Eight satellites launched for Space Development Agency make first contact
NewsApril 07, 2023
DENVER, Colorado. York Space Systems has made first contact with all eight of its satellites launched as part of the Space Development Agency's (SDA) Tranche 0 (T0) of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA), the company announced in a statement.
The satellites were launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base on April 2, and communication was established on April 3. Two more York satellites are slated for launch in June as part of SDA's plan, totaling 20 T0 satellites that will demonstrate low-latency communication links to support warfighters with a network of integrated capabilities from low-Earth orbit (LEO), the statement reads.
York has been working on the project since receiving a $94 million contract from SDA in August 2020. In addition to the T0 satellites, the company says they are developing 42 satellites for SDA's Tranche 1 (T1) of the PWSA, set to launch in late 2024, as well as 12 experimental satellites for the Tranche 1 Demonstration and Experimentation System (T1DES) program, expected to launch in 2025.
