Jane Edwards 
- Arcfield’s Orion subsidiary has joined Tomorrow.io’s DeepSky constellation
- The award includes an upgraded Spectre payload and T3 sensor suite
- Total potential contract value could exceed $100 million
Arcfield‘s Orion Space Solutions subsidiary has been selected to provide an upgraded Spectre electro-optical infrared payload and a suite of T3 radio frequency sensors for Tomorrow.io’s DeepSky weather satellite constellation.
What Do Spectre & T3 Payloads Provide?
Orion said Tuesday its Spectre payload is a compact, multispectral imaging sensor built for high-resolution weather and environmental monitoring. Its small size, weight and power design supports thermal detection, cloud analysis and climate observation. The new configuration is an upgrade from Orion’s previous eight-channel design and builds on the company’s heritage RROCI platform, allowing it to detect and analyze a broader range of environmental and atmospheric features.
The T3 sensor suite consists of heritage RF sensors that use Global Navigation Satellite System Radio Occultation and Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry measurement technologies to observe atmospheric conditions, supporting global weather forecasting and climate modeling.
Orion also booked a contract to produce and deliver the initial round of Spectre payloads. To date, the company has secured more than $60 million in multiyear awards to support the work, with the arrangement carrying a total potential contract value of more than $100 million as batch deliveries are completed.
What Did Arcfield & Orion Officials Say About the Collaboration?
Kevin Kelly, chairman and CEO of Arcfield and a previous Wash100 awardee, said the DeepSky partnership extends the company’s work in space-based environmental monitoring.
“This collaboration represents a major leap forward in innovation and scientific discovery, with the ability to transform how we anticipate and respond to weather events,” Kelly added.
Gregg Burgess, president and general manager of Orion, said the project builds on the subsidiary’s track record supporting government and commercial customers.
“This project builds on Orion’s track record of delivering high-performance RF, high frequency, and optical instrumentation for commercial, defense and scientific missions in very low earth orbit and beyond,” Burgess said. “We are excited to join forces with Tomorrow.io, a partner who shares our commitment to advancing environmental science through AI and innovative technology. Together, with the Spectre and T3 payloads, we will not only improve weather forecasting; we will empower commercial industries, and government, defense and space agencies to better prepare for and adapt to the environment around them.”
How Does the Collaboration Align With Arcfield’s Recent Activity?
The collaboration with Tomorrow.io comes months after Orion Space Solutions secured initial contracts worth more than $24 million to deliver over two dozen payloads for a proprietary space customer, with a total potential value exceeding $100 million.
Arcfield also secured a potential three-year, $117 million follow-on contract to continue supporting the U.S. Navy’s Trident II D5 Life Extension strategic weapon system.
On the leadership front, JoAnne Dukeshire, Arcfield’s senior vice president of business enablement, discussed compliance, acquisition reform and talent retention in an Executive Spotlight interview.
