DEFENSE:

Irvine’s Tyvak Nano-Satellite lands military contract as parent co. plans to go public

Irvine-based satellite makers are forging new links with the U.S. military.

The U.S. Air Force has awarded an $8.4 million contract to Irvine-based Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems to support the Precise flight experiment projected for launch in 2024.

The Precise flight experiment represents a new orbital regime for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in very low Earth orbit, according to a statement sent by Tyvak’s parent company, Terran Orbital Corp.

Tyvak will be providing AFRL a spacecraft capable of maneuvering between low Earth orbit and very low Earth orbit for conducting sensor payload measurements, the statement said.

The results could be used in the future to mitigate natural ionospheric impacts to warfighter systems such as satellite communications and GPS,

Rachel Hock-Mysliwiec, the Precise program manager, said in a statement.

The AFRL is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space, and cyberspace force.

Terran Orbital

Tyvak parent Terran Orbital, which is based in Florida, as of mid-2021 had launched more than 220 small satellites into orbit.

Terran has made moves to significantly boost its operations and headcount on both coasts of the U.S., signing one of Orange County’s larger office leases this year at the 400 Spectrum Center tower, while also announcing plans to invest $300 million for a new commercial spacecraft facility in Florida.

Terran on Oct. 28 said it plans to go public on the New York Stock Exchange via a reverse merger with Tailwind Two Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: TWNT), a special purpose acquisition company.

The pro forma total enterprise value of the combined companies is approximately $1.6 billion, Terran said in a statement. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2022, and Terran will use the ticker symbol LLAP.

Alongside the public listing, Terran is raising $50 million in a private placement, the company said in late October.

ICEYE, Army

Also in Irvine, small satellite maker Iceye said Nov. 18 it will pursue “collaborative research and development” with the U.S. Army.

Iceye, which specializes in persistent monitoring with radar satellite imaging, said that it has entered into a cooperative research and development agreement with the army’s Space and Missile Defense Technical Center to advance state-of-the-art Earth observation technology in support of U.S. Army missions.

“It’s our privilege to be the U.S. said Army’s mission partner in this cooperative R&D effort,” said Eric Jensen, President of Iceye U.S. Jerry Welsh, chief executive of Iceye U.S. said, “We are proud to be manufacturing, launching, and operating our satellites in the United States, where we are delivering on our commitments and earning the trust of defense, civil, intelligence, and commercial customers.”

Unlike traditional Earth observation satellites, Iceye’s small radar imaging satellites can form high-resolution images of areas of the Earth in daylight, at night, and through cloud cover.

Its satellites can collect images over very wide areas, as well as specific sites anywhere in the world. The company said it has successfully launched 14 spacecraft to date and operates the world’s largest fleet of commercial “synthetic aperture radar” SAR satellites. ■