US Space Force awarded $1.5 billion for launching 72 new warfare satellites into orbit

[Alfonso Maruccia]

In context: The United States Space Force is the world's only dedicated independent space force, and the Pentagon-headquartered SDA is the agency committed to funding research, development and procurement of novel technology space solutions. Right now, the SDA is spending billions of dollars to build a new satellite network for American "warfighters" around the world.

The Space Development Agency (SDA) recently announced two new "prototype agreements" to launch a new batch of satellites for advanced space warfare. The Space Force agency will spend a total of $1.5 billion to build and operate the "Tranche 2 Transport Layer (T2TL) - Beta," a part of the so-called Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) constellation planned for the next few years.

PWSA, which so far is SDA's only infrastructure project, is designed as a "threat-driven constellation of small satellites" capable of beaming critical services to US warfighters down from space. The complete infrastructure would provide American soldiers fighting in different (earthly) places with low-latency data comms (with tactical data links), missile tracking, custody of "time-critical" targets, space-based battle management, and more.

As explained by SDA's official FAQs, a "tranche" is essentially a generation or "iteration" of satellites belonging to the overall PSWA infrastructure. Tranche 0, which was expected for 2022 but was ultimately launched this April, is the "minimum viable product" to demonstrate the project's feasibility. Tranche 1 is scheduled to launch in 2024, bringing "initial warfighting capability" with regional-persistent data links and more. Tranche 2 will provide "global persistence" and is scheduled to launch in 2026.

SDA said that Northrop Grumman Space Systems and Lockheed Martin will spend the awarded $1.5 billion to build and operate two lots of 36 T2TL satellites, which are similar to Tranche 1 satellites with additional advanced tactical data links. The Pentagon will put its new satellites in different low-earth orbits (LEO), thus mitigating the threat from foreign powers (namely Russia and China) to blow them all up.

In April, SDA director Derek Tournear said that the PWSA constellation will include "hundreds and hundreds" of satellites so that the network will continue to work as expected even when a few are destroyed. The PWSA space units are more affordable than the missiles launched to shoot them down, Tournear said, and they are inherently more difficult to destroy because there are too many of them.

Satellite proliferation and LEO targets were likely the main reasons that forced the PWSA project to fall behind its original schedule. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reluctantly gave SDA clearance to launch the first batch of the Tranche 0 units, fearing possible electromagnetic interference with aviation activities.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/99889-us-space-force-awarded-15-billion-launching-72.html

 

[wiyosaya]

IMO, the quest for supremacy in space will not end well for the citizens of Earth.

 

[error1984]

Sounds like they aiming high. In comparison In poland state authorities still using patrol planes (M-18 Dromader) latest and greatness from 1976 yas 76'.

 

[ScottSoapbox]

Imagine if we spent all this money domestic problems rather than current, future, and some day maybe wars.

 

[Underdog]

Historically, it has always been easier for the US to approve big budgets for "defense" spending than any other worthwhile program.

 

[branhama]

Yes, I just love how one of the first things we attempt to do in space is take our petty wars there. Lets spend my hard earned tax dollars to bring war to space. The individuals who decided this was a good idea an approved the budget should be dismissed with prejudice! It is individuals like this in the world who continue to tie negativity, deceit, and problems to every action; they continue to bring all of us down.

Imagine what 1.5 BILLION dollars could do to benefit mankind. What it could have done to progress mankind into the stars. Instead lets spend it on a satellite gun, if anything it would just be used against us. You think ET that traveled from another galaxy is worried about it?

 

[wiyosaya]

Yes, I just love how one of the first things we attempt to do in space is take our petty wars there. Lets spend my hard earned tax dollars to bring war to space. The individuals who decided this was a good idea an approved the budget should be dismissed with prejudice! It is individuals like this in the world who continue to tie negativity, deceit, and problems to every action; they continue to bring all of us down.

Imagine what 1.5 BILLION dollars could do to benefit mankind. What it could have done to progress mankind into the stars. Instead lets spend it on a satellite gun, if anything it would just be used against us. You think ET that traveled from another galaxy is worried about it?

IMO, the US administration that approved and created the space force should be dismissed with prejudice. Oh wait that, in essence, already happened.

Now, the entire space force should be disbanded.

 

[Lew Zealand]

IMO, the US administration that approved and created the space force should be dismissed with prejudice. Oh wait that, in essence, already happened.

Now, the entire space force should be disbanded.

And that's the inherent problem of every gov't project. Once the program has been created and money allocated to those Reps' districts and Sens' states, they hold onto those dollars with tight fists and make sure they keep coming in, no matter how good or utter trash the idea is.

 

[Dimitrios]

IMO, the US administration that approved and created the space force should be dismissed with prejudice. Oh wait that, in essence, already happened.

Now, the entire space force should be disbanded.

Better than giving a country Billions per month and depleting our ammo.May I also add filling the streets NYC and Cali full of illegals and it's so bad their paying home owners to house them.So bad that now the governor admit it was a mistake.How about that COVID lab in California that was exposed by a health inspector that was infecting 900 mice with COVID and found 300 dead?Nothing was done governor didn't respond. It took 3-4 local news stations to report it and most people don't know. It was back tracked to a Chinese lab called PRESTIGE Labs.I bet my comment will get removed.Anyone that hides this information has blood on their hands. It's disgusting how mainstream media lies or doesn't report the news.

 

[Dimitrios]

Yes, I just love how one of the first things we attempt to do in space is take our petty wars there. Lets spend my hard earned tax dollars to bring war to space. The individuals who decided this was a good idea an approved the budget should be dismissed with prejudice! It is individuals like this in the world who continue to tie negativity, deceit, and problems to every action; they continue to bring all of us down.

Imagine what 1.5 BILLION dollars could do to benefit mankind. What it could have done to progress mankind into the stars. Instead lets spend it on a satellite gun, if anything it would just be used against us. You think ET that traveled from another galaxy is worried about it?

$140B+ for the war and hows that working out? Plus $1B per month. Anyone know the total? $400B so far?

 

[BuckarooBonzaii]

We humans or actually our Governments with their arrogance wage wars on this planet and now will extend it into space and it will only get worse. If there are any benevolent ETs out there maybe they'll play space invaders with the military satellites.

 

[human7]

The role that Starlink has played in the Ukraine war cannot be understated, it's definitely on every great power's radar that having a satellite constellation bring strategic advantages and resilience that other infrastructure can't easily replicate. Remains to be seen how long we stay in the "building" phase before things heat up - either by conflict or by accidental collisions.

 

[shark975]

IMO, the US administration that approved and created the space force should be dismissed with prejudice. Oh wait that, in essence, already happened.

Now, the entire space force should be disbanded.

Good luck. Once created, govt agencies are not disbanded. Certainly not by Joe spend spend spend Biden. They only demand more and more funding.

like this is not a question or debate. this is just shy of a law of physics. The space force WILL. NOT. be disbanded.

Anyways I was all set to come on here and leave a low effort bash comment, but once I read about missile tracking, I'm now neutral. Thats what we really need, missile defense that works.

Imo the entire usa military should be mostly disbanded (it's both insanely overpowered, and essentially a glorified welfare program like everything else in 2023), and a significant percent of the remaining now freed up dollars dedicated to missile defense until we have a solution that can reliably shoot down up to tens of thousands of opposing nuclear missiles if necessary. all this conventional (overpowered) strength means nothing when we can be nuked into oblivion. That's the real threat. we have the best scientists, given overwhelming resources it would get done.

 

[captaincranky]

Historically, it has always been easier for the US to approve big budgets for "defense" spending than any other worthwhile program.

And that "excessive defense spending", is what enables you to sleep soundly all night, and get up to complain about it the next day.

 

[captaincranky]

Imagine what 1.5 BILLION dollars could do to benefit mankind. What it could have done to progress mankind into the stars. Instead lets spend it on a satellite gun, if anything it would just be used against us. You think ET that traveled from another galaxy is worried about it?

Mankind isn't "going to the stars". The speed of light says so.

 

[captaincranky]

Good luck. Once created, govt agencies are not disbanded. Certainly not by Joe spend spend spend Biden. They only demand more and more funding.

I bet you pocketed and spent those covid relief checks that, "spend, spend, spend", Biden disbursed without a word of complaint, didn't ya?

And before I forget, Biden's predecessor, (who shall remain nameless), added the better part of 8 trillion (Yeah, with a "T"), dollars to the federal debt. The largest ever by any president in US history

 

[captaincranky]

Imagine what 1.5 BILLION dollars could do to benefit mankind. What it could have done to progress mankind into the stars. Instead lets spend it on a satellite gun, if anything it would just be used against us. You think ET that traveled from another galaxy is worried about it?

So, "ET" has "traveled from another galaxy", (no less), isn't worried about our "space guns. How do you know about this? Are you one of those "fortunate" (but highly imaginative), individuals that was on the receiving "end", of a anal probe? You know, the ones with tall green men with blinding white light all around.

The speed of light is never going to be an impediment to the writers of "Star Trek", or "Star Wars". However, to the actual scientific community, it appears to be quite a stumbling block.

 

[RudyBob]

Imagine if we spent all this money domestic problems rather than current, future, and some day maybe wars.

Imagine if we quit sending money to the Ukraine and used it to protect the borders. Life is not a John Lennon song

 

[MakeMSGreatAgain]

Yes, I just love how one of the first things we attempt to do in space is take our petty wars there. Lets spend my hard earned tax dollars to bring war to space. The individuals who decided this was a good idea an approved the budget should be dismissed with prejudice! It is individuals like this in the world who continue to tie negativity, deceit, and problems to every action; they continue to bring all of us down.

Imagine what 1.5 BILLION dollars could do to benefit mankind. What it could have done to progress mankind into the stars. Instead lets spend it on a satellite gun, if anything it would just be used against us. You think ET that traveled from another galaxy is worried about it?

I like the idea of a beautiful utopia; we can't even imagine what level and capability humanity would be on if we didn't have these issues. If only greed and corruption and the tolerance to allow or even desire to commit violent acts were not human traits. Alas, we have to protect ourselves from these human failings. I don't like it either, but there is sense from the phrase "peace through superior firepower".