They want to launch satellites for a data relay, called the Transport Layer, and a missile warning and tracking, called the Tracking Layer.
SDA is responsible for rapidly developing and fielding large constellations of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) for multiple military missions, via an incremental approach that will see improved capabilities on orbit every couple of years. This network structure, newly re-dubbed the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, includes satellites, battle management software, new type of technologies and payloads (for missions such as augmenting GPS) and ground support.
The data relay, Transport layer, will be 300 to 500+ satellites in LEO ranging from 750 [kilometers] to 1200 [kilometers] in altitude.
The agency is looking for $9.7 billion for the Tracking Layer through FY28, which will cover later follow-on iterations of the missile warning/tracking satellites. The Tranche 1 Tracking Layer will comprise 35 satellites in three orbital regions.
A lot of the satellites will be built by Northrop Grumman, L3Harris and Raytheon.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.
An agency dedicated to “space development” wants to launch military satellites? Are the hundreds of billions the DoD gets each year not enough?
Sounds like a lot of launch business for SpaceX and probably a lot of business for Starlink and Starshield too even if satellite contracts are earmarked for old contractors.
Very good—and badly needed with Russia once again out of control—I thought Andropov was nuts.
Starshield?
Maybe, communications sats could be great cover for an anti icbm system, which would be Fing fantastic.
Nope, SpaceX bailed from the SDA constellation for the relay layer. Sounds like they felt the SDA enforced compatibility standards were too restrictive compared what they are doing with Starlink and wanted out.
Probably also, the value of a comms constellation is in the number of sats (and the SDA constellation, even with a boost, is still going to be “small”, though much larger than any previous military constellation), and Starlink is the only game in town right now, thus creating a number of defacto standards. The only constellations with a chance of keeping up are OneWeb, Kuiper, and potentially Guowang. Of those 3, 2 have to be commercially successful to remain viable.