Space Development Agency launches first ‘operational’ satellites for data relay
The 21 satellites lofted today on a SpaceX Falcon 9 were all built by York Space Systems and provide Link 16 and K-band communications.
Air Force taps Rapid Capabilities Office deputy as acting SDA chief
New acting SDA head William Blauser, who came to Air Force RCO last July from Systems Technology and Research LLC in Arlington, Va., has had a long career in Defense Department acquisition, including of space systems at the National Reconnaissance Office.
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EXCLUSIVE: Viasat bid protest at heart of DoD investigation of SDA head Tournear
According to several sources involved, Tournear allegedly stepped afoul of DoD contracting procedures when awarding two prototype agreements worth approximately $424 million.
Space Development Agency eyes laser link between different contractors’ birds
“I describe PWSA, the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, as the Android model,” said Space Development Agency director Derek Tournear. “If we get vendor lock, if only one works, or if they can't talk to each other, that falls apart pretty quickly.”
Norway to host US Space Development Agency RF antenna, new Link 16 test: SDA director
“On their aircraft and their ground units, they'll be able to talk directly to us with Link 16 to our Tranche 0 satellites that are on orbit now," Derek Tournear said at the 2024 Space Symposium.
SDA gets OK to begin limited testing of data satellites Link 16 nodes
The Space Development Agency has won International Telecommunication Union approval to test the Transport Layer birds over international waters and the territory of an unnamed allied nation.
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SDA taps York for 62 Tranche 2 Transport Layer data relay sats to provide ‘global’ coverage
"Here's the beauty of the spiral development program. I don't know what Tranche 3 looks like. All I know is it's more of what was on Tranche 2, and it is most likely going to be new capabilities," SDA Director Derek Tournear said Thursday. "I don't want to define what those capabilities are now."
York scores SDA contract worth up to $200M for experimental communications satellites
SDA will decide next March whether the UHF- and SHF-band payloads being tested by T1DES should be integrated into its next iteration of Transport Layer data relay satellites.
Space Development Agency taps GD-Iridium team for complex ground system
Under the $324.5 million contract, the team will develop the "ground Operations and Integration (O&I) segment for Tranche 1 of the National Defense Space Architecture."
SDA awards $1.8B in contracts for first operational data transport sats
Chuck Beames, York's executive chair, told Breaking Defense that once up and running, the Tranche 1 constellation "will be used in direct support" of the Combatant Commands.
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Theater Commands OK SDA’s Sat Plans: EXCLUSIVE
Military operators will be able (at least virtually) to ill be able to (at least virtually) "sit side-by-side, elbow-to-elbow with the SDA test team" as the various satellite "layers" are put through their paces.
SDA Missile Tracking A ‘Strategic Win’ For L3Harris, SpaceX
""Where will the money for this program come from, and will it means less money for the Space Force and all the existing space programs of record?" asks Secure World Foundation's Brian Weeden.