Final Satellites Delivered to U.S. Military for New Constellation
Marks a Milestone for Pentagon’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture
The full payload of 21 satellites for the upcoming Tranche 1 Transport Layer launch has been delivered to the U.S. military by York Space Systems. The shipment marks the first operational generation of the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.
"This is not a demonstration; this is real warfighting capability on orbit."
Melanie Preisser, York Space Systems
York says this milestone highlights the company's capability to mass-produce national security satellites with speed and consistency, transitioning from a traditional, high-cost model to a scalable, industrial one. The launch of these satellites will signify a new era in national security space, one defined by responsiveness and capacity.
“This is not a demonstration; this is real warfighting capability on orbit. We are transitioning from traditional, exquisite space architectures to a proliferated industrial model that produces more satellites at a lower cost, and faster than ever before,” said Melanie Preisser, vice president and general manager of York
The Tranche 1 mission is designed to provide secure and resilient communications and data transport for U.S. and allied warfighters. It represents a shift toward a lower-cost, faster-to-deploy method for providing critical space-based capabilities.
“Our satellites are built, delivered, and ready for launch, now all that’s left is integration with the rocket,” Preisser said. “Once deployed, these systems will provide on-orbit Link 16 connectivity to the warfighter.”
This launch builds on a year of rapid and measurable progress for York. In the past few months alone, the company successfully launched its Dragoon mission and then followed just weeks later with the BARD mission, demonstrating next-generation communications capabilities for NASA. With Tranche 1, York continues to accelerate the timeline from customer request to delivery on orbit, demonstrating what can be accomplished when speed and capability are demanded by the government customer and built into the very foundation of the performing prime.
Our Take
This development is significant because it shows the U.S. military's shift toward a more resilient and rapidly deployable satellite network. Instead of relying on a few large, expensive satellites that are vulnerable to attack, the new architecture uses hundreds of smaller, less costly satellites.
If one satellite is disabled, the network can continue to function, ensuring continuous communications and data for military operations. This approach leverages commercial innovation to accelerate the delivery of crucial technology to warfighters, enhancing national security and strategic advantage.