News
SDA demos laser links crucial for future SATCOM, missile tracking network
Date: September 4, 2024 | Outlet: Breaking Defense | By: Theresa Hitchens WASHINGTON — Space Development Agency (SDA) Director Derek Tournear announced today that the agency has successfully demonstrated the ability of its optical communications terminals to link satellites together — a capability that he has acknowledged as the longest pole in the tent for its planned mesh network…
Read MoreSDA Is Strengthening Space Industrial Base, Execs Say
Date: May 3, 2024 | Outlet: Payload | By: Jacqueline Feldscher A five-year-old agency within the Pentagon founded with a mandate to move quickly is stimulating investments that make the entire small sat industrial base more resilient and scalable, according to half a dozen top industry execs. While the Pentagon is known for delayed timelines…
Read MoreThe Space Force Is Launching Its Own Swarm of Tiny Satellites
Date: August 14, 2023 | Outlet: Wired | By: Ramin Skibba FOUR YEARS AFTER it was formed, the US Space Force has begun deploying its first satellite network. For the military, it marks a significant shift from relying on a handful of powerful, expensive satellites to a swarm of smaller, cheaper ones. From the Pentagon’s perspective, they’ll be a…
Read MoreSpace Development Agency announces mission expansion at Grand Forks Air Force Base
Date: August 7, 2023 | Outlet: Grand Forks Herald | By: Korrie Wenzel GRAND FORKS — Sen. John Hoeven said the expansion of Space Development Agency operations at Grand Forks Air Force Base will put North Dakota “at the center of U.S. military operations” in the coming years. Hoeven, R-N.D., and others spoke Monday during…
Read MoreMilitary agency praised for leading the way on laser communications
Date: February 9, 2023 | Outlet: Space News | By: Sandra Erwin WASHINGTON — By requiring suppliers of laser terminals to comply with a common set of standards, the U.S. Space Development Agency has helped propel the industry forward, executives said Feb. 8 at the SmallSat Symposium in Mountain View, California. The Space Development Agency…
Read MoreSpace Development Agency’s satellite plan gets new name, but focus on speed stays
Date: January 23, 2023 | Outlet: Breaking Defense | By: Theresa Hitchens The name change for SDA’s seven-layer network of satellite and ground systems was approved by both Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and space acquisition czar Frank Calvelli, and is designed to better reflect the network’s actual mission, SDA Director Derek Tournear told Breaking…
Read MoreREDSTONE ROUNDTABLE: Space Development Agency poised to move fast
Date: January 4, 2022 | Outlet: Redstone Rocket | By: Dr. Derek Tournear Team Redstone, Greetings from the Space Development Agency. As a new tenant, SDA is excited to join the Redstone Arsenal community. To clear up any confusion, while we do have a space mission, SDA is not part of U.S. Space Command. Three…
Read MoreHow the Space Development Agency ‘could have died any number of ways’
Date: December 8, 2022 | Outlet: Defense News | By: Courtney Albon WASHINGTON — Just three years ago, the future of the U.S. Space Development Agency was uncertain. Two of its strongest advocates in the Pentagon had resigned, many viewed its mission as duplicative and confusing, and some speculated the organization, created to change the…
Read MoreThe National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA): An Explainer
Date: December 5, 2022 | Outlet: Payload | By: Rachael Zisk Over the last few years, the space industry has grown by leaps and bounds, pushing our space capabilities forward at an unprecedented rate. While its weapons systems may be fast, the Pentagon’s procurement process isn’t exactly known for its speed. Acquisition of new technology…
Read MoreSpace Development Agency transfers to USSF
Date: October 1, 2022 | Outlet: Space Force News | By: Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs The Space Development Agency (SDA) transferred to the U.S. Space Force (USSF) on October 1, 2022. “As we transfer to the U.S. Space Force, SDA looks forward to continuing our important work on the National Defense Space…
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