SDA Requests Industry Feedback on Tranche 3 Integration Draft Request for Proposals

Posted On: Nov. 8, 2024 Responses Due: Noon ET, Nov. 25, 2024 The Space Development Agency (SDA) released a draft request for proposals for the Tranche 3 (T3) Integration effort of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). This draft RFP seeks industry input ahead of selecting a vendor to provide systems engineering and integration activities…

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SDA Selects Initial HALO Pool to Rapidly Compete Future Prototype Demonstrations

Date: Oct. 23, 2024 Non-traditional space companies form the initial pool of 19 offerors WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Space Development Agency (SDA) today announced it has selected 19 non-traditional space companies to join the Hybrid Acquisition for Proliferated Low Earth Orbit, or HALO, pool, an acquisition approach to solicit and rapidly award protype demonstrations and…

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SDA Posts Tranche 3 Industry Planning Notice

Posted On: October 2, 2024 The Space Development Agency (SDA) released a planning notice for Tranche 3 of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). This top-level solicitation timeline allows industry to plan to compete for upcoming acquisitions, in addition to supporting improved and more focused proposal responses. SDA’s Tranche 3 programs will provide sustained capability…

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SDA Makes Commercial Disposal Services Study Awards Under STEC BAA

Date: Sept. 26, 2024 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Space Development Agency (SDA) announced today it recently selected six proposals for funding under the Systems, Technologies, and Emerging Capabilities (STEC) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). SDA awarded a total of approximately $1.9 million in both contracts and agreements to the following companies to conduct 90-day feasibility studies…

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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…

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SDA Makes Awards to Build 20 Gamma Variant Satellites for Tranche 2 Transport Layer

Date: Aug. 16, 2024 New prime entrant joins next round of Tranche 2 team members to produce variants of data relay and tactical communication space vehicles WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Space Development Agency (SDA) today announced the awards of two prototype agreements with a total value of approximately $424 million to build and operate 20…

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Lockheed Martin’s SPD Center. Image: Lockheed Martin

SDA 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…

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Space Development Agency Makes Award to Build Eight Satellites for FOO Fighter Program

Date: April 30, 2024 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Space Development Agency (SDA) today announced an award using Other Transaction Authority (OTA) with a total potential value of approximately $414 million to build eight satellites, for launch in first quarter fiscal year 2027, to accelerate fire-control capability for global detection, warning, and precision tracking of advanced…

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SDA, MDA CONFIRM SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH OF TRANCHE 0 TRACKING AND THE HYPERSONIC AND BALLISTIC TRACKING SPACE SENSOR SATELLITES

Date: Feb. 15, 2024 On Wednesday, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and Space Development Agency (SDA) confirmed the successful launch of six satellites to low-Earth orbit at 5:30 p.m. ET from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. The satellites, which include two satellites for MDA’s Hypersonic and Ballistic…

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SDA, MDA ANNOUNCE UPCOMING LAUNCH OF THE TRANCHE 0 TRACKING AND HYPERSONIC AND BALLISTIC TRACKING SPACE SENSOR AND SATELLITES

The Space Development Agency (SDA) and Missile Defense Agency (MDA) prepare to launch six satellites to low-Earth orbit on Feb. 14. The satellites will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space utilizing SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. This includes two satellites for MDA’s Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) and the final four SDA Tranche 0 (T0) Tracking Layer satellites of its Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). (Photo Credit: Courtesy of SpaceX)

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Space Development Agency Systems, Technologies, and Emerging Capabilities (STEC) Broad Agency Announcement 

Posted On: January 16, 2024 Original Date Offers Due: January 15, 2025 Through this updated Systems, Technologies, and Emerging Capabilities (STEC) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), SDA is soliciting executive summaries, invited proposal abstracts, and invited proposals for novel architecture concepts, systems, technologies, and capabilities that enable leap-ahead improvements for future tranches of the agency’s Proliferated…

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Space Development Agency Makes Awards to Build 54 Tranche 2 Tracking Layer Satellites

Tranche 2 Tracking Layer includes new prime vendor to produce missile warning/missile tracking and missile defense satellites Date: Jan. 16, 2024 WASHINGTON, D.C. –The Space Development Agency (SDA) today announced the award of three prototype agreements to build 54 satellites to establish the Tranche 2 (T2) Tracking Layer, which will proliferate missile warning/missile tracking (MW/MT)…

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Space Development Agency Makes Third Award to Build 18 Additional Beta Variant Satellites for Tranche 2 Transport Layer

Agency selects new Tranche 2 team member to produce variant of data relay and tactical communication space vehicles Date: Jan. 8, 2024 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Space Development Agency (SDA) today announced the award of a prototype agreement with a total value of approximately $515 million to build and operate 18 Tranche 2 Transport Layer…

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New SDA Open Topic under Small Business Opportunities

The Space Development Agency (SDA) views small businesses as critical contributors to the performance of research and development supporting national security through space and is soliciting small business participation in the advancement of the Proliferated Warfare Space Architecture. On November 28, SDA announced SDA24-P001 the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) Advanced Capability Development Open Topic…

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Space Development Agency Successfully Completes Space to Ground Transmission from Link 16 Tactical Data Network

Demonstration included active and passive Link 16 network entry, transmitting messages to and from low Earth orbit to terrestrial radios Date: Nov. 28, 2023 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Space Development Agency (SDA) today announced it successfully demonstrated the first-ever Link 16 network entry through space to ground connection from low Earth orbit (LEO) to a…

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Link 16 is a tactical military data network, used by US and NATO air-, sea- and land-base platforms. (Viasat image.)

SDA gets OK to begin limited testing of data satellites Link 16 nodes

Date: October 26, 2023 | Outlet: Breaking Defense | By: Theresa Hitchens WASHINGTON — The Space Development Agency (SDA) finally can begin testing Link-16 signals from its Transport Layer of data relay satellites in low Earth orbit, having just received approval from a key international regulatory body — although the agency remains caught up in a long-running Defense Department…

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Space Development Agency Makes Awards to Build 100 Alpha Variant Satellites for Tranche 2 Transport Layer

Agency builds Tranche 2 team to produce second of three variants of data relay and tactical communication space vehicles Date: October 30, 2023 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Space Development Agency (SDA) today announced awards of two Other Transaction Authority (OTA) prototype agreements with a total value of approximately $1.3 billion to build and operate the…

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tranche graphic_T0

Space Development Agency Completes Second Successful Launch of Tranche 0 Satellites

SDA delivers 13 additional satellites on orbit for Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture demonstrations Date: September 2, 2023 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Space Development Agency (SDA) today announced the second successful launch of space vehicles from the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). The launch included Transport and Tracking Layer satellites that will demonstrate low-latency tactical data…

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Space Development Agency Makes Awards to Build 72 Beta Variant Satellites for Tranche 2 Transport Layer

Date: August 21, 2023 Agency selects initial Tranche 2 team members to produce first of several variants of data relay and tactical communication space vehicles WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Space Development Agency (SDA) today announced the awards of two prototype agreements with a total value of approximately $1.5 billion to build and operate the Tranche…

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The 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…

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