SpaceX Rocket Launches 13 Tranche 0 Satellites for SDA

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Sept. 2 carrying 13 satellites into orbit for the Tranche 0 segment of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, the Space Development Agency’s constellation for military data communications and missile tracking.

The latest batch of PWSA satellites consists of 10 data transport spacecraft from Lockheed Martin, one from York Space Systems and two tracking satellites from SpaceX.

Saturday’s launch was the second for the Tranche 0 mesh network. The first 10 Tranche 0 satellites lifted off on board another SpaceX rocket on April 2, C4ISRNET reported.

During a media briefing prior to the recent launch, SDA Tranche 0 Program Director Mike Eppolito said the first batch of Tranche 0 satellites equipped with Link 16 terminals are performing well in orbit; however, operating the space assets requires approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. On April 19, SDA director Derek Tournear said the agency was requesting a 60-day temporary frequency authorization to test Link 16 data transmissions.