York Space Systems has completed a second batch of 21 satellites for the US Space Development Agency (SDA), with the spacecraft scheduled for launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Built at York’s US production facilities, the satellites are designed to expand the SDA’s low Earth orbit communications network and provide secure tactical data links for US and allied forces.
York said the production lot reflects investments in manufacturing capacity intended to support higher-volume spacecraft production for national security programs.
Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture
The satellites are being delivered for the SDA’s Tranche 1 Transport Layer, a component of the broader Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA).
The PWSA is a planned constellation of hundreds of small satellites designed to provide low-latency communications, missile tracking, and data sharing across military platforms.
Within the PWSA, the Transport Layer serves as the communications backbone.
It relays data between sensors and command centers.
The information is then shared with forces operating on land, at sea, in the air, and in space.
York said it is the first contractor participating in the SDA’s Tranche 1 program to have a second production batch ready for launch, after previously delivering and launching an initial group of operational satellites.
Once the latest spacecraft are deployed, the company will have delivered more than 40 satellites for the Tranche 1 Transport Layer.
The launch will also expand the number of York-built satellites currently operating across multiple government constellations.
