On Wednesday, the United States Space Force announced that it awarded a $76 million contract to Los Angeles-based LinQuest.
With this deal, the Space Force will hire LinQuest as a contractor to provide systems engineering and integration support to its satellite communications enterprise at the Space and Missile System Center in El Segundo.
LinQuest is a company that builds space systems technology for the U.S. defense industry and cyber intelligence community. Its software helps with multiple aspects of defense, from mission operations and planning, to global positioning and data visualization.
LinQuest has office locations across the country. It’s currently hiring for 39 roles for its El Segundo team.
Officially forming in December of 2019, the Space Force is the newest branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. Before that, defense operations in space fell under the Air Force Space Command. The designation of the Space Force as its own independent branch, however, may be indicative of a new emphasis on space defenses by the U.S. government. If that’s the case, we may see more government contracts awarded to space companies in the private sector. These government contracts can be a big money-making opportunity for companies in the defense industry.
“LinQuest traces its heritage of sophisticated satellite communications back to 1977,” Chris Beres, vice president and general manager of space and air solutions group at LinQuest, said in a statement. “As a mission partner, we are excited to continue these efforts to help the Space Force shape the future of military satellite communications and deliver critical capability to the warfighter.”
