Viasat Awarded Phase 1 Contract Under NASA NEXUS Initiative

NASA aims to evaluate commercial capabilities that can maintain service for current TDRS users while supporting future missions for at least 15 years.

Rhea-AI Summary

Viasat (VSAT) won a NASA NEXUS phase 1 contract to mature its design for a commercial satellite communications relay service. The firm-fixed-price award has a maximum potential value of $460.9M, inclusive of future phases; that amount is not the phase 1 award value.

Viasat will develop its design and plans for an end-to-end system using small satellites in geosynchronous Earth orbit, with supporting ground infrastructure, launch and operations. The proposed service would provide Ka-band radio connectivity to missions using NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) system as NASA gradually retires that fleet. Viasat expects future award phases over the next three years for development and demonstration of a relay service compatible with existing missions. Its Space and Mission Systems team will carry out phase 1.

2 points · 0 major

MixediHow this balance works

How this balance works

Rhea-AI gives every point it takes from this document a weight. Minor counts 1, Moderate 3 and Major 9, so one Major point outweighs several Minor ones. The bar adds up the weights on each side, and when neither side holds more than 65% of the total the balance reads Mixed.

It reads the document as published, with the same rules for every company, and it does not look at what the market expected or at how the stock traded, so a point can be objectively good on a day the stock falls.

Rhea-AI Sentiment measures something else, the tone of the wording.

How the balance worksHow Sentiment works

0 major · 1 point

Hollow bars mark forward-looking points. How the balance works

Positive

• Moderate pointNASA’s firm-fixed-price phase 1 contract funds maturation of Viasat’s commercial relay system design and plans.
• Minor point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.Maximum potential contract value of $460.9M includes future phases.

Negative

• Moderate pointFuture phases remain prospective; Viasat expects awards over the next three years, not all phases awarded now.

Argus 15 min delay 75 alerts

+13.18% vs previous close $72.38 last price 3.3x rel. volume Open Argus

Details

Market move: VSAT +13.18% vs previous close. Phase 1 contract award

$62.38 – $73.75 Day Range

$9.97B Mkt Cap at Last Price

On Nov 9, the day this news came out, the latest delayed price for VSAT is 13.18% above the previous close. Our momentum scanner has recorded 75 alerts for this stock so far that day. The latest delayed price is $72.38. Relative volume is very high at 3.3x what this stock usually trades by this time of day.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus (15 min delayed). Upgrade to Gold for real-time data.

Key Figures

Maximum potential contract value: $460.9M Phase 1 commercial awardees: 3 awardees Future mission support horizon: Minimum of 15 years +1 more

Maximum potential contract value

$460.9M

Includes future phases

Phase 1 commercial awardees

3 awardees

NEXUS initiative

Future mission support horizon

Minimum of 15 years

NASA mission requirements

Expected future award phases

Over the next 3 years

Development and demonstration

Historical Context

1 past event · Latest: Oct 21

1 event

1. Oct 21

   NASA project launch

   24h Move

   +4.0%

   Viasat launched Maxwell under two NASA Communications Services Project awards totaling $81 million.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Key Terms

firm-fixed price contract, ka-band, geosynchronous earth orbit

3 terms

firm-fixed price contract financial

"a firm-fixed price contract as one of three commercial awardees"

A firm-fixed-price contract is a procurement agreement that sets a single, unchangeable total price for specified goods or services; the buyer pays that agreed amount regardless of the contractor’s actual costs unless the contract is formally changed. It requires the scope and requirements to be defined up front, allows price changes only through written contract modifications or formally negotiated change orders, and places the risk of cost overruns and efficiency on the contractor while giving the buyer price certainty. This contrasts with cost-reimbursement contracts where the buyer reimburses allowable costs rather than paying a fixed sum.

ka-band technical

"commercial Ka-band space relay capabilities"

Ka-band is a slice of the microwave radio spectrum (roughly 26.5–40 GHz) commonly used for satellite links and high-capacity wireless backhaul. Because it carries more data per second and lets antennas be smaller, it can enable faster internet and more channels, but its higher frequency is also more prone to signal loss in heavy rain or obstacles. Investors track Ka-band deployment and equipment costs because it affects a company’s ability to deliver high-speed services, coverage economics, and revenue potential.

geosynchronous earth orbit technical

"small geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) relay satellite infrastructure"

A geosynchronous earth orbit is a path around Earth where a satellite takes the same amount of time to circle the planet as the planet takes to rotate—about one day—so the satellite returns to the same position over the surface each day and, if placed exactly above the equator, appears nearly fixed in the sky. For investors, these orbits host communications, broadcast and weather satellites that provide continuous, reliable coverage like a permanent relay tower, making them valuable assets with limited orbital “slots,” regulatory constraints and long operational lives that influence revenue potential and capital costs.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

See more from StockTitan in Google Search and AI answers. Adds StockTitan as a preferred source · opens Google

Add on Google Not now

Viasat selected to mature its design for small GEO satellites as part of an end-to-end commercial Ka-band relay service to supplement NASA’s TDRS services

CARLSBAD, Calif., Nov. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Viasat, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global leader in satellite communications and networking technologies, today announced it has been selected by NASA for phase 1 of its Network Extension for User Continuity and Sustainability (NEXUS) initiative, awarded through the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships-3 (NextSTEP-3) Omnibus Broad Agency Announcement. NEXUS represents a key effort within NASA’s Communications Services Project, supporting the broader agency strategy to transition space communications services near-Earth to the commercial sector. Viasat's participation builds on the company's collaboration with NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) division across multiple programs and its longstanding expertise delivering advanced satellite communications and networking capabilities for government and commercial space missions.

Viasat was competitively awarded a firm-fixed price contract as one of three commercial awardees selected for the first phase of the NEXUS initiative, which aims to develop and accelerate maturation of innovative commercial Ka-band space relay capabilities through competitive research demonstrations. As NASA gradually retires its Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) fleet, this effort will help the agency evaluate commercial capabilities that can provide continuity for current users of TDRS while supporting future mission requirements for a minimum of 15 years. The maximum potential contract value for Viasat inclusive of future phases is $460.9M.

During phase 1, Viasat’s Space and Mission Systems team within the company's Defense and Advanced Technologies segment will mature its design and plans for an end-to-end operational space architecture to provide Ka-band relay connectivity to legacy TDRS missions. Viasat’s proposed solution includes an innovative small geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) relay satellite infrastructure, supporting ground segment, and the integration, launch and operations required to deliver assured service delivery on demand. The architecture is designed to meet NASA's legacy communications requirements while providing a scalable, differentiated end-to-end service for future government and commercial missions.

"NASA's vision for NEXUS reflects a significant evolution toward commercially provided space communications services," said John Reeves, Vice President of Space and Mission Systems, Viasat Government. "Our satellite networking and end-to-end system design expertise will enable us to provide a resilient Ka-band relay capability that supports both legacy and future NASA missions while providing a clear path to advanced communication relay services beyond TDRS."

Future award phases are expected over the next three years for the development and demonstration of a high-performance backward-compatible relay service that includes space, ground, network, launch, integration, operations, and service-management elements necessary for assured connectivity for satellite and manned space missions.

Visit our website to learn more about Viasat Government’s space solutions.

About Viasat
Viasat is a global communications technology company that believes everyone and everything in the world can be connected. With offices in 24 countries around the world, our mission shapes how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the world communicate and connect. Viasat is developing the ultimate global communications network to power high-quality, reliable, secure, affordable, fast connections to positively impact people's lives anywhere they are—on the ground, in the air, or at sea, while building a sustainable future in space. In May 2023, Viasat completed its acquisition of Inmarsat, combining the teams, technologies and resources of the two companies to create a new global communications partner. Learn more at www.viasat.com, the Viasat News Room or follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, and YouTube. 

Copyright © 2026 Viasat, Inc. All rights reserved. Viasat, the Viasat logo and the Viasat Signal are registered trademarks in the U.S. and in other countries of Viasat, Inc. All other product or company names mentioned are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Viasat, Inc. Contacts
Dan Bleier, Public Relations, Corporate and Government, +1 (202) 383-5074,
Lisa Curran/Pete Lopez, Investor Relations, +1 (760) 476-2633,

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to the safe harbors created under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements include, among others, statements that refer to Viasat’s performance in phase 1 of Project NEXUS; receipt of awards under future phases; and its design and plans for a small GEO relay satellite infrastructure, supporting ground segment, integration, launch and operations capabilities. Readers are cautioned that actual results could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include changes in government priorities, budgets, or procurement activities; the availability of funding; changes in relationships with, or the financial condition of, key customers, suppliers or partners; our reliance on third parties to manufacture and supply products and services; our ability to successfully develop, introduce, and support new technologies and capabilities; increased competition; adverse regulatory developments; and other factors affecting the communications and defense industries generally. In addition, please refer to the risk factors contained in our SEC filings available at www.sec.gov, including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason.

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What is the potential value of Viasat’s NASA NEXUS contract?

Viasat’s NEXUS contract has a maximum potential value of $460.9M inclusive of future phases. The completed award covers phase 1, which focuses on maturing the design and plans for a commercial space relay system.

How many companies received NASA NEXUS phase 1 awards alongside Viasat?

Viasat is one of three commercial awardees selected for the first phase of NASA’s NEXUS initiative. The competitive awards support research demonstrations to develop and mature commercial Ka-band space relay capabilities.