First Tranche 1 satellites launched for Space Development Agency network

First Tranche 1 satellites launched for Space Development Agency network
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 11, 2025

Space Systems Command's Assured Access to Space has successfully placed 21 Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) Transport Layer satellites into orbit, marking the first launch of Tranche 1 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The mission, supported by Space Launch Delta 30, flew aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 and delivered York Space Systems-built data transport satellites.

These satellites will provide low-latency communication links to support U.S. and allied forces, including tracking of advanced missile threats through beyond-line-of-sight tactical data links from low-Earth orbit. SDA acting director GP Sandhoo said the milestone underscores the agency's speed and innovation, adding that "as the PWSA begins to support military operations, it will enhance our strategic advantage by serving the joint warfighting force with operational capabilities previously thought infeasible from LEO."

Tranche 1 is designed to begin delivering regional warfighting capabilities in 2027, including Link 16 tactical data channels, missile tracking and warning, beyond-line-of-sight targeting, and demonstrations of UHF and S-band satellite communications. These capabilities are being developed through SDA's spiral model, with new technology delivered every two years.

Col. Ryan Hiserote, system program director for AATS Launch Execution, said the mission demonstrated readiness for the higher launch tempo needed to deploy the full Tranche 1 constellation. Launch cadence will continue at about one mission per month over the next nine months, with integration and assurance work conducted in parallel to sustain the pace.

The complete Tranche 1 constellation will consist of 154 satellites, including 126 for the Transport Layer and 28 for the Tracking Layer, plus four missile defense demonstration spacecraft. Each will carry optical communications terminals and Ka-band radio frequency systems. Two SDA Space Operations Centers, located at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, and Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, will manage the fleet, supported by a global ground network.

After deployment into insertion orbit, the satellites will undergo test and checkout before raising to their operational orbit near 1,000 km. Once active, the optically-linked mesh network will deliver tactical data to the battlefield edge, enhancing situational awareness and response for land, sea, and air operations. The PWSA forms part of a broader U.S. Space Force strategy to provide resilient, multi-orbit space capabilities.