Launching a Space Test Program experiment that will fly in extremely low Earth orbit, the U.S. Space Force announced on April 8 that it had granted Rocket Lab a $14.4 million contract.

Launching from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, the mission known as STP-S30 is scheduled to occur in 2026 using a Rocket Lab Electron small rocket.

Space Force-managed experiments in space with potential military applications are made possible through the Space Test Program. Numerous civic, defense, and commercial missions have been flown by the program since it began in the 1960s.

The 200-kg payload for STP-S30 is a brand-new smallsat design known as DiskSat, which is a plate-shaped satellite with a diameter of roughly 40 inches and a thickness of one inch.

NASA funded the Aerospace Corp. to develop DiskSat, a potential replacement for the cubesat standard. In accordance with a contract with NASA, the Space Force supports orbital and launch operations.

“DiskSat aims to showcase continuous VLEO (very low earth orbit) operations and evaluate an exclusive disk-shaped satellite bus with a 40-inch diameter, intended to enhance on-orbit persistence,” stated the Space Systems Command.

For satellite photography, atmospheric studies, and communications monitoring, VLEO is an orbit of interest.

DiskSat was created by aerospace professionals with modest launch vehicles in mind. Although the design can be altered to accommodate launch vehicles with a bigger diameter, it is based on the payload volume of Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket.

NASA says that the DiskSat plate design may provide greater instrument surface area and power, expanding the potential uses for small spacecraft. During launch, DiskSats can be stacked to fit inside the fairing of a launch vehicle, and after the rocket reaches orbit, they are released one at a time.

Under the Space Systems Command-managed Orbital Service Program OSP-4 contract vehicle, Rocket Lab was chosen to launch this mission. For OSP-4 missions, launch firms must be prepared to launch within 24 months after the task order award.