Small satellite manufacturer and mission services provider Blue Canyon Technologies, a subsidiary of RTX (NYSE: RTX), announced today its contributions to the recent Transporter-8 launch by SpaceX on June 12, kickstarting several defense-critical missions.
Blue Canyon’s products on the Transporter-8 launch included four Saturn-class microsatellites for DARPA’s Blackjack mission, two 6U CubeSats for the Department of Defense (DoD) Modular ISR program (MISR) and one 12U CubeSat for a government customer.
“Blue Canyon’s product line of smallsat buses provide the proven performance and heritage needed to support these critical defense missions,” said Jeff Watts, general manager of Blue Canyon Technologies. “Our ability to also manufacture most of the components and subsystems for the spacecraft are what sets us apart within the industry.”
DARPA’s Blackjack mission aims to lay the groundwork for a high-speed global network in low-Earth orbit. This network will provide the DoD with connected, resilient, and persistent coverage. Each Blackjack satellite has a Pit Boss data processing node and a Storm King radio-frequency payload made by SEAKR Engineering, also a RTX subsidiary.
The MISR program is intended to demonstrate a robust, responsive, multi-mission CubeSat capability to satisfy various requirements. The pair of MISR CubeSats are the start in a series of missions to demonstrate various capabilities and mission effectiveness.
All seven spacecraft are in good working order and performing as expected following the launch. Commissioning activities are ongoing.
Blue Canyon’s work was performed in Lafayette, Colorado.
About Blue Canyon Technologies About Blue Canyon Technologies
Blue Canyon Technologies (BCT), a subsidiary of RTX, offers a diverse portfolio of innovative, reliable, and affordable spacecraft and components that enable a broad range of missions and technological advancements for the new space economy. The company currently supports numerous unique missions with over 100 cumulative spacecraft orders.
For the latest news on Blue Canyon Technologies and for other company information, please visit www.bluecanyontech.com.
About RTX
RTX is the world’s largest aerospace and defense company. Our global team of 180,000 employees pushes the limits of known science and redefines how we connect and protect our world. We are advancing aviation, building smarter defense systems and creating innovations to take us deeper into space. The company, with 2022 sales of $67 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.