The Space Rapid Capabilities Office (Space RCO), a specialized unit within the U.S. Space Force, has selected 20 companies for an Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) multi-year contract aimed at advancing critical ground-systems software.
The contract, with an estimated value of $1 billion, supports the Rapid Resilient Command and Control (R2C2) program, focusing on creating a next-generation ground system based on commercial cloud architecture.
Structured as a small-business set-aside, the contract is specifically reserved for smaller enterprises, promoting fair competition and encouraging the participation of companies that might struggle to compete with larger corporations on such a large-scale project. The Space RCO will award task orders over a five-year period, with a potential extension of up to two additional years.
The companies selected for the R2C2 IDIQ include:
The Space RCO emphasized the Space Force's goal of developing in a statement saying "end-to-end satellite operations ground system with the capability to fly dynamic space operations missions."
This concept envisions military space assets that can maneuver and redeploy in response to emerging threats.
The R2C2 program aims to achieve this goal by developing a state-of-the-art ground system built on commercial cloud architecture. The task orders under the IDIQ will focus on software tools and infrastructure to enable Space Force operators to reposition satellites and conduct other operations more agilely than currently possible.
The R2C2 program builds upon previous initiatives such as Enterprise Ground Services (EGS) and Ground Command, Control and Communications (GC3), which aimed for unified command and control but faced challenges due to their broad scopes.
To address these challenges, the Space RCO has adopted a strategy of acquiring software systems in incremental phases. This "bite-sized" approach facilitates rapid development cycles and continuous updates, allowing for more responsive and adaptable system enhancements.
The first task orders are anticipated to be awarded in the coming months.
The agency established the R2C2 program office in February 2023, following directives from Frank Calvelli, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration; after he expressed concerns about the traditional, monolithic ground systems used by the Space Force and has advocated for breaking down these large systems into smaller, more manageable components to accelerate development and improve the integration of new functionalities.
