Trouble at US space force as multibillion-dollar program cancelled

Development of classified military communications satellite terminated over cost, scheduling and difficulty with payload

The US space force, a standalone branch of the US military charged with securing US “interests in, from, and to space”, has cancelled a multibillion-dollar program to develop a classified military communications satellite.

The termination of the Northrop Grumman program was made because of increased costs, difficulties developing its payload and a schedule delay, Bloomberg reported, citing a regulatory filing and people familiar with the decision.