{"id":49582,"date":"2025-03-11T22:58:08","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T14:58:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/sda-pushes-satellite-manufacturers-suppliers-to-adapt-to-faster-development-cycles\/"},"modified":"2025-03-11T22:58:08","modified_gmt":"2025-03-11T14:58:08","slug":"sda-pushes-satellite-manufacturers-suppliers-to-adapt-to-faster-development-cycles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/sda-pushes-satellite-manufacturers-suppliers-to-adapt-to-faster-development-cycles\/","title":{"rendered":"SDA Pushes Satellite Manufacturers, Suppliers to Adapt to Faster Development Cycles"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Space Development Agency\u2019s (SDA) rapid pace is driving strategic business lessons for the satellite industry, experts said in a discussion on Monday at SATELLITE 2025. <\/p>\n<p>Paula Trimble, the policy cell director for the SDA, explained that when the SDA was created almost six years ago, it was intended to be a constructive disruptor. \u201cNot just for space, but for the entire Department of Defense, to look at how things could be acquired differently on different time scales and in different architectures.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/MjQ1Bw8S1G134M9O5Wvw_VS_ShowDaily20202520Day20320DGTL_-300x225.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"width: 120px; height: auto;\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/MjQ1Bw8S1G134M9O5Wvw_VS_ShowDaily20202520Day20320DGTL_-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/MjQ1Bw8S1G134M9O5Wvw_VS_ShowDaily20202520Day20320DGTL_-800x599.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/MjQ1Bw8S1G134M9O5Wvw_VS_ShowDaily20202520Day20320DGTL_-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/MjQ1Bw8S1G134M9O5Wvw_VS_ShowDaily20202520Day20320DGTL_.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"fs-5 mt-0\">Explore the Show Daily 2025 Day 3 Issue<\/h3>\n<p class=\"mb-0 fs-smaller text-balance\">Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-primary\" type=\"button\" data-bs-toggle=\"offcanvas\" data-bs-target=\"#offcanvasMENU\" aria-controls=\"offcanvasExample\" aria-label=\"button\" style=\"white-space: nowrap;\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tView More <i class=\"bi bi-arrow-right-circle\"><\/i><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/button><\/p>\n<p>The vision for the future, Trimble added, is about proliferating a network of hundreds of small satellites, taking advantage of all the gains made in the commercial sector through low cost launch as well as small satellite manufacturing, then continually refreshing those capabilities on two-year timelines. That\u2019s the SDA model \u2014 to rapidly acquire and deploy space-based capabilities, delivering capabilities every two years in stages. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the end of the day, what it is all about is delivering that capability to the warfighter,\u201d she said. \u201cBecause too little too late would not be good enough.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The SDA has launched 27 Transport and Tracking satellites, and conducted demonstrations that have proved the model. The agency is targeting an optical mesh network in space. \u201cWe\u2019re demonstrating those optical connections as we speak,\u201d Trimble said. <\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a697cc552d1b;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a697cc552d1b = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a697cc552d1c').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a697cc552d1c'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>The SDA is also working on delivering missile warning and missile tracking data to the warfighter with new sensors on orbit from the satellites.<\/p>\n<p>Col. Dean Bellamy, the executive vice president of National Security Space, said that one of the big accomplishments of the SDA is developing resilience against threats. \u201cA lot of folks in the room here know the adversary, and the pace of the adversary is continuing in space, and this model by the SDA actually is showing an ability to offer capabilities to the warfighter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Not only is the SDA pushing the front of speed to orbit, according to Paul Wloszek, general manager of Missile Defense for L3Harris, they\u2019re also pushing the front of firm-fixed price contracts in an industry that is typically a cost-plus type environment. \u201cThey\u2019re pushing the front of getting some very new and novel capabilities through a system of systems architecture to proliferate more space architecture, but they\u2019re also removing roadblocks,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Jon Estridge, vice president of Operations for York Space Systems said his company is looking to develop state-of-the-art build capabilities and prove mass production and economies of scale. <\/p>\n<p>In October of 2023, the SDA awarded York Space a $615 million contract for 62 Alpha satellites for the Tranche 2 Transport Layer. York is currently the SDA\u2019s largest supplier of satellites.<\/p>\n<p>SDA offers a kind of build-to-spec approach that helps out York, Estridge said. \u201cThe SDA does a tremendous job of putting out specifications like the automobile industry does. Then you build to the detailed specification and quality that\u2019s needed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>York is looking at building five different constellations this year. \u201cWe\u2019re building 100 satellites. In one year, we\u2019re going to launch 45 satellites,\u201d Estridge said. \u201cThe threat is such that we have no other choice. This is what we have to do. We have to be able to deliver capabilities at scale. We see that using commercial off the shelf components is really going to enable our ability to go fast.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Wloszek said that the future for the SDA tracking mission is about completing the entire missile defeat-kill chain missile warning system. \u201cDid you see a launch occur? That\u2019s missile tracking. Do you know where it\u2019s at through the atmosphere? That\u2019s missile defeat. Are you enabling a kill chain? Are you getting a sensor-to-sensor shooter latency timeline down enough that you can enable the missile defeat-kill chain? We\u2019re building upon those capabilities,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p>The entire SDA model is a learning experience, said Trimble. \u201cWhen you\u2019re doing prototyping on a continuous basis, the whole idea is to rapidly iterate and rapidly incorporate lessons learned,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat we\u2019re all learning is that getting from the place of a nascent market that can build at scale to a mature market that can deliver at scale is going to take some time, and it\u2019s going to take SDA continuing to push, continuing to provide that demand signal to tell us that this is what we\u2019re going to buy. Here\u2019s the timeline. So industry, get ready right now. Start thinking about the investments that you need to make to be there when we acquire them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The importance of the industrial base is more critical now because there is sustained capability now. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have to have resilience,\u201d Trimble said. \u201cWe have to have the numbers of satellites, we have to have the numbers of sensors, and we have to have the ability to replenish on a fairly consistent basis. So making sure that the industrial base is healthy is really the future focus of SDA.\u201d <strong>VS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"widget-title\">In This Issue<\/h2>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 527:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/0QZrxca6Snul0LTNOitp_Z6C_9086-300x199.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/0QZrxca6Snul0LTNOitp_Z6C_9086-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/0QZrxca6Snul0LTNOitp_Z6C_9086-800x532.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/0QZrxca6Snul0LTNOitp_Z6C_9086-640x426.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/0QZrxca6Snul0LTNOitp_Z6C_9086.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tDirect-to-Cell Shows Promise for Military Applications<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 526:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"199\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/fIOX3r53T4mh5lRIM0AA_Z6C_9003-300x199.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/fIOX3r53T4mh5lRIM0AA_Z6C_9003-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/fIOX3r53T4mh5lRIM0AA_Z6C_9003-800x532.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/fIOX3r53T4mh5lRIM0AA_Z6C_9003-640x426.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/fIOX3r53T4mh5lRIM0AA_Z6C_9003.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tLaunchers Work to Ramp Up Cadence to Capitalize on Surging Demand for Access to Space<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 524:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"199\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/A5Lkcj5TR7uCbePcPIHh_Opening20General20Session20CEO20panel-300x199.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/A5Lkcj5TR7uCbePcPIHh_Opening20General20Session20CEO20panel-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/A5Lkcj5TR7uCbePcPIHh_Opening20General20Session20CEO20panel-800x532.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/A5Lkcj5TR7uCbePcPIHh_Opening20General20Session20CEO20panel-640x426.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/A5Lkcj5TR7uCbePcPIHh_Opening20General20Session20CEO20panel.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tOperators Take Aim at Perception of Starlink Dominance in Satcom Market<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 525:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"185\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/tdwRdv2NRASV6F78E6HB_Z6C_9431-300x185.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/tdwRdv2NRASV6F78E6HB_Z6C_9431-300x185.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/tdwRdv2NRASV6F78E6HB_Z6C_9431-800x494.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/tdwRdv2NRASV6F78E6HB_Z6C_9431-640x395.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/tdwRdv2NRASV6F78E6HB_Z6C_9431.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tTech Leaders Talk Up Quantum, New Manufacturing Technologies, and Telecoms Integration<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Space Development Agency\u2019s (SDA) rapid pace is driving strategic business lessons for the satellite industry, experts said in a discussion on Monday at SATELLITE 2025. Paula Trimble, the policy cell director for the SDA, explained that when the SDA was created almost six years ago, it was intended to be a constructive disruptor. \u201cNot [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":49583,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49582","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49582"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49582"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49582\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49583"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49582"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49582"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}