US awards $3.5 billion for satellites to track hypersonic missiles

The U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA) has awarded approximately $3.5 billion in contracts to four companies—L3Harris Technologies, Lockheed Martin, Rocket Lab USA, and Northrop Grumman—to build 72 missile-tracking satellites for the Tracking Layer Tranche 3 segment of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). These satellites, scheduled for launch in fiscal year 2029, will enhance low Earth orbit (LEO) coverage to detect and track advanced missile threats, including hypersonic missiles traveling at speeds of Mach 5 or higher. Each satellite will be equipped with infrared sensors, optical communications terminals, Ka-band payloads, and an S-band backup system to ensure robust missile tracking capabilities. The constellation will be deployed across eight orbital planes and integrated with SDA’s Transport Layer, a mesh network designed to rapidly relay data to missile defense systems. This integration aims to provide near-continuous global coverage and improve the speed and