The head of the Space Development Agency said delays to fiscal 2024 funding and the possibility of an across-the-board budget cut would be “a big deal” for his organization’s acquisition plans in the coming year. SDA Director Derek Tournear said Dec. 7 the agency has already put some projects on hold due to the ongoing continuing resolution, which pauses spending at fiscal 2023 levels. The agency was established in 2019 to quickly field a constellation of hundreds of data transport and advanced missile tracking satellites in low Earth orbit, about 1,200 miles above the Earth’s atmosphere. Those spacecraft will augment existing fleets of large satellites and the plan is for SDA to upgrade its capabilities on a two-year cycle.
The agency began launching its first batch of satellites, dubbed Tranche 0, in April and September and will finalize that tranche with a third mission early next year. Next September, it will begin an 11-launch campaign to deliver 161 Tranche 1 satellites to orbit. Tournear said the continuing resolution, which is set to expire Feb. 2, shouldn’t impact SDA’s Tranche 1 launches. However, the agency has already put some of its Tranche 2 acquisition plans on hold —specifically, its solicitation for eight satellites that will demonstrate the ability to send fire control information to military users as well as another 20 data transport satellites. Along with agencies across the government, SDA faces the further threat of an automatic 1% funding cut if Congress fails to pass all 12 appropriations bills before the end of the month. If that cut is triggered, SDA may have to stop work on existing programs and potentially terminate contracts.
