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.
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Northrop Grumman won a $617,000,000 contract in July to produce 14 infrared-sensing satellites for Tracking Layer Tranche 1, a network of 28 missile-detecting satellites to be deployed by the U.S. Space Force’s Space Development Agency.
Leidos worked as a subcontractor to SpaceX under a $149,000,000 contract that SpaceX won in 2020 to build four satellites for the Space Development Agency’s Tracking Layer Tranche 0.
Lockheed Martin selected Terran Orbital to produce 42 satellites for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Development Agency under a $700,000,000 contract.
The Space Development Agency plans satellite lifetimes of five years and expects to replace roughly 20% of its satellites each year.
The MEO satellite network will receive upgrades every two years using an approach similar to Space Development Agency tranches.
The MEO constellation will follow the Space Development Agency playbook of buying satellites in increments, or tranches, every two years.
The Space Development Agency is building a mesh network of hundreds of satellites in low Earth orbit that includes a Transport Layer to relay time-sensitive data and a Tracking Layer to detect hypersonic missiles.
Mynaric will provide Northrop Grumman with optical communications terminals for 14 satellites as part of the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 1 Tracking Layer program.
Companies are building and sharing their own optical terminal testbeds to validate interoperability with Space Development Agency testbeds.
Northrop Grumman and L3Harris Technologies are each building 14 prototype missile warning and missile tracking satellites for the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 1 Tracking Layer.
Mynaric, SA Photonics, Skyloom, and Tesat are providing optical communications terminals for Space Development Agency Tranche 0 Transport and Tracking layer satellites scheduled for launch late 2022.
Derek Tournear, director of the U.S. Space Force’s Space Development Agency, displayed the names of the Tranche 0 optical communications terminal providers on 2022-10-13 at the MilSat Symposium in Mountain View, California.
Mynaric revealed plans on 2022-10-18 to provide optical terminals for the satellites that Northrop Grumman is building for the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 1 Tracking Layer.
The Space Development Agency selected Northrop Grumman as one of two prime contractors for the Tranche 1 Tracking Layer in July.
The Space Development Agency requires vendors to use optical terminals that comply with SDA’s specifications to make its satellites interoperable.
The Space Development Agency is building a mesh network called Transport Layer composed of hundreds of satellites in low Earth orbit to relay time-sensitive data to military forces around the world.
The Space Development Agency plans to establish agreements with commercial remote-sensing companies so those companies can send imagery from their satellites directly to the Transport Layer.
The Space Development Agency adopted a business model of procuring smaller, lower-cost satellites as part of its proliferated low Earth orbit vision.
The backbone of the hybrid network will be the Department of Defense Transport Layer, a constellation to be deployed by the Space Development Agency.
York Space Systems serves government and commercial customers including the Space Development Agency for Tranche 0 and Tranche 1 of the SDA Transport Layer.