Raytheon to design information architecture for small satellites

Raytheon Co. will provide IT and satellite design assistance to the Defense Department under a contract valued at $2.4 million.

The award calls for Raytheon subsidiary BBN Technologies to design and integrate an information architecture for wireless small module satellites for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, according to a July 12 Raytheon announcement.

The award is part of DARPA’s System F6 program and will support secure real-time communications among satellite modules, the announcement said.

The goal of the F6 program is to replace today's large satellites with clusters of less costly small modules that carry and share resources over a wireless network.

When completed, the program will result in wireless modules clustered in outer space that work as a seamless whole, the company said. In this flexible system, it will be easy to replace or add modules without interrupting communications or taking the satellite off-line.

Raytheon Co., of Waltham, Mass., ranks No. 4 on Washington Technology’s 2011 Top 100 list of the largest federal government contractors.