SDA gets new acting director amid investigation of Derek Tournear
William Blauser has been named as the new acting director of the Space Development Agency as the Department of the Air Force continues its investigation into the organization’s previous leader, according to a DAF spokesperson.
SDA is charged with development of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA), a planned mega-constellation comprising hundreds of data relay, missile warning and missile tracking satellites stationed in low-Earth orbit.
The department first announced Jan. 16 that SDA head Derek Tournear had been placed on administrative leave pending the results of an ongoing investigation. At the time, officials placed Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, currently serving as commander of the Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC), in charge of the agency on a temporary basis.
“Given the importance of space acquisition programs, both the Space Development Agency and Space Systems Command require full-time leadership, and the Department of the Air Force has named Mr. Blauser as SDA’s new acting director,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
The decision to place Tournear on administrative leave came from then-Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration Frank Calvelli. Although the DAF has not commented on the specific nature for the investigation, Breaking Defense reported that Tournear allegedly did not follow appropriate contracting procedures ahead of SDA’s award for the Gamma variant of the Space Force’s Tranche 2 Transport Layer in August.
Blauser has been serving as the deputy director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office since July 2024, where he oversees the service’s study, development and fielding activities for a range of emerging technologies.
Prior to his current role, he has held numerous acquisition and leadership positions within government — including at the National Reconnaissance Office, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and U.S. Special Operations Command. Blauser also has previous experience working in the defense industry.
Blauser will now lead SDA during the highly anticipated launch of the first operational batch of PWSA space vehicles — slated for sometime in March or April of this year — while it continues to contract for future tranches.
