
Airbus Defense and Space Monday said it has been awarded an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract valued up to $500 million to provide services related to hosting United States Air Force communications systems onboard commercially operated satellites. This contract pre-qualifies Airbus Defense and Space to bid on opportunities for hosted payloads --a business model that allows government customers more rapid access to space for their programs and missions without the costs associated with buying or leasing an entire spacecraft. “As a…