{"id":18794,"date":"2019-04-10T23:17:22","date_gmt":"2019-04-10T23:17:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/04\/10\/sda-has-an-ambitious-plan-to-launch-hundreds-of-small-satellites-can-it-get-off-the-ground\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:47:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:47:49","slug":"sda-has-an-ambitious-plan-to-launch-hundreds-of-small-satellites-can-it-get-off-the-ground","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/space\/2019\/04\/10\/sda-has-an-ambitious-plan-to-launch-hundreds-of-small-satellites-can-it-get-off-the-ground\/","title":{"rendered":"Space agency has an ambitious plan to launch \u2018hundreds\u2019 of small satellites. Can it get off the ground?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. \u2014 The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/space\/2019\/03\/13\/pentagon-officially-stands-up-space-development-agency-names-first-director\/\" target=_blank>newly established U.S. Space Development Agency<\/a> has been bashed by critics \u2014 most visibly the Air Force\u2019s top civilian \u2014 as another duplicative Defense Department organization with half-baked ideas on how to field technology more quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fred Kennedy, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/smr\/federal-budget\/2019\/03\/12\/heres-how-much-money-the-defense-department-wants-for-its-trio-of-new-space-organizations\/\" target=_blank>newly named director of the office<\/a>, pushed back on those criticisms during an April 9 presentation at Space Symposium <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/space\/2019\/04\/09\/welcome-to-the-pentagons-space-week-will-it-define-the-departments-future-in-orbit\/\" target=_blank>where he unveiled the ambitious satellite architecture<\/a> that he plans to put into orbit in a matter of years.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/space-symposium\/2019\/04\/09\/top-air-force-official-takes-shots-at-space-development-agencys-first-project\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"214\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4031103-1.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Top US Air Force official takes shots at Space Development Agency\u2019s first project<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Moving forward with a space architecture dependent on small, low-cost satellites could result in disaster, warns Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SDA\u2019s first project is a \u201ctransport layer\u201d of a multitude of small, inexpensive low-Earth orbit satellites that will transfer data between space and ground assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But that\u2019s just the beginning, Kennedy said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOther layers will follow on deployment timelines of two years and perhaps even less,\u201d he said. \u201cWe wish to emulate the smartphone and computer industry\u2019s approach to upgrades. We are not building exquisite systems intended to last a decade or more. To the extent possible, we will be buying and building commodities which we can then replace or upgrade on short order.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3299\" height=\"2784\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_9971.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-36286\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_9971.jpg.jpg 3299w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_9971.jpg.jpg?resize=300,253 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_9971.jpg.jpg?resize=768,648 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_9971.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,864 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_9971.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1296 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_9971.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1728 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3299px) 100vw, 3299px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Space Development Agency head Fred Kennedy presented this notional satellite architecture at the Space Symposium on April 9, 2019. He wants to launch the first satellites for the transport layer in 2022. (Valerie Insinna\/Staff)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under the notional architecture put forward by Kennedy, the transport layer could be comprised of 650-some smallsats, with the first assets on orbit as early as 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From there, SDA will roll out a \u201ctracking layer\u201d of about 200 satellites meant to provide global coverage of advanced missile threats using infrared imaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe believe there\u2019s a strong case for doing that from LEO,\u201d or low-Earth orbit, he told reporters during a roundtable. \u201cThe sensitivities are much higher. I can build a sensor with a much smaller aperture, that is much easier to build than the things I have to put in geosynchronous orbit. I just need to make more of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/space\/2019\/04\/09\/chinese-threats-necessitate-new-space-structures-shanahan-warns\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-146379700.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Chinese threats necessitate new space structures, Shanahan warns<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Pentagon chief is specifically calling out Chinese systems by name \u2014 including a ground-based laser \u2014 that could hold American capabilities at risk.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cRather than wait to 2025\u201d to get the Air Force\u2019s next-generation missile satellites in orbit, \u201cwhat I\u2019m arguing is that we try to put up some form of capability in 2022 and show that we can do it. We may not have perfect global coverage, but we\u2019ll have some level of coverage \u2014 at least regionally \u2014 addressing most of that threat,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, the office will launch a \u201ccustody layer\u201d of about 200 satellites that use radar, electro-optical\/infrared cameras and signals intelligence to sense and monitor objects on Earth \u2014 potential targets of interest, for instance, and how they may be moving or changing. It will also create a 200 satellite \u201cdeterrence layer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A number of \u201cadvanced maneuvering vehicles\u201d would also be developed. Kennedy isn\u2019t sure exactly what form it might take \u2014 whether it\u2019s an advanced space plane like a X-37 successor or another spacecraft \u2014 but said that it will be able to move between the Earth and the moon more quickly and efficiently than an adversary and deliver effects, potentially even weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kennedy was clear that the numbers of satellites presented in the notional architecture were subject to change as SDA refines its concept over the next couple of months. He also wants to get feedback from industry through a request for information that will probably come out this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re taking our charter to go fast very seriously and are committed to providing a refined plan to DoD leadership by the end of this fiscal year, one that we can move out on immediately with an eye to deploying our first assets on orbit along with associated ground capability no later than 2022,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe mesh network with the data transport layer is our No. 1 priority. Everything else is predicated on its resilient, low latency, global communications capability.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If SDA is successful in filling the capability gaps that it is hoping to address, it could have a ripple effect on major Air Force space programs like Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared or the GPS III follow-on satellites \u2014 potentially even the cancellation or scaling back of programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At that point, \u201cwe need to start having a conversation on what the force mix looks like. Some things will have to stand down. Other things will have to have to stand up,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cWe\u2019re not ready to have that discussion yet, but somewhere in 2025, 2026, we need to start talking about that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The idea that SDA could take responsibility for space procurement efforts that would normally be part of Air Force organizations like the Space Rapid Capabilities Office and Space and Missile Systems Center is worrying to Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, who has become a vocal detractor of the organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/space\/2019\/03\/13\/in-memo-air-force-head-hits-space-development-agency-as-not-ready-for-prime-time\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/16x9-composite.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">In memo, Air Force secretary slams Space Development Agency as not ready for prime time<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Pentagon wants to cut more than 100 current jobs and replace most of them with Space Development Agency roles.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a Feb. 28 memo obtained by Defense News, Wilson wrote that \u201cuntil the Space Development Agency has a uniquely identifiable mission that cannot be accomplished by current organizations, the plan should not move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During a Tuesday speech at Space Symposium, Wilson doubled down on her criticism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLaunching hundreds of cheap satellites into theater as a substitute for the complex architectures where we provide key capabilities to the war fighter will result in failure on America\u2019s worst day if relied upon alone,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Asked about Wilson\u2019s comments, Kennedy said that her statement gets to the heart of a Defense Department debate on how to balance funding for proliferated constellations of smaller satellites with the more costly technologies needed to \u201cprotect and defend\u201d large satellites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The approach of buying sophisticated and exquisite technologies, as well as advanced tech to defend it, can be prohibitively expensive. It\u2019s also what U.S. adversaries expect, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf you have a SBIRS satellite in GEO, you\u2019re not going to just write it off, you\u2019re going to say how can I protect and defend that system,\u201d he said. However, if one has other less-expensive proliferated satellites in LEO that can also conduct the missile warning functions that SBIRS does, \u201cwe may write that off to a certain extent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019d like to give our adversary that problem to go solve,\u201d Kennedy added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The SDA head also batted back the idea that his agency has the same functions as other parts of the space enterprise, and that it might add bureaucracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe have a culture in the national security space community that does not easily respond to the pace of threat,\u201d he said. \u201cI cannot find an organization out there that responds in a timely fashion to these kinds of threats. So the thought was, \u2018Let\u2019s stand up an agency that has the appropriate authorities that can actually move at that speed, at that threat.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One key point is that SDA can move out on technology development without firm requirements, unlike other Defense Department programs, which begin with the yearslong process it takes to establish a validated requirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For instance, the notional satellite architecture proposed by SDA was not the result of the requirements process. Instead, the agency conducted a 60-day study, which was informed by the Defense Department\u2019s August 2018 report on organizational and management structure for the national security space components.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The first satellites of the Space Development Agency&#8217;s first project could launch as early as 2020.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":32051,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":23,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"4":{"categories":["your-air-force","news","daily-news-roundup","newsletters","middle-column","home"],"primary_category":"your-air-force"},"9":{"categories":["satellites","c2-comms","home","daily-brief","newsletters"],"primary_category":"satellites"}}},"categories":[160,163,36,23],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3384],"class_list":["post-18794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-military-space-report","category-newsletters","category-space"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"6KQQPYFJGRCV3OMV3ZUV6GCIXY","arc_canonical_url":"\/space\/2019\/04\/10\/sda-has-an-ambitious-plan-to-launch-hundreds-of-small-satellites-can-it-get-off-the-ground\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Space agency has an ambitious plan to launch \u2018hundreds\u2019 of small satellites. Can it get off the ground? - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The first satellites of the Space Development Agency&#039;s first project could launch as early as 2020.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Space agency has an ambitious plan to launch \u2018hundreds\u2019 of small satellites. Can it get off the ground?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The first satellites of the Space Development Agency&#039;s first project could launch as early as 2020.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/space\/2019\/04\/10\/sda-has-an-ambitious-plan-to-launch-hundreds-of-small-satellites-can-it-get-off-the-ground\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Defense News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-04-10T23:17:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-07T21:47:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Valerie Insinna\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Valerie Insinna\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/space\\\/2019\\\/04\\\/10\\\/sda-has-an-ambitious-plan-to-launch-hundreds-of-small-satellites-can-it-get-off-the-ground\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/space\\\/2019\\\/04\\\/10\\\/sda-has-an-ambitious-plan-to-launch-hundreds-of-small-satellites-can-it-get-off-the-ground\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Space agency has an ambitious plan to launch \u2018hundreds\u2019 of small satellites. 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