Space

Redwire Wins $20M DARPA Contract for Second VLEO Demo

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 05/11/2026, 03:20:24 UTC.

Briefings

Redwire secured a $20M DARPA contract for a second VLEO (very low Earth orbit) demo mission as part of the Otter program, targeting a late 2027 launch. The contract funds a scaled-down precursor mission on the SabreSat spacecraft to test critical air-breathing technology in VLEO, with a full-scale mission scheduled for 2027. Redwire also serves as the prime contractor for ESA's Skimsat mission, which aims to deploy VLEO capabilities across the Atlantic by 2027, though regulatory differences may limit subsystem transferability.

Key points

• Redwire won a $20M DARPA contract for a second VLEO demo mission targeting a late 2027 launch on the SabreSat spacecraft.
• Redwire is the prime contractor for ESA's Skimsat mission, which aims to deploy VLEO capabilities across the Atlantic by 2027.

Context

Redwire secured a $20M DARPA contract for a second VLEO demo mission targeting a late 2027 launch on the SabreSat spacecraft. The contract funds a scaled-down precursor mission to test critical air-breathing technology in VLEO, with a full-scale mission scheduled for 2027. Redwire is also the prime contractor for ESA's Skimsat mission, which aims to deploy VLEO capabilities across the Atlantic by 2027, though regulatory differences may limit subsystem transferability.

Limitations

DARPA has not released a specific date for the full-scale mission. The contract follows a $44M Phase 2 award in November 2025, but the exact timeline for the full mission remains unconfirmed. The evidence does not specify the exact altitude range for the full-scale mission beyond the general VLEO definition, nor does it provide details on the specific subsystems being transferred between Redwire and ESA programs beyond the general scope of cross-border collaboration.

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