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
Responses Due: June 5th, 2020 The U.S. Space Force, Space and Missile Systems Center seeks information through a Request for Information (RFI) from prospective launch service providers to support the Space Development Agency (SDA) first generation (called “Tranche 0”). The SDA Tranche 0 Space Vehicle (SV) manifest will consist of up to 30 large spacecraft…
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Date: May 18, 2020 | Outlet: Forbes | By: Charles Beames Years before COVID-19 stole national headlines, General Hyten infamously described the satellites he was outfitted with as “big juicy targets,” setting off alarm bells that for many are still ringing. A series of changes have since followed, most notably the creation of the…
Read Full StoryThe Space Development Agency (SDA) seeks input on a DRAFT Request for Proposal (RFP) to inform the approach and technical requirements for the Tracking layer. Tracking Tranche 0 is expected to consist of approximately 8-10 satellites that are interconnected with cross links and wide field of view infrared sensors for missile warning and tracking. The…
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Date: May 6, 2020 | Outlet: Defense News | BY: Theresa Hitchens WASHINGTON: Defense Secretary Mark Esper has ordered the military services to look to the Space Development Agency’s developing “data transport” satellites to connect their separate command and control systems for future all-domain operations, says SDA Director Derek Tournear. Speaking at a webinar…
Read Full StoryProposals are due by Noon EDT on June 1, 2020 The Space Development Agency (SDA) seeks proposals on their first Request for Proposal (RFP) to help build the Transport layer. Transport Tranche 0 is an interoperable mesh network of tens of satellites to provide periodic low-latency and high-capacity data connectivity. The agency plans to award…
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Date: April 22, 2020 | Outlet: C4ISRNet | By Sen. Jim Inhofe, Sen. Jack Reed, Rep. Adam Smith, Rep. Mac Thornberry Right now, the coronavirus is rightly our country’s most immediate concern. But the Federal Communications Commission has used the crisis, under the cover of darkness, to approve a long-stalled application by Ligado Networks — a proposal…
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Date: April 18, 2020 | Outlet: CNBC.com | By Sarah Scoles In 2016 a Navy satellite called MUOS-5 wasn’t doing well. Partway to its intended orbit, it simply stalled out – but because the spacecraft was already so far away, the dilemma’s details were hard to discern. That’s where the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program…
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Date: April 2, 2020 | Outlet: SpaceNews | By Sandra Erwin SDA will issue a final solicitation for bids for the mesh network of satellites known as “transport layer” around May 1. WASHINGTON — The Space Development Agency intends to select two or more companies later this year to design, build and test a mesh…
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Date: April 2, 2020 | Outlet: Air Force Magazine | By Rachel S. Cohen The Space Development Agency has released its draft request for proposals for an initial batch of 20 data-relay satellites known as the “Tranche 0 transport layer.” Pentagon officials see the transport layer as a way to unify the various space-based sensors that…
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Date: April 2, 2020 | Outlet: National Defense Magazine | By Mandy Mayfield The Space Development Agency plans to have the first constellation of tracking and communications satellites in low-Earth orbit by 2022, the agency’s director said April 2. The first step will be to a “tranche zero constellation,” Derek Tournear told reporters during a press…
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