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U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA)

US
gov defenseFounded 2019
United States
Admin Edit

All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.

The Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture is managed by the Space Development Agency.

Mentioned as: the space development agencyNarrative GeneralJan 21, 2026US Space Force Awards Starfish Space $52.5 Million for Proliferated LEO Deorbit Services

The Space Development Agency awarded Starfish Space a $52.5 million contract to perform end-of-life deorbiting for a satellite in the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture with options for additional deorbits.

Mentioned as: the space development agencyTechnical ProductJan 21, 2026Latest News

Otter is tasked with performing an initial deorbit for one satellite in the SDA’s PWSA constellation and has options to perform additional deorbits.

Mentioned as: sdaTechnical ProductJan 21, 2026Latest News

Deorbiting satellites helps the Space Development Agency operate its Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture constellation for a longer period.

Mentioned as: the space development agencyTechnical ProductJan 21, 2026Starfish Wins SDA Deorbit-As-A-Service Contract

The contract with Starfish Space covers end-of-life satellite disposal services for satellites in the SDA’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture constellation.

Mentioned as: sdaTechnical ProductJan 21, 2026Starfish Wins SDA Deorbit-As-A-Service Contract

The Joint Explanatory Statement restores funding for the Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.

Mentioned as: the space development agencyNarrative FinancialJan 20, 2026FY26 Defense Bill: Congress Unlocks Billions for ‘Golden Dome’ and Restores SDA Tranche 3

The Space Development Agency (SDA) is establishing interoperability standards for Optical Communication Terminals (OCT) to treat laser links as critical infrastructure.

Mentioned as: sdaNarrative GeneralJan 20, 2026SDA Operationalizes Laser Mesh Network as Foundation for Proliferated LEO Warfare

The Space Development Agency’s Transport Layer is a mesh network of low Earth orbit data relays intended to expand without production gaps.

Mentioned as: the space development agencyTechnical ProductJan 20, 2026FY26 Defense Bill: Congress Unlocks Billions for ‘Golden Dome’ and Restores SDA Tranche 3

SDA's OCT standard ensures hardware from different manufacturers, including Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin, can communicate in orbit.

Mentioned as: sdaTechnical ProductJan 20, 2026SDA Operationalizes Laser Mesh Network as Foundation for Proliferated LEO Warfare

The Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Appropriations Act prioritizes the Golden Dome missile defense architecture and reverses proposed cuts to the Space Development Agency’s proliferated constellations.

Mentioned as: the space development agencyTechnical ProductJan 20, 2026FY26 Defense Bill: Congress Unlocks Billions for ‘Golden Dome’ and Restores SDA Tranche 3

The SDA is launching Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 satellites as part of the PWSA deployment.

Mentioned as: sdaTechnical ProductJan 20, 2026SDA Operationalizes Laser Mesh Network as Foundation for Proliferated LEO Warfare

SDA's OCT standard is enabling a resilient mesh network in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) that can scale across multiple vendors and platforms.

Mentioned as: sdaTechnical ProductJan 20, 2026SDA Operationalizes Laser Mesh Network as Foundation for Proliferated LEO Warfare

The Space Force’s original Fiscal Year 2026 budget request eliminated funding for the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 3 Transport Layer.

Mentioned as: the space development agencyNarrative FinancialJan 20, 2026FY26 Defense Bill: Congress Unlocks Billions for ‘Golden Dome’ and Restores SDA Tranche 3

The SDA is designing the PWSA to evolve at the speed of the commercial market.

Mentioned as: sdaNarrative GeneralJan 20, 2026SDA Operationalizes Laser Mesh Network as Foundation for Proliferated LEO Warfare

The PWSA is expected to achieve global persistence by 2027 as SDA continues Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 launches.

Mentioned as: sdaTechnical ProductJan 20, 2026SDA Operationalizes Laser Mesh Network as Foundation for Proliferated LEO Warfare

The final Joint Explanatory Statement adds $500 million to keep the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 3 Transport Layer on schedule.

Mentioned as: the space development agencyNarrative GeneralJan 20, 2026FY26 Defense Bill: Congress Unlocks Billions for ‘Golden Dome’ and Restores SDA Tranche 3

The SDA has mandated that all satellites within the PWSA comply with its OCT standard.

Mentioned as: sdaTechnical ProductJan 20, 2026SDA Operationalizes Laser Mesh Network as Foundation for Proliferated LEO Warfare

The $500 million restoration of Tranche 3 funding aligns with Space Development Agency contract awards to Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Rocket Lab.

Mentioned as: space development agencyOrg RelationshipJan 20, 2026FY26 Defense Bill: Congress Unlocks Billions for ‘Golden Dome’ and Restores SDA Tranche 3

Mynaric supplied CONDOR Mk3 optical terminals for Rocket Lab’s $515 million Space Development Agency Transport Layer contract.

Mentioned as: space development agencyOrg RelationshipJan 19, 2026The Strategic Premium on Supply Chain Gaps

Northrop Grumman is rapidly delivering more satellites to the SDA to meet critical mission needs.

Mentioned as: sdaTechnical ProductJan 19, 2026After a 3-month gap, the SDA is preparing to resume launches for their Tranche 1 Transport Layer, starting with T1TL-A with Northrop Grumman satellites NET Mid-February! The SDA was planning a monthly cadence, but software issues & limited processing capacity caused delays.
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