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Space Development Agency Expects To Resume Tranche 1 Launches In Early 2026

Space Development Agency Expects To Resume Tranche 1 Launches In Early 2026
Pictured is a SpaceX photo of the Sept. 10th liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. of a Falcon 9 rocket carrying Space Development Agency Tranche 1 Transport Layer satellites. "Tranche 1 launches will continue with an approximate cadence of one launch per month for the next nine months, using National Security Space Launch providers, until the full space vehicle constellation is on orbit," U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command said last month.

After launching the first two batches of its Tranche 1 satellites in September and October, the Space Development Agency (SDA) has paused additional launches until “early 2026” while one of its vendors sorts out a readiness issue and because of facility challenges, the agency said last Friday. Once the launch of the first 21 Transport Layer satellites occurred in September, SDA’s goal was to continue one launch per month for 10 straight months to get its constellation of 154 Tranche…

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