US Cancels Multibillion-Dollar Classified Military Satellite Program
- Contractor discloses Space Force ‘termination for convenience’
- Cancellation driven by cost, payload performance, people say
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The US Space Force canceled a multibillion-dollar Northrop Grumman Corp. program to develop a classified military communications satellite because of increased costs, difficulties developing its payload and a schedule delay, according to a regulatory filing and people familiar with the decision.
Northrop was formally notified last month of the termination within “our restricted Space Business,” the defense contractor said in a regulatory filing, using jargon for classified programs. The filing offered no details on the classified satellite or the reasons it was called off, which were provided by people who commented on condition of anonymity because of its secret status.