“A quick refresher: In the few years since the Space Force became the first new U.S. military service branch since before the Cold War, one of its units has evolved into a satellite-building, money-slinging, fast-moving agency. Known as SDA, or the Space Development Agency, the unit is aggressively ordering and launching satellites for a new network known as the "Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture," or PWSA.
The idea is to build an interconnected constellation, a la Starlink, that consists of hundreds of satellites, instead of dozens or less. The goal of PWSA is to have more redundancy and greater connectivity for lower risk, as each satellite in the constellation costs a fraction of the powerful but bespoke military assets of the past. Additionally, each "Tranche" (or generation) is aimed to be bigger and badder than the last – expanding the Space Force's support of the broader U.S. military with capabilities like communications, location targeting and missile defense.
When we last discussed PWSA in this newsletter, the SDA had awarded about $5 billion in contracts to five different companies. Now we're pushing $10 billion in awards, to build more than 400 satellites, with seven companies in the mix”.
Newsletter: Pentagon satellite sweepstakes
SDA is the Space Force's satellite-ordering, money-slinging, fast-moving agency and, so far, it's awarded nearly $10 billion in PWSA satellite manufacturing contracts from 7 companies.
A breakdown on what this constellation (and all these acronyms) means for #space businesses such as York Space Systems LLC, Sierra Space, Rocket Lab, and more: https://lnkd.in/gfs6-f_Z
Investing in Space: Pentagon's satellite constellation awards near $10 billion
cnbc.com
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1moI have fond memories of working with HRGs decades ago, for their earliest space missions. Delighted to see them continue as such a remarkable, reliable instrument.