First launch for Pentagon’s own mega-constellation set for Thursday

The U.S. military’s Space Development Agency, established in 2019 to fast-track new national security capabilities in orbit, plans to launch the first 10 satellites for a constellation of hundreds of missile tracking and data relay spacecraft Thursday on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from California. SDA’s fleet of spacecraft, each smaller and cheaper than the military’s existing missile warning satellites, will improve the Pentagon’s ability to detect and track emerging threats like attacks with hypersonic missiles, then deliver the tracking data directly to ground, air, or naval forces using existing tactical radio networks. U.S. and allied forces could then shoot down the enemy missile. More

(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Mar 30)