# Space Development Agency
*agency . companies*

## Specifications
- **operator domains**: ["sda.mil"]
- **country**: United States
- **website**: https://www.sda.mil
- **entity type**: company
- **last verified date**: 2026-06-20
- **verified by**: agency-doc
- **claim status**: unclaimed
- **attributes**: {"kind":"agency","operator_domains":"[\"sda.mil\"]","country":"United States","website":"https://www.sda.mil"}

## Editorial
Space Development Agency is a U.S. defense space acquisition agency founded on 2019-03-12 and now subordinate to the U.S. Space Force, with headquarters at 1670 Air Force Pentagon in Washington, DC.[^sda-mil-about][^wikipedia-sda] Its core programme is the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, a low-Earth-orbit military architecture organized around transport, tracking, battle-management, custody, navigation, ground-and-launch, and futures layers.[^sda-mil-about] For Earth-observation buyers, the key distinction is that SDA's tracking work uses infrared missile-warning and missile-tracking sensors, while its transport layer is a mesh communications relay using optical inter-satellite links and RF rather than an Earth-observation data service.[^sda-mil-about] Tranche 0 launched in April 2023, Tranche 1 is operational, and Tranche 2 covers 270 satellites planned for late-2026 launches.[^sda-mil-about][^wikipedia-sda] December 2025 Tranche 3 tracking awards cover 72 missile-warning and tracking satellites targeted for FY2029 launch.[^spaceflightnow-t3trk-2025] Dr Gurpartap Sandhoo became SDA director on 2026-05-11, and a May 2026 draft FY2026 NDAA provision proposed dissolving SDA into the Space Force Rapid Capabilities Office.[^defensescoop-sandhoo-2026][^defensescoop-ndaa-dissolve-2026]

## Sources
- [sda-mil-about] | About - Space Development Agency | https://www.sda.mil/about/ | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-20
  Official SDA mission, PWSA architecture layers, founding date 2019-03-12, HQ address
- [wikipedia-sda] | Space Development Agency - Wikipedia | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Development_Agency | tier=community | accessed=2026-06-20
  Founding, USSF transfer 2022, PWSA overview, tranche history
- [defensescoop-sandhoo-2026] | Sandhoo named Space Development Agency director, PAE for missile warning and tracking - DefenseScoop | https://defensescoop.com/2026/05/19/sandhoo-named-space-development-agency-director-pae-for-missile-warning-and-tracking/ | tier=third-party | accessed=2026-06-20
  Director appointment effective 2026-05-11; dual role as PAE Missile Warning
- [spaceflightnow-t3trk-2025] | SDA awards roughly $3.5B to 4 companies for 72 missile tracking and warning satellites - Spaceflight Now | https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/12/20/space-development-agency-awards-roughly-3-5-billion-to-4-companies-for-72-missile-tracking-and-warning-satellites/ | tier=third-party | accessed=2026-06-20
  Tranche 3 Tracking Layer OTA awards Dec 2025; 4 vendors 18 sv each = 72 total; FY2029 launch
- [defensescoop-ndaa-dissolve-2026] | Draft NDAA would dissolve Space Development Agency - DefenseScoop | https://defensescoop.com/2026/05/28/draft-ndaa-would-dissolve-space-development-agency-rapid-capabilities-office/ | tier=third-party | accessed=2026-06-20
  FY2026 NDAA draft May 2026; SDA dissolution proposal; outcome uncertain

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Source: https://eo-atlas.org/companies/sda-us
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