SDA misses self-imposed deadline on orbital mesh network
“We are behind on that. We should be there already,” Space Development Agency Director G.P. Sandhoo said bluntly.
DoD expands R&D on clearing expired satellites from orbit
The stated goal is to clean out obsolete satellites, though the capabilities could also be used in weapons that move a target bird to an orbit where it no longer can perform its function, disable it in some manner or simply smash it.
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In the age of drones, a bigger fence around your facility doesn’t protect you anymore
Traditional thinking about how to protect facilities must adapt to new threats such as drones or downstream attacks.
K2 tapped to host Space Force satellite laser links tests
Satellite-to-satellite communications via optical laser-light links is at the heart of the Space Force's future missile warning/ tracking architecture, and in turn the Trump administration's Golden Dome missile defense shield.
SDA resumes data relay satellite launch following tech fixes
The next set of 21 Tranche 1 Transport Layer birds are set to launch Thursday on a SpaceX Falcon 9, SDA Director Gurpartap "GP" Sandhoo told reporters.
SDA awards L3Harris, Sierra $1.75B for missile defense satellites
The new satellites for missile warning, tracking and targeting are being developed under an "accelerated" schedule to meet the Pentagon's 2028 plans for demonstrating its Golden Dome missile defense shield.
Rocket Lab to buy satellite communications firm Iridium
"Vertical integration is at the heart of this combination ― the ability to build, launch, and operate our own spacecraft quickly and cost-effectively," a Rocket Lab spokesperson told Breaking Defense.
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A new era of uncrewed airpower: GA-ASI’s lineup for high-tech warfare
GA-ASI is serious about retaining its position as the leading provider of UAS to the United States and its allies.
SpaceX wins $2.29B to speed Space Force’s LEO communications ‘backbone’
The SpaceX "backbone" constellation will support the broader Space Data Network, which will include the Space Development Agency's Transport layer satellites.
Space Force names Sandhoo as head of new missile warning/tracking PAE
As of May 11, Sandhoo is double hatted as both head of the PAE and director of the Space Development Agency.
Space Force shifts from SDA transport layer to new Space Data Network ‘backbone’
A project previously called MILNET will now be funded in a budget line labeled “proliferated LEO SATCOM,” which the Space Force is seeking $1.6 billion in reconciliation funding to kick off.
With new portfolios, SDA ‘probably won’t’ exist, acting director says
The rollout of a new acquisition model could reshape entities like the Space Development Agency or Space Rapid Capabilities Office, though their missions will persist, Gurpartap (GP) Sandhoo told reporters.
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Space Force programs supporting Golden Dome see big FY27 budget boost
Missile warning and tracking programs, and the emerging Space Data Network being developed to ferry space sensor data to shooters on the ground, in the air and at sea are among the programs seeing huge increases.
EXCLUSIVE: SDA’s Sandhoo likely to lead Space Force Missile Warning & Tracking portfolio
It is unclear whether Gurpartap "GP" Sandhoo will keep his role as SDA acting director under a double-hat, but one industry source said that is the most likely solution at least in the near term.
SDA hopes to bring satellite laser links into use within next 6 months
The Space Development Agency is taking a "strategic pause" in launching its Tranche 1 data relay and missile tracking satellites to work out the kinks discovered in the 42 birds already on orbit, according to SDA Director GP Sandhoo.
What is the Pentagon’s ‘Space Data Network,’ and why does it matter for Golden Dome?
The SDN will provide the communications pathways for integrating and moving data from missile warning/tracking sensors to interceptors in near-real time under the Golden Dome construct.