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Space

Defense Authorizers Recommend $500 Million Put Back For SDA’s Tranche 3 Transport Layer

By Cal Biesecker

Monday, December 8th, 2025

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Defense Authorizers Recommend $500 Million Put Back For SDA’s Tranche 3 Transport Layer

Tranche 1 Transport Layer spacecraft built by York Space Systems. Photo: York

A defense policy bill agreed to by leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees recommends $500 million for communications satellites that the Space Force zeroed earlier this year for the Space Development Agency (SDA) in the fiscal year 2026 budget request. The $500 million put back for Tranche 3 Transport Layer (T3TL) in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) sends a “strong message” that the authorizing committees want to move forward with the future communications satellites, an industry…

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