Lockheed Martin Secures $1 Billion SDA Contract for Tranche 3 Missile Tracking Satellites

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Lockheed Martin has received a contract from the Space Development Agency valued at more than $1 billion to deliver 18 space vehicles for the Tranche 3 Tracking Layer constellation. These satellites will form part of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, a network in low Earth orbit designed to provide missile defense and military communications. Once deployed, the vehicles will generate fire-control-quality tracks that can be used for engagement operations.

Photo Credit: Lockheed Martin

The award builds on Lockheed Martin’s earlier work under the Tranche 2 Tracking Layer program. The new satellites are intended to strengthen global capabilities for persistent detection, warning, tracking, and identification of missile threats, including advanced systems such as hypersonic weapons.

Lockheed Martin’s involvement in the Tracking Layer program is supported by long-term investments in secure networks, test infrastructure, and a dedicated small satellite production facility. The Tranche 3 effort benefits from a supply chain that has matured to meet rapid production timelines, with satellite buses provided by Terran Orbital. Manufacturing will take place at the company’s SmallSat Processing & Delivery Center in Colorado, which serves as its rapid production site.

This latest contract expands Lockheed Martin’s role in both the Tracking Layer and Transport Layer programs under the SDA’s architecture. The company is now under contract for a total of 124 space vehicles. In October, Lockheed Martin successfully launched 21 satellites for the Tranche 1 Transport Layer, with another 21 currently in production.

Through these programs, Lockheed Martin has been able to integrate new technologies earlier in the development cycle, reducing risk and accelerating schedules for production and deployment.

Key Specifications and Features 

Mission Objective

  • Provide 24/7/365 missile warning, tracking, and defense (MW/MT/MD) capabilities worldwide.
  • Integrated with the SDA’s Transport Layer to ensure rapid data routing and “kill chain closure.”
  • This ensures that threats can be detected, tracked, and neutralized quickly, reducing response time against advanced missile systems.

Constellation Size

  • Deployment of 72 satellites in multiple orbital planes within Low-Earth Orbit (LEO).
  • A larger constellation increases coverage and redundancy, ensuring global reach and resilience against satellite losses.

Sensor Payloads

  • Equipped with advanced infrared (IR) sensors.
  • Higher resolution and sensitivity compared to earlier tranches.
  • Enhanced sensors improve detection of smaller, faster, and stealthier missile threats, even in complex environments.

Fire-Control Capability

  • 36 of 72 satellites will carry payloads capable of generating fire-control data.
  • Provides precise targeting information for defense systems.
  • This capability bridges detection with direct engagement, allowing defense systems to act with greater accuracy.

Interoperability

  • Fully interoperable with all other Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) space vehicles.
  • Seamless integration with the Transport Layer.
  • Operates through a common ground system.
  • Interoperability ensures that data flows smoothly across different layers and platforms, avoiding silos and maximizing effectiveness.

Data Processing

  • Advanced on-orbit data processing capabilities.
  • Real-time detection algorithms for immediate threat identification.
  • Processing data directly in space reduces latency, enabling faster decision-making without relying solely on ground stations.