Vandenberg SpaceX launch sends 21 military satellites into orbit
Jarrod Zinn
LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) – You may have heard the sonic booms just after 7 a.m. from Vandenberg’s latest launch on Wednesday.
It was a beautiful morning at Vandenberg Space Force Base, creating ideal conditions for the launch of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture’s Tranche One.
Wednesday morning’s SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried a batch of 21 military satellites for the Space Development Agency into low-Earth orbit.
“Space Development Agency stood up about six and a half years ago,” said SDA spokesperson Jonathan Withington. “Our goal was to deliver space-based capabilities to the Joint Warfighter for terrestrial missions, missions on the ground using space to move data to the warfighter on the ground.”
The satellites are part of what’s called the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, a complex network designed to enhance current infrastructure, including Link 16 radios, a secure communication system.
“This is the first 21 of about 154 satellites, 126 transport satellites,” said Withington. “These were the first 21 satellites of that 126 transport. And then there will be 28 tracking satellites, so a total of 154 when it’s fully completed in 2026.”
These satellites are being delivered in a series of “tranches,” beginning with demonstration and testing satellites two years ago.
“We took care of all the milestones that we needed to achieve with Tranche Zero, which allows us to move forward with Tranche One,” said Withington.
Tranche One’s payload provides regional persistence for Link 16, advanced missile tracking and warning, as well as beyond-line-of-sight targeting for the warfighter.
“And so today was a really exciting day,” Withington said. “Six and a half years after the agency stood up, which is impressive, because very few programs can get off the ground in six and a half years. It’s almost unheard of.”
The next tranche is Tranche Two, “Full Warfighter Capability,” which is estimated to launch in 2026 or 2027.
Once in orbit, the Tranche One satellites will be operated from two SDA Space Operations Centers, one at Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota, and the other at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama.
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