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Space Development Agency

All articles tagged with #space development agency

space4 days ago

SpaceX Scrubs Fourth SDA Transport Layer Launch, Reschedules for Thursday

SpaceX aborted its launch of 21 military data satellites for the Space Development Agency on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, during the final seconds of the countdown. The company waived the subsequent Tuesday opportunity, with a new attempt now targeted for Thursday, Oct. 8. The mission, designated Tranche 1 Transport Layer A, is part of a broader constellation intended to provide secure communications and missile tracking capabilities for the U.S. military.

via Spaceflight Now|
#falcon-9#national-security#space
Pentagon weighs commercial satellite disposal options with three vendors
military1 month ago

Pentagon weighs commercial satellite disposal options with three vendors

Three companies—D-Orbit USA, Firefly Aerospace, and Katalyst Space Technologies—have been selected by the Defense Innovation Unit and the Space Development Agency to study commercial satellite disposal options under a ‘deorbit-as-a-service’ concept. The awards, with undisclosed value, fund preliminary design and risk reduction to evaluate approaches for rendezvous, capture and deorbit of aging or non-cooperative satellites in low-Earth orbit, with SDA/DIU assessing technical maturity, schedule and affordability before any full on-orbit demonstration. This continues SDA’s push to offer commercial disposal solutions and builds on earlier feasibility studies from 2024, including Starfish Space.

via SpaceNews|
#defense-innovation-unit#deorbit-as-a-service#deorbiting
military2 months ago

US expands missile warning network with 36 new SDA satellites

Space Development Agency awarded about $1.75 billion to L3Harris Technologies and Sierra Space to build 36 infrared-sensing satellites for its proliferated low-Earth orbit Tracking Layer, expanding the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. The 18-satellite contracts total roughly $955 million for L3Harris and $798 million for Sierra Space, with launches planned by end-2028 across two orbital planes and a common ground system to provide missile warning, tracking data, and defense capabilities against ballistic and hypersonic threats, supporting homeland defense and allied missions under the Golden Dome concept.

via SpaceNews|
#l3harris-technologies#military#proliferated-warfighter-space-architecture
SpaceX Secures US Space Data Network Backbone Contract
space4 months ago

SpaceX Secures US Space Data Network Backbone Contract

The Space Force awarded SpaceX a $2.29 billion fixed-price contract to build the Space Data Network Backbone in low-Earth orbit, leveraging Starlink/Starshield tech to create a global, secure sensor-to-shooter communications layer that links space-based sensing with targeting data; the initiative aims to accelerate a resilient, high-speed space communications backbone, with plans to expand participation, and a fully operational prototype due by the end of 2027.

via Ars Technica|
#space#space-data-network#space-development-agency
technology7 months ago

AST SpaceMobile Secures $30M SDA Contract to Demonstrate Direct-to-Device Satellite Communications

AST SpaceMobile won a roughly $30 million OTA prime contract from the U.S. Space Development Agency under HALO Europa Track 2 to rapidly demonstrate resilient, direct-to-device tactical satellite communications using its BlueBird LEO constellation, leveraging a software-defined bent-pipe architecture to integrate with existing military radios and support defense applications.

via Business Wire|
#ast-spacemobile#bluebird#halo-europa
Starfish Space wins SDA deal to deorbit satellites with on-orbit tug
space8 months ago

Starfish Space wins SDA deal to deorbit satellites with on-orbit tug

Starfish Space won a $52.5 million contract from the Space Development Agency to provide deorbiting as a service for the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, planning to launch its Otter space tug in 2027 to dock with a non-deorbit-ready PWSA satellite, push it to a lower orbit, and release it for faster reentry, with options to deorbit additional spacecraft; the award signals growing maturity of the satellite-servicing market and complements Starfish’s existing backlog with NASA, the Space Force, and Intelsat/SES.

via SpaceNews|
#deorbiting#otter-space-tug#satellite-servicing
Pentagon's Mega-Constellation Faces Supply Chain Challenges in GAO Report
defense1 year ago

Pentagon's Mega-Constellation Faces Supply Chain Challenges in GAO Report

The GAO report highlights ongoing supply chain problems, particularly with optical communication terminals, that are delaying the deployment of the Pentagon's mega-constellation under the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). Despite efforts to address these issues and improve development strategies, concerns remain about the readiness and testing of satellite tranches, which could impact the program's schedule and effectiveness.

via SpaceNews|
#defense#gao-report#pwsa
"Lockheed Martin Expands Small Satellite Production and Demonstrates AI Technology in New Pony Express 2 Mission"
technology2 years ago

"Lockheed Martin Expands Small Satellite Production and Demonstrates AI Technology in New Pony Express 2 Mission"

Lockheed Martin is seeing a surge in demand for small satellites, with a backlog of 100 orders from Department of Defense and intelligence customers. The company has shifted focus to small satellites, particularly in pursuit of Space Development Agency contracts, and has opened a new smallsat assembly facility near Denver, Colorado. Lockheed Martin is funding its own space missions to demonstrate technologies for potential government purchase, with upcoming tech demos including a satellite-servicing mission and an antenna experiment. The next experiment, Pony Express 2, will launch on SpaceX's Transporter 10 smallsat rideshare and demonstrate new technologies such as open standards mesh networking and autonomous tasking of satellites.

via SpaceNews|
#lockheed-martin#military-space#satellite-technology
"SpaceX Conducts Secret Valentine's Day Mission for US Space Force, Launching Missile-Defense Satellites"
space-and-defense2 years ago

"SpaceX Conducts Secret Valentine's Day Mission for US Space Force, Launching Missile-Defense Satellites"

SpaceX successfully launched the USSF-124 mission, deploying six classified U.S. military satellites, including two for the Missile Defense Agency and four for the Space Development Agency. The satellites are part of programs aimed at tracking hypersonic and ballistic missiles, with L3Harris and Northrop Grumman providing the satellite payloads. This launch represents a significant milestone for L3Harris, marking its first prime contractor role in a missile-defense mission.

via SpaceNews|
#missile-defense#satellite-launch#space-and-defense
"SpaceX Boosts U.S. Missile Tracking with Secret Valentine's Day Satellite Launch"
space-and-defense2 years ago

"SpaceX Boosts U.S. Missile Tracking with Secret Valentine's Day Satellite Launch"

The Pentagon, in collaboration with SpaceX, has launched six satellites to enhance its missile tracking capabilities, with four satellites supporting the Space Development Agency's tracking constellation and two being part of the Missile Defense Agency's Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor program. These satellites, residing in low Earth orbit, aim to detect and track traditional ballistic missiles and maneuvering hypersonic weapons, providing a more robust network to counter increasing threats from China and Russia. The Pentagon plans to invest nearly $16 billion in these efforts through fiscal 2028, with future tranches of SDA spacecraft combining capabilities and incorporating improved sensor technology.

via C4ISRNET|
#hypersonic-weapons#missile-tracking#pentagon
"SpaceX to Launch Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor for US Space Force"
space-technology2 years ago

"SpaceX to Launch Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor for US Space Force"

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and Space Development Agency (SDA) are set to launch six satellites into low-Earth orbit, including two for MDA's Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) and four for SDA's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). The satellites will be delivered by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and will provide critical data for missile warning, tracking, and defense, including the detection of hypersonic, ballistic, and other advanced threats. The launch represents a significant advancement in missile defense capabilities and will be followed by two years of on-orbit testing.

via Department of Defense|
#ballistic-tracking#hypersonic-tracking#missile-defense-agency
"Pentagon's $2.55 Billion Satellite Contracts for Missile-Tracking and Defense"
space-technology2 years ago

"Pentagon's $2.55 Billion Satellite Contracts for Missile-Tracking and Defense"

The Space Development Agency has awarded contracts to three companies to build 54 missile tracking satellites as part of its Tranche 2 Tracking Layer, with a total value of about $2.5 billion. These satellites will be used for space-based missile warning, tracking, and defense, and are set to be launched in April 2027. The agency aims to quickly field a constellation of hundreds of data transport and advanced missile tracking satellites to augment existing fleets and upgrade capabilities on a two-year cycle.

via C4ISRNET|
#defense-constellation#missile-tracking-satellites#satellite-contracts
"Pentagon's $2.5 Billion Contracts for Missile-Tracking Satellites Awarded to L3Harris, Lockheed, and Sierra Space"
space-technology2 years ago

"Pentagon's $2.5 Billion Contracts for Missile-Tracking Satellites Awarded to L3Harris, Lockheed, and Sierra Space"

The Space Development Agency has awarded contracts worth $2.5 billion to L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, and Sierra Space to build and operate 54 satellites equipped with infrared sensors for tracking hypersonic missiles in low orbit. The satellites are part of the Tranche 2 Tracking Layer and are projected to launch in 2027. The contracts include incentives for on-time delivery, and the procurement is contingent on Congress passing a 2024 defense budget.

via SpaceNews|
#defense-budget#infrared-sensors#missile-tracking