Space Force picks two companies to build new ‘space-to-space’ satellites by 2028

Overview

The Space Force awarded GHOST-R prototype contracts to Northrop Grumman and True Anomaly to develop space-to-space reconnaissance satellites for the RG-XX program, with launches planned by 2028. This signals growing government investment in space domain awareness and commercially-derived orbital tracking capabilities in geosynchronous orbit. For contractors, the awards create follow-on opportunities across satellite manufacturing, ISR payloads, mission operations, and sustainment as the program moves from prototype toward fielded capability. Action is needed now to position teams, validate export-control and cybersecurity postures (ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations), EAR, NIST 800-171 (NIST Special Publication 800-171), CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification), DFARS (Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement) 252.204-7012 are implicated), and build teaming relationships with both primes and commercial space innovators. Early engagement, capability demonstrations, and capture planning will improve competitiveness as solicitations and taskings appear.

Immediate Actions (This Week)

• [ ] Monitor for the official solicitation(s), statements of objectives, or sources sought related to GHOST-R / RG-XX; subscribe to alerts and saved searches.
• [ ] Run a rapid compliance gap assessment against the named regimes: ITAR, EAR, NIST 800-171, CMMC, and DFARS 252.204-7012 to identify critical deficiencies.
• [ ] Map your current capabilities (satellite bus, payloads, ground systems, launch integration, mission ops) to likely RG-XX requirements and note gaps.
• [ ] Identify potential teaming partners (primes, commercial space providers, ISR integrators) and initiate NDA-friendly discussions to explore complementary roles.
• [ ] Inventory controlled technical data and personnel with export-control implications; flag items requiring ITAR/EAR licensing or export counsel.

Short-Term Actions (30 Days)

• [ ] Develop a concise capture plan: win themes, value proposition for space domain awareness in GEO, target prime(s), and deliverables for a prototype or incremental capability.
• [ ] Begin compiling required compliance artifacts: NIST 800-171 System Security Plan (SSP) and Plan of Actions and Milestones (POA&M) drafts, export-control process documentation, and DFARS 252.204-7012 flowdown plan.

Long-Term Actions (90+ Days)

• [ ] Mature technical demonstrations or lab/flight demos that validate your approach for space-to-space reconnaissance or orbital tracking in GEO; prepare data for past performance submissions.
• [ ] Complete remediation actions from compliance gap assessments; achieve required CMMC level readiness and implement sustained DFARS/DFARS flowdown processes.
• [ ] Formalize teaming agreements, subcontracts, and supply chain controls to handle CUI (Controlled Unclassified Information) and export-restricted deliverables across partners.

Compliance Checklist

• [ ] Conduct a NIST 800-171 gap assessment and begin drafting an SSP and POA&M for any covered systems.
• [ ] Prepare for CMMC readiness assessments aligned to the level applicable to anticipated RG-XX solicitations.
• [ ] Implement DFARS 252.204-7012 flowdown and incident-reporting procedures for covered defense information.
• [ ] Inventory and categorize technical data and hardware for ITAR and EAR applicability; prepare export license processes where required.
• [ ] Train personnel on handling CUI and export-controlled information; enforce need-to-know and privileged-access controls.

Resources

• DFARS 252.204-7012 text — source link TBD pending source review (TBD pending source review)
• NIST SP 800-171 (NIST Special Publication 800-171) text — source link TBD pending source review (TBD pending source review)
• CMMC guidance — source link TBD pending source review (TBD pending source review)
• ITAR / EAR guidance — source links TBD pending source review (TBD pending source review)
• U.S. Space Force guidance — source link TBD pending source review (TBD pending source review)

See our primary capture and bidding primer: Winning Federal Contracts Guide (/insights/winning-federal-contracts). For detailed compliance playbooks consult: CMMC Compliance Guide (/insights/cmmc-compliance-guide) and CUI-Safe CRM Guide (/insights/cui-safe-crm-guide).

How Cabrillo Club Automates This

Cabrillo Signals War Room — Already detected this event and delivered this briefing within minutes. War Room continuously monitors federal announcements, contract vehicle updates, and policy shifts so you receive near-real-time alerts when the Space Force or associated sources post solicitations, sources-sought notices, or policy updates related to GHOST-R and RG-XX. It surfaces vendor awards and program milestones so your capture team can act quickly.

Cabrillo Signals Match Engine — When this event changes the competitive landscape, the Match Engine automatically rescoring your opportunity pipeline. It updates match scores, relevant keywords (e.g., "space-to-space reconnaissance," "geosynchronous orbital tracking"), and agency alignment so your prioritization reflects the new RG-XX/GHOST-R dynamics. That re-ranking helps you focus proposal effort where your strengths align best.

Cabrillo Signals Intelligence Hub — The Intelligence Hub tracks affected agencies, contract vehicles, and NAICS codes associated with this event and lets you save searches for follow-on solicitations (including alerts when matched opportunities appear on SAM.gov (System for Award Management)). Configure saved searches for GHOST-R, RG-XX, and the listed NAICS profiles to get early warning of solicitations or sources-sought notices.

Proposal Studio (Proposal OS) — Proposal OS uses your past performance library and the event context to generate first-draft technical approaches, compliance matrices tied to NIST 800-171/CMMC/DFARS 252.204-7012 obligations, and tailored win themes emphasizing commercial-space integration in GEO. Use the bid/no-bid engine to quantify capture risk based on the updated Match Engine scores.

Proposal Studio Workflow Tracker — The Workflow Tracker automates a 9-gate capture flow for this opportunity: capture intake, compliance review, subcontractor certifications, export-control signoffs, final proposal assembly, and audit-ready archival. It routes tasks to contracts, legal, and security for required DFARS and export-control approvals and maintains an evidence trail for audits.

Call to action: use War Room and the Intelligence Hub saved searches to start receiving solicitation alerts now, then let the Match Engine reprioritize your pipeline and Proposal Studio generate your first draft technical approach for rapid capture.