# Project 64S444 — Experimentation (Space)

**Program element:** 1206458SF — Tech Transition (Space)  
**Project:** 64S444  
**Component:** U.S. Space Force  
**Appropriation:** 3620F — RDT&E, Space Force  
**Budget Activity:** 4 — Advanced Component Development & Prototypes  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206458SF/64S444  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206458SF

## Summary

Project 64S444 — Experimentation (Space) requests $20.5M in FY2027, 8.5% of the $241.1M requested for program element 1206458SF, down 90% on FY2026. 1 R-2A activity decomposes the request. Northrop Grumman is the largest named R-3 performer at $4.0M, 19% of the project's FY2027 R-3 total.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 138.1 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 209.5 |
| FY2027 | Request | 20.5 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 0.0 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 0.0 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 0.0 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 0.0 |

> Estimate types are not summed. This project is one leaf of PE 1206458SF; the PE total is the sum of its projects, never added to them.

## What project 64S444 buys

Experimentation (Space), Project 64S444, efforts conduct experimentation and field prototyping of Hybrid Satellite Communications (SATCOM) terminals for Joint operational implementation. In FY 2024 through FY 2028, the Experimentation (Space) efforts will extend Hybrid SATCOM capabilities to an expanded set of Department of War (DoW) platforms, and enable assured communications through both commercial and military satellite constellations in multiple orbital regimes, while accessing multiple frequency bands to maintain resilient connectivity and security. The Hybrid SATCOM terminal effort implements and experimentally flight tests multi-band, multi-constellation, multi-orbit SATCOM terminals at three ground installations and on nine different aircraft types. Specific platforms and platform details are available through proper channels. The Project also demonstrates the ability of Hybrid SATCOM terminals to seamlessly switch between vendors and satellite constellations. The Hybrid SATCOM terminal prototyping will include secure connectivity using National Security Agency-approved approaches, and authority approvals at least to the interim levels needed for experimentation as required for DoW communications.

**R-3 lines of work:** Product Development; Support; Test and Evaluation; Management Services.

## Named R-3 performers

| Performer | $M | Share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total |
|---|---|---|
| Northrop Grumman | 4.0 | 19% |
| L3Harris | 2.3 | 11% |
| GTRI | 1.8 | 8.8% |
| MIT/LL | 1.0 | 4.9% |

> Budget-justification contract funding, not obligations. Shares need not reach 100% — unnamed and government work is in the denominator.

## Activities (R-2A) — 1

| Activity | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 | Move | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Experimentation Space | 138.1 | 209.5 | 20.5 | −90% | [a0](https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206458SF/64S444/a0) |

> Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. In the request year they partition this project exactly; in earlier years they can under-cover it.

### Experimentation Space

Complete: - Development of customized antennas needed for the most challenging platforms. - Integration and flight test on prioritized aircraft. - Ground and flight tests of various combinations of multi-constellation radios with multi-band antennas. - Inclusion of additional constellation links, integrated into Hybrid SATCOM Terminals…

Full year-by-year narrative: https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206458SF/64S444/a0

## What is NOT on this page

Congressional marks, the R-2 mission description and acquisition strategy, the industry vs government split of the whole request, and related program elements are recorded at **program-element** grain — an NDAA mark lands on a PE, never on a project. They are at https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206458SF.

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-2A/R-3, PE 1206458SF project 64S444 (PB PB2027).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="1206458SF")`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*