814-14-D-0009)
• Merging Excellence and Innovation Tech, Inc., Houston, Texas (FA8814-14-D-0010)
• ViviSat, LLC, Beltsville, Maryland (FA8814-14-D-0011)
• Intelsat General Corp., Bethesda, Maryland (FA8814-14-D-0012)
• SES Government Solutions, McLean, Virginia (FA8814-14-D-0013)
• Eutelsat America Corp., Washington, District of Columbia (FA8814-14-D-0014)