Derek Tournear Archives

Northrop Grumman will supply 36 satellites for SDA’s Tranche 2 Transport Layer-Beta Data Transport Layer. (Northrop Grumman image)

SDA exploring new waveforms for future tranches of data transport satellites

"The next big debate going on for transport is: what are the next tactical data links that we’re going to proliferate in Tranche 3?" SDA Director Derek…

Apr 11, 2024 By Mikayla Easley

Space Development Agency Director Derek Tournear is interviewed by DefenseScoop Managing Editor Jon Harper at DefenseTalks, Sept. 15, 2022.

Tournear: Deorbiting services could have cost-saving benefits for SDA

“That’s something that I’m really interested in, because I want to be able to take more risks on my satellites, not have redundant propulsion and things like…

Mar 18, 2024 By Mikayla Easley

Space Development Agency would get $4.3B in FY ’25 budget request

The request is less than what SDA asked for in fiscal 2024, reflecting the agency's pivot to launching its first operational tranche of satellites and procurement of…

Mar 13, 2024 By Mikayla Easley

Rendering of a L3Harris missile warning satellite (L3Harris image)

Space Development Agency picks 3 vendors to build next layer of missile tracking satellites

Six of the satellites in the Tranche 2 tracking layer will provide fire control-quality data to warfighters, an SDA official said.

Jan 16, 2024 By Mikayla Easley

Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Englehardt, the noncommissioned officer-in-charge of the operations section for the 142nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, which is deployed to support 1st Theater Sustainment Command, gauges wind speed near the Camp Buehring, Kuwait, drop zone for the April 22, 2021 air drop of four bundles using the Joint Precision Air Delivery System, JPADS. Englehardt said JPADS uses the Modular Autonomous Guidance Unit, or MAGU, to manipulate the the parafoil’s rigging to steer it using GPS to reach its programmed coordinates. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Neil W. McCabe)

Space Development Agency, Army collaborating on alternative PNT capabilities

“We’re working very closely with the Army, who’s been pioneering the alt-PNT across the Department of Defense,” SDA Director Derek Tournear said.

Dec 7, 2023 By Mikayla Easley

Space Development Agency issues first solicitation for experimental ‘fire-control’ satellites

SDA plans to purchase and deploy eight satellites for its FOO Fighter initiative.

Dec 4, 2023 By Mikayla Easley

An artist’s rendering of Northrop Grumman’s Tranche 2 Transport Layer satellites on orbit. (Northrop Grumman image)

Northrop Grumman, York Space Systems win latest contracts for SDA’s global satcom constellation

The contracts — which combined are worth approximately $1.3 billion — are for the Alpha variants of the agency's Tranche 2 transport layer.

Oct 30, 2023 By Mikayla Easley

SDA director blasts critics inside DOD bureaucracy who don’t like his ‘bad cop’ attitude

Derek Tournear wrote in a post published on LinkedIn on Thursday that he was recently told to no longer act as the “bad cop” for SDA or…

Oct 5, 2023 By Mikayla Easley

Space Development Agency awards $1.5B for future tranche of global communications satellites

Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman will each build and operate 36 satellites for SDA's Tranche 2 transport layer.

Aug 21, 2023 By Mikayla Easley

Pentagon’s FOO Fighter satellites to focus on ‘handful’ of missile threats not covered by other programs, SDA director says

Earlier this month, the SDA released a draft solicitation for the Fire-control On Orbit-support-to-the-war Fighter (FOO Fighter) program.

Jul 18, 2023 By Jon Harper