In short:
In a Jan. 31 draft solicitation, the company seeks enter from distributors inquisitive about bidding for 72 satellites and supporting floor techniques. Responses are due March 1.
WASHINGTON — The Area Growth Company is planning a brand new procurement of 72 satellites to proceed to construct out a army constellation in low Earth orbit.
In a Jan. 31 draft solicitation, the company seeks enter from distributors inquisitive about bidding for 72 satellites and supporting floor techniques that can make up a portion of a deliberate 216-satellite Tranche 2 Transport Layer. Responses are due March 1.
The Area Growth Company (SDA), a corporation below the U.S. Area Drive, is constructing a layered network of military satellites. The Transport Layer will function a tactical community to maneuver knowledge to customers around the globe, speaking categorized knowledge similar to early warnings of missile launches.
The company already has acquired satellites for Tranche 0 and Tranche 1 of the Transport Layer. The brand new solicitation is for 72 Tranche 2 Beta satellites.
The primary launch of Tranche 0 satellites is scheduled for March. Tranche 1 would launch in 2024 and Tranche 2 in 2026.
The proliferated constellation is made up of comparatively small, mass-producible satellites provided by a number of distributors, all interconnected in orbit through optical laser hyperlinks.
SDA mentioned the Tranche 2 Transport Layer satellites will probably be just like these presently being developed by York Space, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman for the Tranche 1 Transport Layer
The Beta model of the Tranche 2 satellites could have three optical communications terminals, a Ka-band communications payload, a knowledge routing payload, a navigation payload, an S-band backup management system, and can assist two army categorized communications networks: the Built-in Broadcast Service and TACSATCOM.
The 72 Beta satellites will probably be divided into six orbital planes, to be awarded to a number of distributors, mentioned SDA. It asks distributors to submit proposals for 2 of the orbital planes, with the related floor operations assist.