The Space Development Agency (SDA) is pushing back against a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report criticizing its approach to procuring hundreds of satellites for its low Earth orbit (LEO) military mesh network. The GAO report, released February 26, expressed concerns that the SDA is moving forward with procurement plans for Tranches 1 and 2 of its Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) constellation without sufficient validation of its key enabling technology: laser communications links between satellites.
The report highlights that this technology, crucial for high-speed military data transfers, remains untested in the harsh conditions of space. In response, an SDA spokesperson stated on February 27, “While GAO is accurate in their report that we have not yet demonstrated the ‘full range of laser communications,’ SDA successfully met the baseline objectives set forth in Tranche 0: proving critical technology and providing lessons learned for both the government and vendor teams.”
Tranche 0, launched in 2024, involved deploying 27 satellites to test key technologies. However, the GAO criticized the incomplete testing, suggesting crucial lessons may have been missed. This could lead to costly delays in the significantly larger Tranches 1 and 2. The SDA counters that it met its “baseline objectives” for Tranche 0, including establishing in-plane optical communication links and demonstrating a mesh optical network’s feasibility. “Accomplishments from Tranche 0 tests include successful in-plane lasercom links,” the SDA spokesperson noted. “We also demonstrated the feasibility of a mesh optical network on orbit, procured through multiple vendors on abbreviated acquisition timelines, and now seek to expand our optical communication terminal (OCT) capability.”
Limited details on Tranche 0 testing were released. In September, SDA reported that two SpaceX-built satellites exchanged data using Tesat-Spacecom terminals. York Space also announced successful communication using its Tesat terminals with SpaceX satellites in January. The involvement of Lockheed Martin and L3Harris satellites in Tranche 0 remains unclear regarding laser cross-link attempts.
SDA is now focused on Tranche 1, with a planned launch in 2025. This tranche will utilize more advanced optical communication terminals. The agency claims it is “on track to leverage in-plane optical links to operate a fully functional system” in Tranche 1 and will “continue work toward demonstrating the full range of laser communications.” The SDA also emphasized its commitment to implementing the GAO’s recommendations. The GAO acknowledged SDA’s accelerated acquisition approach, but considering the billions involved in PWSA, stressed the importance of technology maturity before further acquisitions.