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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The Space Development Agency has said its satellite systems may cost about $14 million each, compared with hundreds of millions of dollars for some other satellites.
On April 2, 2026, Mercury Systems was awarded a contract by L3Harris Technologies to supply advanced solid-state data recorders for the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 3 Tracking Layer constellation.
Rocket Lab has a $515 million prime contract with the U.S. Space Development Agency to build and operate 18 satellites for the Tranche 2 Transport Layer.
AST SpaceMobile won the first Space Development Agency award for the Europa effort to demonstrate low-latency tactical satellite communications using the company’s commercial spacecraft.
York Space Systems delivered 21 Tranche 1 Transport Layer satellites for the Space Development Agency and became the first prime to complete an on-orbit delivery under that program.
The Space Development Agency has had to learn how to test multiple satellites through its test processes and software testing as part of managing a full constellation.
The Space Development Agency launched its first set of operational satellites for the Tranche 1 constellation in September and October 2025.
The Space Development Agency awarded AST SpaceMobile a $30 million prototype contract on February 23 to demonstrate direct-to-device tactical satellite communications.
The Space Development Agency’s Transport Layer includes optical inter-satellite links that use laser communications in a mesh network.
The Space Development Agency was created to move fast and disrupt traditional space acquisition while leveraging commercial practices to enable a higher rate of satellite production.
The Space Development Agency is in a strategic pause for launches and expects to launch again in May and June.
Rocket Lab is a prime contractor for the U.S. Space Development Agency.
The optical cross links are the next technical step the Space Development Agency needs to work on for its mesh network.
The United States Space Development Agency is a U.S. Space Force unit responsible for accelerating the acquisition and deployment of new military space capabilities.
The Space Development Agency expected a software problem to be easier to solve with 21 satellites on orbit than with 42 satellites on orbit.
The Space Development Agency expected its next launch checkout to take less than four months.
The Space Development Agency had not launched any satellites after the first three months of its initial operational tranche because it was fixing issues identified during early operations.
Space Development Agency Acting Director Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo said the agency was at least three months behind in launch-and-early-operations checkout for the first operational tranche.
The Tranche 3 Tracking Layer is part of the United States Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture program.
Troops still were not receiving improved communications capabilities from the Space Development Agency’s first operational satellite tranche because of small technical issues and a strategic pause.