The U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA) is a U.S. Space Force direct-reporting unit focused on the rapid deployment of space-based capabilities to the joint warfighter. It aims to achieve this through the development, fielding, and operation of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, a threat-driven constellation of small satellites in low Earth orbit. SDA's key focus areas include military data and communications connectivity, missile tracking, and development of a resilient space architecture, working with partners like Lockheed Martin, SpaceX, and York Space Systems. Their work supports terrestrial missions and enhances warfighter lethality, maneuverability, and survivability.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
The expansion of manufacturing capacity in Irvine is intended to help meet a 2024 deadline to deliver 42 buses for the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 1 under a $700,000,000 contract.
The Tranche 0 Transport Layer will provide secure high-bandwidth, low-latency data links to enable the initial warfighting capability of the Space Development Agency’s National Defense Space Architecture.
Lockheed Martin won a $187,500,000 contract from the Space Development Agency in August 2020 to produce 10 communications satellites for the Transport Layer Tranche 0.
Terran Orbital completed delivery of 10 satellite buses ordered by Lockheed Martin for the Space Development Agency’s mesh network in low Earth orbit on 2022-12-22.
The Space Development Agency plans to launch hundreds of Transport Layer satellites with optical crosslinks to transmit imagery and data globally.
Honeywell is working with Skyloom to provide optical intersatellite links for Space Development Agency satellites being built by York Space Systems.
Lockheed Martin is producing satellites for the Space Development Agency equipped with optical terminals provided by Tesat-Spacecom.
The U.S. Space Force's Space Development Agency is spending billions of dollars on satellites equipped with optical terminals.
The Space Development Agency is procuring a mesh network of small satellites in low Earth orbit and embraces fixed-price contracting.
The Space Development Agency’s Tranche 0 satellites slipped from a planned 2022 launch schedule to 2023 with the first launch targeted for March and the second targeted for June.
The first launch of the Space Development Agency’s constellation planned for mid-December will slip to March 2023 due to an anomaly in York Space Systems’ satellites that was identified during tests.
York Space Systems, based in Denver, Colorado, won a $94,000,000 contract in August 2020 to build 10 satellites for the Space Development Agency’s Transport Layer Tranche 0.
The Space Development Agency plans to launch 10 satellites in March and the remaining 18 satellites in June.
The Space Development Agency is working with multiple vendors to build a mesh network in low Earth orbit that includes data-transport communications satellites and infrared sensor satellites that detect and track missiles in flight.
The launch rescheduled for March includes eight York Space satellites and two of four SpaceX-Leidos missile-tracking satellites being built for the Space Development Agency’s Tracking Layer Tranche 0.
The Space Development Agency is procuring hundreds of satellites under fixed-price contracts.
The Space Development Agency is establishing a large constellation of missile-tracking and data-relay satellites in low Earth orbit.
SpaceX participated in the U.S. Space Force’s Space Development Agency missile-tracking and missile-detection constellation and partnered with Leidos to develop four classified infrared sensor satellites scheduled to launch before the end of the year.
Rocket Lab USA was awarded two contracts worth a total of $14,000,000 to provide satellite separation systems for the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 1 Transport Layer.
The Space Development Agency’s Transport Layer is part of the National Defense Space Architecture and will provide assured, resilient, low-latency military data and connectivity worldwide to the full range of warfighter platforms.