SpaceX Deploys 21 Satellites for U.S. Space Development Agency

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 7:12 a.m. PT on September 10, 2025, carrying 21 satellites built by York Space Systems for the U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA). This launch marks the inaugural operational deployment for the SDA’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA), a new constellation designed to provide secure, low-latency communications and advanced missile threat tracking for U.S. military operations.

The satellites form the first batch of the SDA’s Tranche 1 Transport Layer, which will eventually comprise 126 satellites in low Earth orbit. These spacecraft are intended to deliver persistent, encrypted connectivity and tactical data delivery to military operators, supporting missions across the globe. According to the SDA, the PWSA will enhance the U.S. military’s ability to share targeting and intelligence data instantaneously among the services, a key component of the Pentagon’s Joint All-Domain Command and Control initiative.

Acting SDA Director Gurpartap Sandhoo described the launch as a “remarkable accomplishment highlighting the speed at which the agency moves,” noting that the PWSA will provide operational capabilities previously thought infeasible from low Earth orbit. Sandhoo emphasized that the first user group for Tranche 1 will be military operators in the Indo-Pacific, with the satellites expected to begin providing operational capability within four to six months after initial health and safety checks.

The SDA plans to continue launching additional Tranche 1 satellites at a cadence of roughly one per month over the next nine months, ultimately deploying more than 150 satellites to complete the constellation. The next launch, scheduled for mid-October, will feature satellites built by Lockheed Martin. Future launches will also include missile warning and tracking satellites, expanding the network’s capabilities.

The PWSA’s mesh network of optically-connected satellites is designed to support tactical data delivery, missile threat tracking, and beyond-line-of-sight targeting for time-sensitive or mobile targets on land, at sea, and in the air. The SDA’s spiral development model aims to refresh and update the constellation every two years, leveraging commercial technology and rapid acquisition strategies.

While the SDA has faced skepticism and delays in the past, the successful deployment of the first Tranche 1 satellites signals a significant step forward in the U.S. military’s efforts to modernize its space-based assets. The agency’s approach, characterized by frequent launches and rapid integration, represents a departure from traditional, slower military space programs.