Artel, LLC Delivered the Final Pathfinder 2 Milestone, Initial on-Orbit Test

HERNDON, Va., March 18, 2024 (Newswire.com) - It has now been a year since Artel, LLC launched its Pathfinder 2 program, which has now completed its first six months of on-orbit operations for the United Space. Pathfinder 2 originally completed its final contractual milestone, the Initial on-orbit Test (IoT) in September 2023, which the U.S. Government accepted, completing all program requirements. This included the design, test, launch, and operation of the satellite and transponder, as well as to provide commercial communications Ku-band bandwidth for 15 years. 

Pathfinder 2 is an initiative between Congress and the United States Space Force (USSF), formally the US Air Force’s Space Command, to move from short-term lease agreements towards long-term investment opportunities for commercial satellite communications (SATCOM). The vision was to host a government owned transponder onboard a commercially owned and operated satellite. Artel was awarded the $19 Million contract on 9 November 2017 to embed the Pathfinder 2 mission on Hispasat’s Amazonas Nexus high throughput satellite, built by Thales Alenia Space. The Pathfinder 2 mission launched in February 2023. This new satellite has coverage over the entire American continent and the North Atlantic corridor (an area with major aerial and maritime traffic). 

A unique objective was to ensure greater satellite services and introduce cost savings as compared to the traditional short-term space capacity leasing model of the commercial satellites in orbit. For the Pathfinder 2 mission, the Government purchased commercial capacity for 2023-2038 including management of the capacity with no annual sustainment costs. The long-term spend, as an alternative to short-term leasing options, was key to the substantial 70% cost savings. 

The U.S. Government owns this capacity for the lifespan of the satellite, which is typically 15 years. This capacity can be used for the DoD or any Federal agency, at the U.S. Government’s discretion. Since completing IoT, the Space Force’s Space Delta 8 SATCOM Office at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado has been responsible for planning mission support and managing the Pathfinder 2 capacity for a full array of DoD users. Remarkably, demand for this capacity has been so strong, as of February 2024 it is almost fully utilized.   

“This mission demonstrates the high degree of partnership between military and commercial acquisition. Pathfinder 2 satisfies warfighter requirements by procuring commercially provided pre-launch transponders and securing bandwidth at a lower total ownership cost,” said Ms. Charlotte Gerhart, Senior Materiel Leader, Acquisition Delta - Tactical SATCOM, Space Systems Command.

Pathfinder 2 resulted in immediate savings to the government, when on 26 September 2023 at 1600Z, General Atomic’s MQ-1C transitioned to Pathfinder 2 after 20 years of leasing SATCOM capacity one year at a time—or less. Joint Task Force-North (JTF-N) was procuring SATCOM for its mission at an annualized cost of $1.8 million. As a result of Pathfinder 2, their new cost for SATCOM is $0.0. Additionally, Pathfinder 2 also enables industry collaboration between commercial SATCOM capabilities with military SATCOM (MILSATCOM) operations. 

“The Pathfinder 2 Program is a prime example of Government and Industry collaboration to not only deliver leading-edge technologies, but also through a purchase model saving substantial taxpayer dollars,” stated Ed Spitler, Head of SATCOM Programs for Artel, LLC. Artel, and its partners, were able to overcome several unforeseen challenges during these past five years related to events from the global pandemic to the war in Ukraine. While the world was experiencing supply chain interruptions, product shortages, and facility shut-downs, Artel led the way to persevere and deliver. Pathfinder 2 represents a departure from traditional segregation of military and commercial SATCOM management processes, placing both under the management of the USSF.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - Space Systems Command (SSC) 

About Space Systems Command

Space Systems Command (SSC) is the U.S. Space Force field command responsible for acquiring and delivering resilient war fighting capabilities to protect our nation’s strategic advantage in and from space. SSC manages an $15 billion space acquisition budget for the Department of Defense and works in partnership with joint forces, industry, government agencies, academic and allied organizations to accelerate innovation and outpace emerging threats. Our actions today are making the world a better space for tomorrow.

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About Artel

Since 1986, Artel has served as a trusted provider of secure IT and network solutions to the U.S. Government. Our telecommunications offerings ensure reliable, secure connectivity worldwide to support our customers’ mission-critical requirements. An International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015 certified network systems integrator, Artel provides cost-effective, on-time delivery of global terrestrial and satellite network communication services, cyber security, risk management, and technology support services. Please visit www.artelllc.com for additional information. If you would like more information about this topic, please e-mail [email protected]. 

Source: Artel LLC