"Pentagon's $2.55 Billion Satellite Contracts for Missile-Tracking and Defense"
The Space Development Agency has awarded contracts to three companies to build 54 missile tracking satellites as part of its Tranche 2 Tracking Layer, with a total value of about $2.5 billion. These satellites will be used for space-based missile warning, tracking, and defense, and are set to be launched in April 2027. The agency aims to quickly field a constellation of hundreds of data transport and advanced missile tracking satellites to augment existing fleets and upgrade capabilities on a two-year cycle.