Space Development Agency – Spaceflight Now

SpaceX launches 21 data satellites for the Space Development Agency

October 9, 2026 Spaceflight Now

Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California carrying satellites for the Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture constellation came at 12:39 a.m. PDT (3:39 EDT / 0739 UTC).

SpaceX scrubs launch attempt for 21 data transport satellites for the Space Development Agency

October 4, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

The Tranche 1 Transporter Layer A mission is the fourth flight supporting the Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture constellation. The next launch attempt could come as soon as Saturday.

SpaceX launches 21 communications satellites for the Space Development Agency

July 16, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

The Tranche 1 Transporter Layer E (T1TL-E) mission was the third batch of operational satellites launched to support the SDA’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture satellite constellation. Liftoff from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base happened at 1:32 p.m. PDT (4:32 p.m. EDT / 2032 UTC).

Space Development Agency awards roughly $3.5 billion to 4 companies for 72 missile tracking and warning satellites

December 20, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

This batch of satellites will populate what the SDA calls the Tracking Layer of its Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) constellation in low Earth orbit. The work will be divided evenly, with each company building 18 spacecraft.

SpaceX launches 2nd batch of satellites for Space Development Agency following weather scrub

October 14, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The mission, dubbed Tranche 1 Transporter Layer C, will add another 21 satellites into the burgeoning constellation for the Space Development Agency. Liftoff from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base happened Wednesday, Oct. 15, at 4:06 p.m. PDT (7:06 p.m. EDT / 2306 UTC).

New U.S. military satellite constellation takes shape with first launch from Vandenberg SFB

September 12, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture constellation is expected to deliver global coverage beginning in 2027. Launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base occurred at 7:12 a.m. PDT (10:12 a.m. EDT / 1412 UTC).

Launch preview: Space Development Agency, SpaceX to launch next-gen national security satellites

September 10, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The 21 satellites from York Space Systems are the first in the SDA’s Tranche 1 Transport Layer satellite constellation. SpaceX launched from pad 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base at 7:12 a.m. PDT (10:12 a.m. EDT / 1412 UTC).

SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket with national security satellites from Cape Canaveral

February 14, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

The mission, dubbed USSF-124, was the eighth National Security Space Launch using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Liftoff occurred at the start of a four-hour launch window that opened at 5:30 p.m. EST (2230 UTC) on Wednesday.

U.S. military begins launching satellites to counter hypersonic missile threat

April 2, 2023 Stephen Clark

The first 10 spacecraft for a planned U.S. military mega-constellation launched from California Sunday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, setting in place the keystone for a multibillion-dollar network of hundreds of small satellites to improve defenses against hypersonic missiles and other emerging threats.

SpaceX launch for SDA aborted at T-minus 3 seconds

March 30, 2023 Stephen Clark

SpaceX aborted a launch attempt Thursday just three seconds before liftoff at the start of the engine ignition sequence, delaying the flight of a Falcon 9 rocket from California with 10 satellites for the U.S. military’s Space Development Agency.