All seemed right for tonight’s launch as teams loaded propellant and tracked improving weather for Space Development Agency’s (SDA) second Tranche 1 Transport mission from Vandenberg, California. The Falcon 9 rocket climbed into the Pacific skies, deploying 21 data-transport satellites to bolster the SDA’s emerging mesh of military comms infrastructure.
The vehicle used booster B1093, which had already flown SDA’s first Tranche 1 mission and multiple Starlink missions. About 9 minutes after liftoff, the booster touched down successfully on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific — a clean return that underscores SpaceX’s reuse strategy.
This launch is critical for SDA’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). The deployed satellites will play a role in secure, low-latency tactical communications — enabling data transport links for military operations, especially in contested or remote zones where terrestrial infrastructure is limited.
The first Tranche 1 mission in September placed 21 satellites built by York Space Systems in orbit; this batch was provided by Lockheed Martin. Together, these satellites will integrate into the Transport Layer of the architecture. SDA plans to launch roughly one mission per month until the full Tranche 1 constellation is in place.
With tonight’s success, SpaceX and SDA inch closer to turning a strategic vision into operational capability. Each launch increases connectivity, redundancy, and the ability to deliver resilient satellite communication in critical theaters of interest.
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