SDA issues DRAFT Solicitation for Tranche 2 Transport Layer- Alpha Variant Space Vehicles

Response Date: June 5, 2023 SDA issued a DRAFT solicitation for one of several types of Tranche 2 Transport Layer (T2TL) space vehicles—T2TL Alpha. This DRAFT solicitation expands upon the foundation for Tranche 2 of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) previously described in the T2TL Beta solicitation. SDA expects to procure approx. 100 T2TL-…

SDA Issues Solicitation for Tranche 2 Transport Layer (T2TL) Beta Space Vehicles

Updated Response Date: May 24, 2023 at Noon ET The Space Development Agency (SDA) seeks U.S. industry proposals for the Transport Layer Beta variant space vehicles (SVs) that will form the foundation of Tranche 2 of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). The T2TL SVs will be similar to those currently under development for the…

SDA Seeks Industry Feedback ahead of Tranche 2 Tracking Layer Solicitation

Original Response Date: April 10, 2023 The Space Development Agency (SDA) seeks industry feedback on a low Earth orbit (LEO) Tracking Layer architecture that will provide global surveillance and targeting as a service with a 24/7/365 missile warning, missile tracking, and missile defense (MW/MT/MD) capability that is integrated for data routing with the Proliferated Warfighter…

SDA Issues Solicitation for Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) Battle Management Command, Control, and Communications (BMC3) Application Factory

Response Date: March 16, 2023 The Space Development Agency (SDA) released an Other Transaction solicitation for a prototyping effort to establish the Battle Management Command, Control, and Communications (BMC3) software development and hosting environment for the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). The contractor selected will be responsible for the implementation of the BMC3 Application Factory…

SDA Issues DRAFT Solicitation for Sabre Payload

Original Response Date: January 30, 2023, 12:00 PM EST The Space Development Agency (SDA) issued an Other Transaction Authority (OTA) solicitation for a payload system that will add multiple new mission capability demonstrations to NExT, SDA’s experimental testbed constellation.  This payload system delivers three (3) independent functional capabilities collectively referred to as the Sabre payload.…

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…

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;…

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…

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…

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.…

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,…

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…

SDA Posts Request for Information Seeking Industry Feedback on Battle Management, Command, Control, and Communications

Original Response Date: January 14, 2022 The Space Development Agency (SDA) seeks industry input on approaches to establishing an Application Factory to support space- and ground-based Battle Management, Command, Control, and Communications (BMC3) software capabilities for the National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA) to inform future solicitations. The Tranche 1 (T1) Transport Layer (T1TL) is the…

SDA posts DRAFT Solicitation Seeking Feedback on Potential Tranche 1 Tracking Layer

Original Response Date: January 7, 2022 SDA has released a DRAFT solicitation for a potential Tracking Layer for Tranche 1 of the National Defense Space Architecture. The draft solicitation provides an opportunity for industry to review and offer feedback in advance of final posting. SDA is considering an “other transactions” (OT) prototyping effort to accelerate…

SDA issues Solicitation under Other Transaction Authorities in Support of Tranche 1 Transport Layer

Original Response Date: November 24, 2021 at Noon EDT The Space Development Agency (SDA) seeks responses to help build the Tranche 1 Transport Layer (T1TL). T1TL is a mesh network of over one hundred optically interconnected satellites that provide a resilient, low-latency, high-volume data transport communication system. T1TL will provide global communications access and deliver…

U.S. CTO Kratsios named acting undersecretary for research and engineering, Lewis to serve as acting deputy

Date: July 13, 2020 | Outlet: Space News | By: Sandra Erwin WASHINGTON — U.S Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios will serve as acting undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, DoD announced on July 13. Kratsios will take over the position previously held by Mike Griffin. Mark Lewis was named acting deputy undersecretary of…

Space Development Agency Wants to Demonstrate Hardware Before Merging with Space Force

Date: June 18, 2020 | Outlet: Space News | By: Sandra Erwin WASHINGTON — The director of the Space Development Agency Derek Tournear again made the case that the agency needs at least two years to prove its business model before it is merged with the U.S. Space Force. “I would contend that we need…

Department of Defense Releases Defense Space Strategy

Date: June 17, 2020 | Outlet: DoD Press Release Today the Secretary for Defense released the Defense Space Strategy, which identifies how Department of Defense will advance spacepower to be able to compete, deter, and win in a complex security environment characterized by great power competition. “The Defense Space Strategy is the next step to…

Op-ed | The Space Development Agency must be a constructive disruptor

Date: June 15, 2020 | Outlet: Space News | By:  Derek Tournear, Mike Griffin and Lisa Porter SDA must be allowed to operate outside of legacy acquisition systems until it has had time to innovate, flourish and deliver. With new plans afoot in both civil and military space, it is an exciting time for those…

Two American Soldiers, working on STT

Space Development Agency Works Closely with Army, Its Biggest Customer

Date: June 5, 2020 | Outlet: DoD News | By: C. Todd Lopez With the 2019 creation of the Space Force, U.S. Space Command and the Space Development Agency, the Defense Department has a lot riding on space. But the agency’s big focus now is on taking care of its biggest customer — the Army…