[[Home|🏠]] <span style="color: LightSlateGray">></span> [[Missions]] <span style="color: LightSlateGray">></span> SDA Tranche 2 - Transport Layer
## Mission Details
**Customer:** [[Space Development Agency (SDA)]]
**Contract:** $515 million · 18 **Beta-variant** satellites
**Satellite Bus**: Rocket Lab [[Lightning]]
Rocket Lab is prime-contractor for **18 Beta satellites** in **Tranche 2 Transport Layer (T2TL)** of the [[SDA Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA)]].
The Beta variant adds **UHF / TACSATCOM** and advanced networking payloads on top of the baseline optical cross-link design.
đź”— [[Rocket Lab Makes its Defense Prime Debut with $0.5 Billion Contract to Design and Build Satellite Constellation for Space Development Agency|Award announcement]]
đź”— [Solicitation SAM.gov](https://sam.gov/opp/5a29bd91e0d9448c920b605eb399ca37/view)
## Program Status
| Milestone | Date | Note |
| ------------------------------- | --------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Contract award | **18 Oct 2023** | [SDA press release](https://rocketlabcorp.com/updates/rocket-lab-makes-its-defense-prime-debut-with-0-5-billion-contract-to-design-and-build-satellite-constellation-for-space-development-agency/), FFP OTA |
| Preliminary Design Review (PDR) | **Jan 2025** | [Completed on schedule](https://rocketlabcorp.com/updates/rocket-lab-on-track-to-advance-u-s-defense-capabilities-passing-major-milestone-in-development-of-spacecraft-constellation-for-space-development-agency-2/) |
| Critical Design Review (CDR) | **July 2025** | [Completed on schedule](https://rocketlabcorp.com/updates/rocket-lab-successfully-completes-critical-design-review-for-space-development-agencys-t2tl-beta-constellation/#:~:text=The%20milestone%20follows%20Rocket%20Lab's,move%20into%20full%2Dscale%20production.) |
| First launch (target) | **NET 2026** | Falcon 9 block-buy |
*(Launch services procured separately by SDA.)*
## Spacecraft Requirements (Beta)
| Subsystem | Key Specs |
|-----------|-----------|
| **OISL** | 3 optical terminals (100 Gbps class) |
| **Comms** | Ka-band mission payload + UHF/TACSATCOM |
| **Networking** | On-board IP router, Link 16 gateway |
| **Nav & TT&C** | GNSS + S-band backup |
| **Cyber** | SDA NEBULA-compatible zero-trust stack |
![[Pasted image 20250705130557.png]]
[Source](https://www.sda.mil/sda-issues-solicitation-for-tranche-2-transport-layer-t2tl-beta-space-vehicles/)
## Spacecraft
### x18 [[Space Development Agency (SDA)#T2TL Transport Layer Beta|T2TL Transport Layer Beta]]
![[Space Development Agency (SDA)#T2TL Transport Layer Beta|T2TL Transport Layer Beta]]
## Sub-contractors
| Company | Contribution |
|---------|--------------|
| [[CesiumAstro]] | **Vireo** Ka-band AESA payload |
| [[Mynaric]] | **CONDOR Mk3** optical terminals |
| [[Redwire Space]] | Antennas & RF hardware |
| [SEAKR Engineering](https://www.seakr.com/) | TACSATCOM SDR & NES |
| [Collins Aerospace](https://www.collinsaerospace.com/) | TACSATCOM waveform, SW/FW |
| [Parsons](https://www.parsons.com/) | **NOVA** ground segment (NEBULA Ops) |
### See also
- [[SDA Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA)]] — full tranche & layer overview
- [[Space Development Agency (SDA)]] — agency background and acquisition approach
## News
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| File | Published |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------- |
| [[News/Rocket Lab Successfully Completes Critical Design Review for Space Development Agency’s T2TL-Beta Constellation.md\|Rocket Lab Successfully Completes Critical Design Review for Space Development Agency’s T2TL-Beta Constellation]] | July 01, 2025 |
| [[News/Rocket Lab on Track to Advance U.S. Defense Capabilities, Passing Major Milestone in Development of Spacecraft Constellation for Space Development Agency.md\|Rocket Lab on Track to Advance U.S. Defense Capabilities, Passing Major Milestone in Development of Spacecraft Constellation for Space Development Agency]] | January 09, 2025 |
| [[News/Rocket Lab Selects Subcontractors to Support SDA Satellite Constellation Development.md\|Rocket Lab Selects Subcontractors to Support SDA Satellite Constellation Development]] | May 06, 2024 |
| [[News/Rocket Lab Makes its Defense Prime Debut with $0.5 Billion Contract to Design and Build Satellite Constellation for Space Development Agency.md\|Rocket Lab Makes its Defense Prime Debut with $0.5 Billion Contract to Design and Build Satellite Constellation for Space Development Agency]] | January 08, 2024 |
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