Why Defense Contractors Are Suddenly Racing to Orbit Intrado

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., March 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Equity-Insider.com News Commentary — Microgravity research just crossed $4 billion^[1] while commercial satellite launches accelerate at 15% annually^[2] and the convergence is pulling defense contractors into orbit faster than most investors realize. Starfighters Space (NYSE-A: FJET), AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ: ASTS), Parsons (NYSE: PSN), L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX), and BWX Technologies (NYSE: BWXT) represent five different angles on the same bet: that space infrastructure is becoming as strategic as submarine hulls and missile systems.

The US Space Force budget tells the rest of the story, with $40 billion this fiscal year^[^3], representing more than double what it started with five years ago, and that money isn't going to PowerPoint presentations. It's funding satellite networks, enrichment capacity, cybersecurity frameworks, and the kind of suborbital testing platforms that didn't exist outside government labs a decade ago.

Starfighters Space (NYSE-A: FJET) recently announced a strategic partnership with Mu-G Technologies to pursue microgravity flight missions for NASA, academic institutions, and commercial research customers. The collaboration pairs Starfighters’ high-performance flight operations with Mu-GTech’s expertise in parabolic flight execution and payload integration.

“This partnership reflects our commitment to expanding the ways we deploy our high-performance aircraft to serve growing aerospace and space technology markets,” said Tim Franta, Chief Executive Officer of Starfighters. “By combining our operational capabilities with Mu-GTech’s parabolic flight expertise, we are positioning Starfighters to support increased demand for reliable microgravity testing.”

Also recently, the company had announced an expansion of its operations at Midland International Air & Space Port, relocating aircraft, engines, and support equipment to increase mission cadence and geographic flexibility. From Midland, Starfighters can reach nine locations across the U.S. Southwest, including spaceports, Air Force bases, and test ranges in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Nevada, Utah, and California.

The Midland site also supports Starfighters’ partnership with the Midland Development Corporation on high-speed corridor initiatives focused on safe supersonic flight over land. The expansion complements the company’s headquarters at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it maintains the world’s largest fleet of commercial supersonic aircraft.

In parallel, Starfighters continues to advance its STARLAUNCH 1 program, having recently announced it is moving forward to Critical Design Review. The step builds on completed subsonic and supersonic wind tunnel testing at the Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion, which confirmed clean vehicle separation at Mach 0.85 and Mach 1.3.

Starfighters operates the only commercial fleet in the free world capable of carrying underwing test payloads at speeds greater than Mach 2, or more than 1,500 miles per hour. The company’s growing range of collaborations across defense and space positions it to support next-generation test and launch operations at scale.

In other industry developments:

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ: ASTS) recently secured a $30 million contract from the U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA) for the Europa Track 2 Commercial Solutions program, executed under the Hybrid Acquisition for proliferated Low-earth Orbit initiative. The Other Transaction agreement focuses on the rapid demonstration and delivery of resilient, low-latency tactical satellite communications directly between government end devices using the company’s BlueBird satellite constellation.

“Selection for SDA’s Europa Track 2 program validates AST SpaceMobile’s ability to rapidly operationalize commercial space capabilities for national security,” said Chris Ivory, CEO of AST SpaceMobile USA. “By leveraging our existing low Earth orbit dual-use satellite technology, we support the Government’s defense efforts, delivering immediate connectivity with our BlueBird satellites and scaling quickly to advanced tactical use cases.”

The award marks the first-ever prime contract supported by AST SpaceMobile USA, a wholly owned defense subsidiary of the company headquartered in Midland, Texas. The company is 95% vertically integrated with all major manufacturing processes under U.S. control, currently operating nearly 500,000 square feet of manufacturing and operations facilities with a workforce of nearly 1,800 people and a broad technology platform backed by more than 3,800 patent and patent-pending claims.

Parsons (NYSE: PSN) received a sole-source contract notification from United States Cyber Command for production of its Joint Cyber Hunt Kit solution through subsidiary SealingTech. The three-year period of performance contract carries an anticipated ceiling value of up to $500 million and represents new work advancing cutting-edge defensive cyber technologies for the Defense Innovation Unit and USCYBERCOM to enhance mission readiness and operational superiority.

“Parsons is dedicated to providing exceptional, mission-ready solutions that enable the U.S. military to maintain its position as the world’s most formidable and lethal fighting force,” said Mike Kushin, President of Parsons’ Defense and Intelligence business. “The company’s acquisition of SealingTech, and their JCHK success demonstrates our combined vision to develop exquisite, agile technology that aligns with our customer’s needs and protects national security.”

SealingTech has supported the U.S. Department of Defense for more than a decade, establishing itself as a trusted and reliable delivery partner with more than 500 Cyber Fly-Away Kits deployed to U.S. defense and intelligence customers supporting high-visibility missions critical to national security. Parsons acquired the company in 2023 to bolster its full-spectrum cyber operations solutions for the defense and intelligence communities.

L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) was awarded a contract valued at nearly $400 million to produce additional solid rocket boost motors and Liquid Divert and Attitude Control Systems as a supplier to the prime contract for the Missile Defense Agency’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system. THAAD serves as one of the nation’s primary defenses against short, medium, and intermediate-range missiles, with its highly responsive thruster system keeping the kinetic kill vehicle on target during the latter stages of an intercept.

“THAAD is the only U.S. system designed to intercept targets outside and inside the atmosphere, making it a critical part of the United States’ missile defense system,” said Ken Bedingfield, President, Missile Solutions, L3Harris. “THAAD is paramount to the security of this nation and our allies, and we are dedicated to delivering our proven propulsion for years to come.”

THAAD is combat-proven and maintains a 100% success rate in intercept testing, with 17 consecutive successful system intercepts since production began. In 2024, L3Harris delivered its 1,000th solid rocket boost motor and 1,000th LDACS unit ahead of schedule, with manufacturing operations spanning facilities in Huntsville, Alabama, Camden, Arkansas, and Los Angeles.

BWX Technologies (NYSE: BWXT) opened its Centrifuge Manufacturing Development Facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, marking a major milestone in the company’s efforts to reestablish a fully domestic uranium enrichment capability in support of U.S. national security priorities. The facility supports a $1.5 billion contract awarded by the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration to ensure a secure and reliable supply of enriched uranium for defense fuel needs.

“I am so impressed with the speed at which the BWXT team moved, from breaking ground in late June to standing up this facility just seven months later,” said Rex D. Geveden, president and CEO of BWX Technologies. “With the CMDF now operational, we are positioned to move centrifuge technology from development into production readiness while strengthening America’s sovereign nuclear supply chain.”

The facility serves as the company’s primary hub for the design, engineering, fabrication, and testing of advanced gas centrifuge machines, accelerating the transition of centrifuge technology from development to production readiness. Approximately 100 skilled professionals are currently supporting operations and project activities in Oak Ridge, with plans to expand the workforce as manufacturing scales to align with national priorities for energy security and defense readiness.

Article Source: Equity-Insider.com

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