Satellite radios for SDA's Tranche 2 program pass critical design review
NewsNovember 27, 2024
MELBOURNE, Florida. L3Harris Technologies announced the completion of a Critical Design Review (CDR) for 45 mission payload radios and 40 CXK-1000 radios, which the company is producing under Lockheed Martin Space's Tranche 2 Transport Layer Beta contract with the Space Development Agency (SDA).
The MPL radios are designed to process warfighting data for Integrated Broadcast System-low Earth orbit (IBS-L) and tactical satellite communication users, while the CXK-1000 radios will enable Ka-band data transmission, the statement reads. These radios will support the SDA’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, a network of military satellites in low-Earth orbit.
For the Tranche 0 Tracking Layer, the company launched four missile-tracking satellites in early 2024. Under the Tranche 1 Tracking Layer, L3Harris is building 16 satellites featuring infrared sensors and advanced algorithms for real-time threat detection and tracking, with a launch scheduled for 2025. Additionally, the company won a $919 million contract to develop 18 infrared space vehicles for the Tranche 2 Tracking Layer, aimed at near-global missile warning coverage, the statement says.
