The U.S. Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center handed control authority of the sixth Lockheed Martin-built Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite to Space Operations Command in late October.

Space Vehicle 6 completes the AEHF satellite constellation designed to provide military leaders and warfighters jam-resistant communications and command and control capabilities during a nuclear war, the Los Angeles Air Force Base said.

Operational acceptance of the sixth AEHF satellite is expected to occur before the end of 2020 and the 4th Space Operation Squadron will gain operational control as the Lockheed-made SV-06 is integrated into the constellation system, which also supports Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and the U.K.

“AEHF enables both strategic and tactical users to communicate globally across a high-speed network that delivers protected communications – including real-time video, battlefield maps and targeting data — in any environment,” said Erik Daehler, director of protected communications at Lockheed Martin Space.

The AEHF-6 satellite launched in March aboard United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket that took off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

The Space Development Agency (SDA) seeks to establish a stable, continuous satellite technology market that would remain ongoing regardless of specific programs, DoD News reported Monday. 

SDA needs industry's help to establish the National Defense Space Architecture, an architecture of satellites that would collect and transmit targeting and location data for military operations

Derek Tournear, SDA director, said the government-industry effort may create a new, constant satellite market to achieve this goal.

Tournear said virtually at Via Satellite's MilSatCom Digital Week that he needs industry to internally develop products in line with a plan to add hundreds of satellites to the architecture every other year.

The U.S. Space Force now has its own innovation program that would engage in new space technology development, similarly to the U.S. Air Force's AFWERX. The SpaceWERX program will operate as a space-focused arm of AFWERX, now part of Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), AFRL said Monday.

AFWERX announced SpaceWERX's creation at the Accelerate event that commenced on the same day.

“As we approach the first anniversary of our newest Service, the United States Space Force, we also celebrate the opening of the first space-focused innovation hub at Los Angeles Air Force Base,” said Barbara Barrett, secretary of the Air Force.

The new innovation program will work alongside operators and procurement officers from Space and Missile Systems Center to identify innovative technologies that support space national security.