- GEOST, a LightRidge Solutions Company, has been selected by Northrop Grumman to build its Starlite resiliency payload for the Tracking Layer Tranche 1 satellites, scheduled for a 2025 launch.
- The Starlite system is a small, affordable, yet high-performance payload that aims to significantly enhance the resiliency of government and commercial satellite constellations.
TUCSON, Ariz., September 11, 2023 — In a move that marks a significant step forward in enhancing space security, GEOST, LLC (GEOST), a LightRidge Solutions Company, announced today that it has been chosen by Northrop Grumman to build its Starlite resiliency payload. The payload is designed for the Tracking Layer Tranche 1 satellites, which are being developed for the Space Development Agency and are scheduled for launch in 2025.
A Legacy of Innovation
Founded in 2004, GEOST has been at the forefront of developing optical collection systems that provide decision dominance using data in and from space. With a nimble small business mindset, GEOST tailors end-solutions to meet customer mission needs, offering technical capabilities on par with large industry primes but at a lower cost.
Addressing Growing Concerns in Space Security
“As the threats to space assets grow, the GEOST Starlite payload on the Tracking Layer constellation and other satellites will add significant resiliency, rapidly and affordably,” said Joshua Hartman, LightRidge Solutions Chief Growth & Strategy Officer. This comes at a time when U.S. national security leaders have increasingly voiced concerns about near-peer ground and space-based threats to both government and commercial satellites.
A Paradigm Shift in Capability Delivery
The Starlite system is not just another payload; it’s a game-changer. Significantly smaller and more affordable than its predecessors, the Starlite payload is about the size of a soda can. It is mission-agnostic and can be applied to a wide range of government and commercial distributed satellite constellations.
Vision and Goals
GEOST aims to revolutionize the space-based payload market with innovative designs for space, terrestrial, and airborne environments. The company has set its sights on becoming the premier provider of small and medium payloads for Space Protection, Missile Warning, and Space Domain Awareness solutions.
About the Companies
GEOST is an operating unit of LightRidge Solutions, a parent company whose operating units provide small, affordable and increasingly autonomous domain awareness and protection sensors, space electronics, and C4ISR solutions. LightRidge Solutions, along with its operating units GEOST and Ophir, have been solving customers’ mission-critical sensor and payload challenges for over 50 years.
