{"id":25924,"date":"2020-08-31T22:27:56","date_gmt":"2020-08-31T22:27:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2020\/08\/31\/space-development-agency-orders-its-first-satellites\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:21:40","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:21:40","slug":"space-development-agency-orders-its-first-satellites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/space\/2020\/08\/31\/space-development-agency-orders-its-first-satellites\/","title":{"rendered":"Space Development Agency orders its first satellites"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 The Space Development Agency has selected Lockheed Martin and York Space Systems to build the satellites for the first tranche of its transport layer \u2015 an on-orbit mesh network that is key to the Pentagon\u2019s plans to connect on orbit sensors with terrestrial shooters \u2015 the agency announced Aug. 31.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each company will build 10 satellites for SDA, though at vastly different prices. While York Space Systems will receive $94 million to build its 10 satellites, Lockheed Martin will receive $188 million for the same number. According to SDA Director Derek Tournear, that difference reflects the agency\u2019s firm-fixed-price contract approach to this solicitation, where they asked companies to give them a price point to meet SDA\u2019s detailed specifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have two providers roughly providing the same thing at different prices. How does that work? It works simply as we put out a solicitation that gave requirements and gave a schedule, and we asked for firm-fixed-price bids based on those requirements and schedule,\u201d explained Tournear in a media call following the announcement. \u201cWe had several providers that bid that came back with a range of different technical solutions and a range of prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe awarded them based completely on the technical merit and what we thought was their ability to be able to make schedule and provide a solution, and then price was factored into that,\u201d he added. \u201cThat\u2019s what led York and Lockheed Martin to come out on top.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The satellites will comprise Tranche 0 of the agency\u2019s planned transport layer, a constellation of satellites that can transfer data globally through optical intersatellite links<\/a>. Tournear has previously noted the space-based mesh network will form the space component to the Defense Department\u2019s Joint All-Domain Command and Control enterprise, or JADC2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe transport layer, which is what the draft [request for proposals] and the industry day was talking about today, is going to be the unifying effort across the department. That is going to be what we use for low-latency [communications] to be able to pull these networks together, and that, in essence, is going to be the main unifying truss for the JADC2 and that effort moving forward. That is going to be the space network that is utilized for that,\u201d Tournear explained in April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Six of the 20 satellites will have Link-16 transmitters, allowing them to connect to warfighters through the military\u2019s tactical network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The contracts include on-time delivery of space vehicles and paths to optical intersatellite link interoperability. Work is expected to kick off within 30 days, said Tournear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Tranche 0 will be made up of just 20 satellites in low Earth orbit, SDA plans to add more satellites every two years as part of a spiral development approach<\/a>. The transport layer will serve as the base for the new multi-layered National Defense Space Architecture, which will be made up of hundreds of interconnected satellites serving a number of missions \u2014 including tracking hypersonic weapons and providing beyond-line-of-sight targeting–primarily from low Earth orbit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SDA plans to launch Tranche 0 into orbit in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re looking about this time in exactly two years, we will be launching 20 satellites from two different performers to make up the nucleus of our Tranche 0 transport layer,\u201d said Tournear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the May 1 contract solicitation<\/a>, the agency has six goals for its Tranche 0 transport layer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n