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Two major U.S. defense and intelligence space contractors: comparing satellite programs, ISR capabilities, government contract portfolios, and strategic positioning in national security space.
| Metric | Northrop Grumman | L3Harris Technologies |
|---|---|---|
| Parent Company | Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC) | L3Harris Technologies, Inc. (LHX) |
| Space / Relevant Division | Space Systems (within Northrop Grumman) | Space & Airborne Systems (SAS) |
| Total Company Revenue (2024 est.) | ~$41B | ~$21B |
| Space-Related Revenue (approx.) | ~$7–8B (Space Systems segment) | ~$5–6B (SAS segment) |
| Key Satellite Programs | James Webb Space Telescope (primary); NROL missions; SBIRS GEO payloads | Space Fence radar; missile warning payloads; EO/IR sensors |
| Cislunar / Exploration | Gateway HALO module; Antares/Cygnus (ISS resupply) | Limited: focus on defense systems |
| Launch Vehicle | OmegA (cancelled); supported Minotaur (NGIS heritage) | No proprietary launch vehicle |
| ISS Cargo | Cygnus cargo spacecraft (CRS-2 contract) | N/A |
| Classified / NROL Programs | Major NRO prime contractor (classified satellites) | Sensor / payload subcontractor on NRO programs |
| Missile Defense / Warning | GBSD (Sentinel ICBM): ground-based, adjacent | SBIRS / Next Gen OPIR sensor payloads |
| EO / Imaging Sensors | Classified imaging systems (NROL) | Advanced EO/IR sensors for satellites and aircraft |
| Space Domain Awareness | Various USSF programs | Space Fence (Kwajalein): prime contractor |
| Employees (total company) | ~100,000 | ~50,000 |
| Headquarters | Falls Church, VA | Melbourne, FL |
Northrop Grumman operates at a significantly larger scale with around $41B in annual revenue versus L3Harris's ~$21B. Northrop's Space Systems division is a major prime contractor for classified NRO satellite programs, the James Webb Space Telescope (which it built as prime contractor), the Cygnus cargo spacecraft for ISS resupply, and the Gateway HALO module for the Artemis lunar program. Its breadth spans scientific, civil, and national security space programs.
L3Harris (formed from the 2019 merger of L3 Technologies and Harris Corporation) is more focused on sensors, payloads, and electronics than on full spacecraft integration. Its most prominent space infrastructure win is the Space Fence: a ground-based S-band radar system on Kwajalein Atoll that tracks objects in LEO and MEO for the U.S. Space Force. L3Harris is a leading supplier of EO/IR sensor payloads for missile warning satellites (SBIRS, Next Gen OPIR) and competes as a subcontractor on many programs where Northrop Grumman acts as prime. The two companies frequently appear in the same programs at different tiers.
Track both companies on SpaceNexus