Axient joins Space Force STEP 20 initiative to drive next generation orbital tech

STEP 2.0 is a multi-award, Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract managed by the Department of Defense's Space Test Program under Space Systems Command. The program will facilitate rapid integration of experimental payloads into modular satellite platforms, enabling low-cost, agile testing of new space technologies in orbit.

Selected firms, including Astrion, will compete for task orders that support this orbital experimentation framework. The first delivery order under the STEP 2.0 contract is anticipated in January 2026.

"We're proud to partner with USSF as it accelerates space innovation to advance our national security objectives," said Dan Benjamin, Astrion's Executive Vice President and General Manager, Space. "We look forward to this opportunity to build on our space integration history delivering our extensive experience, bold ideas, and unmatched execution in support of STEP 2.0."

Astrion's ongoing collaboration with the USSF includes contributions to vital programs such as National Security Space Launch, Missile Warning, Global Positioning, and New Entrant Certification. Astrion's teammate, Orion Space Solutions-now part of Arcfield-has also delivered space-based systems to national security and intelligence clients for nearly 20 years.

Other recipients of the STEP 2.0 award include Blue Canyon Technologies, General Atomics, Lockheed Martin Corp., Loft Orbital Federal, Lynk Global, Orbit Systems, Spire Global Subsidiary, Turion Space Corp., Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, Utah State University's Space Dynamics Laboratory, and York Space Systems.