MODERNIZING THE MILITARY'S SPACE ARCHITECTURE

WHO WE ARE

The Space Development Agency orchestrates the development and fielding of DoD’s future threat-driven National Defense Space Architecture. SDA uses novel approaches to accelerate the military space capabilities necessary to ensure U.S. technological and military advantage in space for national defense.

CAPABILITY LAYERS

TRANSPORT LAYER

SDA's Transport Layer will provide assured, resilient, low-latency military data and communications connectivity worldwide to a full range of warfighter platforms.

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BATTLE MANAGEMENT LAYER

SDA's Battle Management Layer will provide architecture tasking, mission command and control, and data dissemination to support time-sensitive kill chain closure at campaign scales.

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TRACKING LAYER

SDA's Tracking Layer will provide global indications, warning, tracking, and targeting of advanced missile threats, including hypersonic missile systems.

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CUSTODY LAYER

SDA’s Custody Layer will provide 24/7, all-weather custody of time-sensitive, left-of-launch surface mobile targets to support targeting for advanced weapons.

 

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EMERGING CAPABILITIES (DETERRENCE) LAYER

SDA's Emerging Capabilities Layer will incubate new mission concepts. Initial focus will be to deter hostile action in deep space (beyond Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) up to lunar distances).

 

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NAVIGATION LAYER

SDA's Navigation Layer will provide alternate positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) for Global Positioning System (GPS)-denied environments.

 

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SUPPORT LAYER

SDA's Support Layer will enable ground and launch segments to support a responsive space architecture.

 

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SDA Issues Solicitation for National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA) Experimental Testbed (NExT)

Original Response Date: July 29, 2022 SDA issued a solicitation for the agency’s National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA) Experimental Testbed (NExT) satellites. Using Other Transaction Authority (OTA), this solicitation seeks proposals for U.S. space industry builder-operator teams that will partner with the agency to jointly develop and operate NExT.  The solicitation outlines the agency’s need…

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SDA Releases Program Solicitation for Tranche 1 Demonstration and Experimentation System (T1DES)

Original Response Date: July 25, 2022 The Space Development Agency (SDA) is issuing a Program Solicitation for an Other Transaction (OT) prototype for the Tranche 1 Demonstration and Experimentation System (T1DES) Program. SDA previously released a DRAFT Request for Proposal (RFP) on this topic in late 2021 and an updated DRAFT solicitation in May 2022;…

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SDA to Host NExT Industry Day to Discuss Draft Solicitation

Registration Open: June 10-20, 2022 The Space Development Agency will deliver a controlled unclassified information (CUI)-level virtual presentation for industry on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 at 11 a.m. EST. This Industry Day will discuss the NExT—National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA) Experimental Testbed– DRAFT solicitation. The NExT program will procure up to ten (10) space vehicles…

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SDA Seeks Industry Feedback through DRAFT Solicitation for NExT (National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA) Experimental Testbed)

Original Response Date: June 24, 2022 The Space Development Agency (SDA) issued a draft solicitation for a prototyping effort to augment the National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA) constellation with experimentation-capable space vehicles. NExT (National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA) Experimental Testbed) leverages the low latency data transfer and beyond line-of-sight command and control infrastructure established by…

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SDA Announces Award for Tranche 1 Operations & Integration

General Dynamics Mission Systems (CAGE 1VPW8) of Fairfax, Virginia is awarded a contract in the amount of $324,516,613 ($162,954,122 Base + $161,562,491 Options) to establish the ground Operations and Integration (O&I) segment for Tranche 1 of the National Defense Space Architecture.  This effort designs, develops, integrates, verifies and delivers integrated mission operations and support activities,…

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Two Military Satellites Just Communicated With Each Other Using Space Lasers

Date: May 19, 2022 | Outlet: Gizmodo | By: Passant Rabie Two satellites recently exchanged more than 200 gigabits of data over a distance of about 60 miles (100 kilometers) using laser communication in space. The achievement sets the stage for yet another satellite constellation. Satellites generally don’t communicate directly with each other. Instead, they…

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SPACECOM’s Gen. James Dickinson, SDA Director Derek Tournear Highlight Integration & Space Domain Awareness as Top Priorities

Date: May 19, 2022 | Outlet: GovConWire | By: Summer Myatt U.S. space agencies are prioritizing “integration by design” with mission partners, industry, academia and allied forces to tackle threats and deter adversaries in the largest and most highly contested domain today. Gen. James Dickinson, commander of the U.S. Space Command said the “partnered element”…

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SDA Releases Updated DRAFT Solicitation for Tranche 1 Demonstration and Experimentation System (T1DES)

Original Response Date: June 3, 2022 The Space Development Agency (SDA) seeks input through a Tranche 1 Demonstration and Experimentation System (T1DES) DRAFT solicitation. SDA previously released a DRAFT Request for Proposal (RFP) on this topic in late 2021; however, this document is updated to a DRAFT solicitation to reflect the Agency’s updated acquisition strategy.…

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SDA to Host Tranche 1 Demonstration & Experimentation System (T1DES) Industry Day to Discuss Draft Solicitation

Registration Open: May 4 – May 16, 2022 The Space Development Agency issued the Tranche 1 Demonstration and Experimentation System (T1DES) DRAFT solicitation to augment the Tranche 1 constellation. T1DES will deploy additional space vehicles with payloads that demonstrate future missions. SDA will host an in-person Industry Day in Chantilly, Va., on Thursday, May 19,…

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SDA Seeks Industry Submissions to Accelerate Tranche 1 Tracking Layer to Address Conventional and Advanced Missile Threats

Updated Response Date: April 20, 2022 SDA has released a solicitation seeking industry submissions for Tracking Layer satellites as part of Tranche 1 of the National Defense Space Architecture. SDA will use an Other Transaction Authority (OTA) prototyping solicitation to accelerate delivery of the NDSA’s ultimate capability to provide global, persistent indications, warning, tracking, and…

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