The Space Development Agency (SDA) has renamed its proliferated Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation as the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA), and is preparing to issue solicitations for Tranche 2. The Tranche 2 Transport Layer Alpha solicitation is set for this summer, with the Tranche 2 Tracking solicitation to be released in the fall. SDA Director Derek Tournear spoke about the solicitations during a media briefing at Space Symposium. The Tranche 2 Transport Layer is broken up into three pieces, with the recently released Beta solicitation for 72 total satellites. The primary mission for those satellites is tactical satellite communications that work directly with existing radios. The next solicitation, for T2TL Alpha, is expected to be released this summer, with T2TL Gamma likely to come out early in 2024. In addition, the Tranche 2 Tracking solicitation is expected to be released this fall. The SDA just saw the launch of its first 10 satellites for Tranche 0, the demonstration tranche. The agency wants to test Link 16 capabilities from space with Tranche 0, but does not yet have approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Looking forward, the SDA is also investigating satellites that “translate” between commercial constellations providing imagery and sensing or communications, and the SDA satellites.
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