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.
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Accelerating space power through software-defined mission dominance
As space threats continue to evolve, existing satellites need new capabilities to defend and protect, even after launch.
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.
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.
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Shaping the future of airpower in the Indo-Pacific: GA-ASI’s revolutionary approach
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has been the trailblazer in the UAS revolution for over three decades.
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.
The space supply chain is getting stretched. Here’s how it could impact the Pentagon’s plans.
Two major trade groups are working on studies to scope the supply chain issues, hone in on the most pressing problems, and identify early mitigation strategies.
SDA taps AST SpaceMobile to demo commercial satellite links to military radios
The $30M award is the first under SDA's Hybrid Acquisition for proliferated Low-earth Orbit (HALO) program.
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In contested seas, autonomy must anticipate, not just navigate
As missions stretch farther and comms grow less reliable, predictive software could become the edge that keeps missions afloat.
Project Hecate: The Space Force’s quiet effort to keep GPS survivable after 2040
Meanwhile, the Space Warfighting Analysis Center is pushing the use of signals from communications satellites in low Earth orbit as a near-term alternative to GPS.
Space Force buys second Otter spacecraft to power satellites on orbit
The Otter's power can keep a satellite fixed at one point on orbit or scoot it elsewhere, offering operators more flexibility.
To overcome Golden Dome ‘affordability’ hurdle, DoD needs acquisition reform, AI: Official
Marcia Holmes, DoD deputy director for Golden Dome, said AI and autonomy will "change how we deploy and use our weapons."
SDA must be ‘more realistic’ about real risks in pricey satellite Tracking Layer effort: GAO
The Space Development Agency told Breaking Defense it "disagreed with the specifics of many of the report’s assertions," but promised to "work through" its recommendations.