Sierra Space has completed the primary structures for the first nine missile-tracking satellites for the Pentagon’s Space Development Agency (SDA), hitting this critical milestone a full three months ahead of schedule. This rapid progress accelerates the build-out of a new, resilient orbital layer designed to spot and track advanced missile threats like hypersonic weapons.
The nine satellite buses, produced at the company’s Victory Works facility in Louisville, Colorado, form Plane 1 of an 18-satellite contract awarded to Sierra Space. With these skeletal frameworks now finished, work is already underway on Plane 2. According to the company’s announcement, the completed structures will immediately enter the next phase: assembly, integration, and testing (AIT). Here, the intricate onboard systems, subsystems, and the crucial sensor payloads will be installed and rigorously verified before the satellites are prepared for launch.
Why the rush? The SDA is on a mission to fundamentally change how the U.S. defends against missile attacks. Instead of relying on a handful of exquisite, high-value satellites, the agency is building what it calls the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA)—a resilient mesh network of hundreds of smaller, more numerous satellites. The Tranche 2 Tracking Layer, which these satellites belong to, is a key piece of that puzzle. As reported in Breaking Defense, this rapid acquisition strategy is designed to spread risk, accelerate production timelines, and create a constellation that is harder for an adversary to disable.
READ ALSO: https://modernmechanics24.com/post/buildroid-ai-robotics-us-launch/
The mission of these particular satellites is exceptionally demanding. They will carry advanced infrared sensors capable of detecting the heat signatures of the most challenging threats, including ballistic missiles and maneuvering hypersonic glide vehicles. Even more critically, some of the Sierra Space spacecraft will be equipped with sensors sophisticated enough to generate what’s termed “fire-control quality” tracking data. This isn’t just about early warning; this precise data could be used to guide interceptors to destroy incoming missiles, a capability that represents a monumental leap forward for space-based missile defense.
The scale of the overall Tranche 2 Tracking Layer is vast. It is expected to include 54 satellites across multiple vendors, with Sierra Space being one of the key players. This layer will eventually integrate with the PWSA’s Transport Layer—a separate constellation of data-relay satellites—to create a seamless, low-latency network. The ultimate vision? A proliferated constellation of roughly 270 operational satellites working in concert, providing a persistent, global shield. The early delivery from Sierra Space is more than just a corporate achievement; it keeps the entire ambitious program on track for its integration and launch milestones, ensuring this vital defensive capability reaches orbit faster.
WATCH ALSO: https://modernmechanics24.com/post/chinese-company-s-humanoid-robot-dodges-arrow-with-side-flip/
