Jane Edwards
The Space Development Agency has begun asking industry for information that will be used to inform the upcoming solicitation for the third tranche of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture’s tracking layer.
SDA said Friday it plans to use an other transaction authority agreement to buy and field approximately 54 or more satellites with infrared sensors in six orbital planes for the PWSA’s Tranche 3 Tracking Layer.
The T3 tracking layer constellation is expected to advance the proliferation of missile defense capability to deliver low-latency, fire control quality data and provide global detection, tracking, warning, persistent indication and identification of hypersonic missiles and other advanced and conventional missile threats.
The agency may also purchase additional space vehicles and sensor payloads under the OTA agreement to help inform the constellation design and requirements.
The T3 tracking layer’s first orbital plane is anticipated to launch no later than April 31, 2029, with subsequent plane launches expected to follow at monthly intervals.
According to SDA, each satellite and communications system should be interoperable with other platforms developed by other PWSA vendors and that all space vehicles function in an integrated manner through a common ground system.
Responses to the request for information are due Aug. 13.
In January, SDA awarded $2.5 billion in prototype agreements to Lockheed Martin, L3Harris Technologies and Sierra Space to develop 54 satellites for the proliferated architecture’s Tranche 2 Tracking Layer.
