# Space Force awards Rocket Lab $397M for SB-AMTI threat-tracking flatellites

_Saturday, August 8, 2026 at 9:03 PM EDT · Infrastructure, Robotics · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![Space Force awards Rocket Lab $397M for SB-AMTI threat-tracking flatellites — Primary](https://assets.newatlas.com/dims4/default/6aa447a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1782x936+0+126/resize/1200x630!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewatlas-brightspot.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com%2Faf%2F2a%2F33d114be4f4983c3eb13945514aa%2Frocket-labs-flatellites-feature-integrated-components-and-subsystems-so-theyre-easy-to-produce-in-large-numbers-and-stack-for-deployment.jpg&na.image_optimisation=0)

New Atlas reported that the US Space Force awarded Rocket Lab a US$397 million contract to deploy flatellites in low Earth orbit under the Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator program, which is meant to help track airborne threats and augment airborne and terrestrial sensors.

An unnamed company received a $218 million contract for a related system, and SpaceX holds a $4.16 billion agreement to build an SB-AMTI satellite constellation that should be operational by 2028, according to the report.

Rocket Lab describes its flatellite as a flat satellite design optimized for large constellations, with space-based sensors and low-latency, high-bandwidth links. The low-profile form is designed so many units can stack in a payload, with propulsion, avionics, solar arrays, radios, and other subsystems integrated into a compact frame for high-volume production.

New Atlas said Rocket Lab plans to launch the spacecraft on its reusable Neutron rocket, a medium-lift vehicle with a 13-ton payload capacity, and to operate the satellites from secure facilities that supply tracking data to the Space Force. The company first announced flatellites last February.

## Sources

- [New Atlas](https://newatlas.com/space-systems/us-space-force-flatellites-rocket-lab/)

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