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Space Development Agency

Space Development Agency to Launch 21 More Data Transport Satellites Next Week

Oct. 2, 2026 | By Courtney Albon
The Space Development Agency is set to launch 21 Tranche 1 data transport satellites on Oct. 5—its fourth Tranche 1 mission since last fall and the first to carry Northrop Grumman-built satellites.

Drowning in Data: New Report Says Space Force Needs Lasers Comms to Beat the Bottleneck

Sept. 30, 2026 | By Todd South
The long-standing method for communicating data down from space via radio frequencies has the potential to create deadly data bottlenecks that could slow and stymie future operations, according to a new report from AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. The report makes the case for ...

Space Force Weighs Options to Boost Supply Chain Amid Production Surge

Sept. 23, 2026 | By Courtney Albon
As the Space Force eyes a possible fivefold increase in the number of satellites it operates on orbit, defense officials are looking for ways to shore up the industrial base to support that growth, which is expected over the next three to five years.

SDA Seeks to Expand Ground Architecture for Future Missile Tracking Satellites

Sept. 21, 2026 | By Courtney Albon
The Space Development Agency is opening a competition to expand its ground architecture to support a growing fleet of missile warning, tracking, and defense satellites.

Space Development Agency Aims for Two More Launches This Year

Sept. 16, 2026 | By Courtney Albon
The Space Development Agency wants to wrap up its Tranche 1 launch campaign by the end of spring 2027, flying six more batches of satellites to build out its tracking and data transport constellations, according to Director Gurpartap Sandhoo.

Plan to Deorbit Old Satellites Gains Steam with New Deals

Aug. 14, 2026 | By Greg Hadley
The Space Force wants contractors to sweep decommissioned satellites out of orbit when their useful lives are over, and it's signed up three companies to advance its Deorbit-as-a-Service project: Firefly Aerospace, Katalyst Space, and D-Orbit.

Space Force Launch Program Sees Demand Surge from 60 Missions to 170

July 22, 2026 | By Courtney Albon
The Space Force is tripling the size of one of its main launch procurement contracts from $5.6 billion to $17 billion to accommodate growing demand from government customers.

York Confirms Health of 21 New Space Development Agency Satellites

July 20, 2026 | By Courtney Albon
York Space Systems said it has confirmed the health of 21 satellites that launched July 16 as part of the Space Development Agency’s data transport constellation.

Space Development Agency Launches 21 Data Transport Satellites on SpaceX Rocket

July 16, 2026 | By Courtney Albon
The Space Development Agency resumed its Tranche 1 launch effort July 16, sending 21 data transport satellites to continue building out a mesh network in low-Earth orbit.

SDA to Resume Launches After 9-Month Pause, Early On-Orbit Challenges

July 15, 2026 | By Courtney Albon
The Space Development Agency is on track to resume its Tranche 1 launch campaign this week after a nine-month pause to fix hardware and software issues that arose on orbit following the launch of its first operational satellites last fall.

SDA Awards Contracts for 36 Golden Dome Missile Tracking Satellites

July 13, 2026 | By Courtney Albon
The Space Development Agency announced contracts worth $1.75 billion to build 36 satellites in support of the Pentagon's Golden Dome missile defense shield.

SDA Cuts 11 Satellites from Low-Earth Orbit Demo to Focus on Operational Work

June 25, 2026 | By Courtney Albon
The Space Development Agency last year quietly canceled plans to launch 11 satellites mean to conduct communications experiments in low-Earth orbit, Air & Space Forces Magazine has learned.

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Air & Space Forces Magazine is the official publication of the Air & Space Forces Association, 1201 S. Joyce St., C6 / Second Fl., Arlington, Va., 22202. Copyright 2026

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