:

Space

SDA Awards IonQ’s Capella $49 Million For Tactical Space Comms Demonstration

By Cal Biesecker

Tuesday, April 7th, 2026

SHARE:

SDA Awards IonQ’s Capella $49 Million For Tactical Space Comms Demonstration

Pictured is a Space Development Agency (SDA) file photo of Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo, SDA’s acting director.

The Space Development Agency (SDA) on Tuesday said it awarded IonQ’s [IONQ] Capella Space business a potential $48.9 million prototype agreement to demonstrate advanced tactical waveform performance, adaptive beamforming and secure tactical communications in low Earth orbit by November 2027. Capella will develop two spacecraft with radio frequency payloads, mission-specific waveforms and ground systems for secure communications with the satellites. The award was the second by SDA under the Tranche 2 Demonstration and Experimentation (T2DES) Europa program, which seeks proposals…

Congress

House Narrowly Votes To Pass $1.15 Trillion FY ‘27 NDAA, Blueprint For Reconciliation 3.0

The House on Wednesday narrowly voted to pass its $1.15 trillion version of the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and a blueprint for a third reconciliation bill […]

Congress

Senate Appropriators Press On Supplemental’s Requests Beyond Iran Scope, Hegseth Urges Full Funding

Senate appropriators have pressed Pentagon leadership on the decision to include funds in the Iran war supplemental request for items beyond the current military operation, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth […]

Congress

House Republicans’ Blueprint For Reconciliation 3.0 Includes $60 Billion For Defense

House Republicans on Wednesday unveiled a blueprint for a third reconciliation bill that includes $60 billion for defense, a figure slightly below the Trump administration’s request to cover Iran war […]

Congress

Senate Dems Block Consideration Of FY ‘27 NDAA Over Iran War Concerns

Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked a vote to advance consideration of the chamber’s $1.14 trillion fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization (NDAA). The procedural vote was 46-50, failing to reach […]