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U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA)

US
gov defenseFounded 2019
United States
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Verified facts grounded in source documentation.

Sierra Space has completed satellite structures for the first nine of 18 satellites for the Space Development Agency.

NARRATIVE GENERAL1/6/2026Latest News

SDA plans to launch Tranche 1 satellites once per month until the constellation is complete.

NARRATIVE GROWTH10/16/2025Latest News

The SDA's Tranche 1 Transport Layer aims to deploy a total of 126 orbitals in low-Earth orbit.

NARRATIVE GROWTH10/16/2025SpaceX launches 21 satellites for U.S. military from California

Terran Orbital has completed delivery of 42 satellite buses to Lockheed Martin for the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) Tranche 1, Transport Layer.

NARRATIVE GENERAL9/23/2025Latest News

The Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture aims to deploy a Tracking Layer of hundreds of satellites in low Earth orbit to enhance missile detection and tracking capabilities.

NARRATIVE GROWTH12/12/2024L3Harris ramps up satellite production in response to military demand

The Space Development Agency plans to launch 160 satellites for Tranche 1 of the PWSA starting in spring 2025.

NARRATIVE GROWTH12/9/2024Supply chain woes in the defense industry: ‘Let’s not fool ourselves’

York Space Systems developed, delivered, and successfully launched nine satellites for Tranche 0 of the Space Development Agency's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.

TECHNICAL PRODUCT8/15/2024York Space Systems and SDA Successfully Demonstrate Link 16 Network Entry to Navy Ship from Tranche 0

On 2024-08-15, York Space Systems and the Space Development Agency achieved the first successful Link 16 network entry from Tranche 0 satellites in Low Earth Orbit to a U.S. Navy ship in international waters.

NARRATIVE GENERAL8/15/2024York Space Systems and SDA Successfully Demonstrate Link 16 Network Entry to Navy Ship from Tranche 0

The Space Development Agency plans to launch the FOO Fighter satellites in the first quarter of fiscal year 2027.

NARRATIVE GROWTH4/30/2024Millennium Space lands $414 million contract to build missile-tracking satellites

Raytheon won a contract as a prime contractor to produce seven Tranche 1 satellites for the Space Development Agency but later decided it could not meet the price targets and de-scoped much of the work.

ORG RELATIONSHIP4/18/2024Suppliers struggle as military embraces small satellites

The Tracking Layer Tranche 1 is the first deployment of a multi-phase plan to develop a global missile warning and tracking system by the Space Development Agency.

NARRATIVE GENERAL3/19/2024Raytheon’s satellite contract with Space Development Agency being ‘reevaluated’

Redwire recently opened a facility in Longmont, Colorado to add capacity to design Link 16 antennas for the Space Development Agency’s network of low Earth orbit satellites.

NARRATIVE GROWTH2/27/2024Redwire opens new facility in Virginia to support national security programs

Five missile tracking satellites designed and built by L3Harris Technologies successfully launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida as part of the Missile Defense Agency’s Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor program and the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 0 Tracking Layer program.

TECHNICAL PRODUCT2/16/2024US Department of Defense Launches Five Missile Tracking Satellites Designed by L3Harris

Northrop Grumman won a contract in 2022 to provide some satellites for the Space Development Agency’s Tracking Layer Tranche 1.

ORG RELATIONSHIP1/25/2024Northrop charges on lunar Gateway module program reach $100 million

The Space Development Agency plans to launch the four delayed L3Harris missile-tracking satellites early in 2024.

NARRATIVE GROWTH12/7/2023Space Development Agency aims high for 2024 after strong 2023 start

Northrop Grumman has won orders from the Space Development Agency for 132 satellites for the Transport and the Tracking Layer to date.

ORG RELATIONSHIP10/30/2023Space Development Agency awards Northrop Grumman $732 million contract for 38 satellites and support services

The Space Development Agency plans to deploy a mesh network of interconnected satellites that includes a Transport Layer to transmit data collected by a Tracking Layer of missile-detection sensor satellites.

NARRATIVE GROWTH10/26/2023Tesat optical terminals selected for Lockheed Martin satellites pass ground tests

Lockheed Martin has won orders for 88 satellites from the Space Development Agency, including portions of the Transport Layer Tranche 0 and Tranche 1 constellations.

ORG RELATIONSHIP10/24/2023Terran Orbital to build 36 satellite buses for Lockheed Martin

York Space has 124 satellites ordered to date, making the Colorado-based manufacturer currently the Space Development Agency’s largest supplier of satellites.

NARRATIVE GENERAL10/20/2023Space Development Agency awards York Space $615 million contract for 62 satellites

The Space Development Agency plans to deploy a mesh network of interconnected satellites.

NARRATIVE GROWTH9/29/2023Space Development Agency funds demonstration of satellite laser links in ‘degraded’ environments
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