Lockheed Martin Completes T1TL Critical Design Review

Lockheed Martin has concluded the critical design review for the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 1 Transport Layer program.

During the CDR, Lockheed and SDA performed various validation activities, including a system optical communications terminal interoperability test, to ensure that T1TL works as intended. Lockheed also 3D-printed a full-size replica of the satellite vehicle testbed for additional risk mitigation and to optimize assembly, integration and testing.

The T1TL program will proceed with the integration and testing phase, Lockheed said.

T1TL is part of SDA’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, which consists of 126 vehicles divided into six orbital planes. It will provide global communications, regional encrypted connectivity, low-latency data transport, sensor-to-shooter capabilities and other functions supporting the Department of Defense’s Joint All-Domain Command and Control concept.

Lockheed is one of three companies SDA entered into a contract with to manufacture and demonstrate T1TL space vehicles, with each company tasked to create 42 spacecraft. Under the $1.8 billion T1TL contract, Lockheed, York Space Systems and Northrop Grumman were tasked to create vehicles that will be equipped with optical communications terminals; Link 16 communications; Ka-band radio frequency communications; and battle management command, control and communications module payloads.