WASHINGTON — The Space Development Agency has awarded York Space a $615 million contract for 62 satellites for DoD’s low Earth orbit constellation.
These satellites are for the portion of SDA’s mesh network known as Transport Layer Tranche 2 Alpha, SDA’s director Derek Tournear said Oct. 19 at the MilSat Symposium in Mountain View, California.
Tranche 2 Alpha is projected to have about 100 satellites. Tournear said a second vendor has been selected to produce additional satellites for Tranche 2 Alpha but its name can’t be disclosed until contract negotiations are completed.
York’s latest contract makes the Colorado-based manufacturer currently SDA’s largest supplier of satellites, with 124 ordered to date. The $615 million agreement includes an incentive payment for on-time delivery.
SDA, an organization under the U.S. Space Force, is building a layered network of military satellites. The Transport Layer will serve as a tactical network to move data to users around the world, transmitting classified data such as early warnings of missile launches.
Alpha satellites carry optical communications terminals, Ka-band communications and Link 16 data transmission payloads. The Transport Layer Tranche 2 satellites are projected to launch in 2026.
Transport Layer Tranche 2 also includes 72 Beta satellites that were recently ordered from Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. These carry more complex communications payloads.
Tournear said the agency was on track to also acquire 44 Gamma satellites for Transport Layer Tranche 2 but is revising plans. The Gamma satellites require Advanced Tactical Datalink payloads to communicate with U.S. military tactical aircraft and other platforms.
SDA is in discussions with a third Beta vendor to produce an additional 24 satellites that would have “some of the capabilities of Gamma,” said Tournear. A solicitation will be issued for only 20 Gamma satellites.
“We would move…
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