York Space Systems Company 25 August 2025 announced the completion of delivery 21 communication satellite for the first operational batch (Tranche 1 Transport Layer, T1TL) network of the US Space Development Agency (SDA). These satellites, designed for fast data transfer from sensors to combat systems, will be the first non-prototype devices, that will support military operations. The launch is scheduled for 10 September 2025 year from the Vandenberg base in California on a Falcon rocket 9, although SDA has not confirmed the exact date, and York noted, that it will take place by the end of summer. The satellites still need to be integrated with the rocket.
These vehicles are part of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, which provides secure, low-latency low-Earth orbit data transmission and tracking of ballistic and advanced missile launches. The launch of T1TL was originally planned for the fall 2024 year, but delays due to problems with the supply of optical communication terminals postponed the schedule. T1TL satellites are equipped with the Link communication system 16, which will allow the transmission of intelligence from Tracking Layer satellites to airborne ones, sea and land command centers, accelerating the completion of combat operations.
In February 2022 of the year SDA signed contracts for 1,8 billion dollars from York Space Systems, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to create 126 T1TL satellites. York contract of 382 million dollars provides supply 42 devices for two nearly polar orbits. Delivery dates for the rest of the satellites have not been disclosed. Earlier, SDA launched more than two dozen Tranche satellites 0 for testing technologies, but they are not intended for operational use.
The delivery of these satellites marks the beginning of a new era in US national security, with an emphasis on speed, power and efficiency of space systems.
Source: https://www.satellitetoday.com