Mercury Systems to Equip L3Harris Satellites in SDA Constellation With Data Recorders

The Space Development Agency has welcomed a new partner to fulfill the data recording needs of the Tranche 2 Tracking Layer in support of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.

On Wednesday, Mercury Systems received a $31 million contract to supply solid-state data recorders for L3Harris Technologies’ satellites that will form part of the program.

L3Harris is among the three companies that received a contract from the SDA to manufacture satellites with infrared sensors to be part of Tranche 2, SpaceNews reported.

Tom Smelker, general manager for the microsystems business unit at Mercury, said that the company’s Mercury Processing Platform offers unique advantages to the space domain.

Besides working with Mercury and L3Harris, the SDA is also collaborating with other contractors. In December 2023, SDA Director Derek Tournear, a Wash100 awardee and a past Potomac Officers Club event speaker, revealed plans to launch 161 satellites into space in 2024 as part of its missile-tracking constellation.

The agency started working on the Tranche 2 Tracking Layer in 2023 when it issued a solicitation notice seeking contractors to produce at least 54 infrared sensor-equipped space vehicles.