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Session A11: Complementary PNT: PNT from LEO 3

Space Development Agency PNT Signal Service Early Demonstrations and Tranche 3 Operations
Edward Powers, SDA, The Aerospace Corporation; Gregory L. Weaver, SDA, JHU/APL; Shane David and David Wisniewski, SETA
Location: Ballroom B
Date/Time: Wednesday, Jun. 4, 4:45 p.m.

The Space Development Agency (SDA) was created in 2019, to act as the Department of Defense (DoD) constructive disruptor for space acquisition. The SDA will quickly deliver needed space-based capabilities to the joint warfighter to support terrestrial missions through development, fielding, and operation of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). The PWSA will be based on a layered proliferated LEO architecture.
SDA’s approach to developing this PWSA values speed and lowers costs by harnessing commercial development in the at-scale manufacturing of LEO space vehicles and payloads. SDA will deliver its minimum viable products through a series of multi-satellite tranche launches - on time, every two years- by employing spiral development methods, adding capabilities to future generations as the threat evolves.
The Navigation Layer for the PWSA will establish a NAVWAR resilient navigation capability using optical inter-satellite links (OISL), and optical space to ground links, and the Constellation, Speed, Time, and Range (COSTAR) orbit and clock determination algorithm that combines all PWSA SV inputs to ensure a robust and resilient PNT solution. COSTAR operation on the OISL range and timing measurements are the key to the PWSA navigation independent of GPS signals-in-space. The design of the PWSA resilient navigation capability will create two vital space-based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) services to the warfighter: Situational Awareness monitoring of terrestrial GPS RFI emitters, and Alternative PNT services.
Our presentation to the 2025 JNC will focus on the delivery of alternative sources of PNT including significant LEO demonstration efforts leading to initial operations in Tranche 3 (2028). At the August 2024 SDA warfighter council, the AFRL developed Light Weight Service was approved for inclusion in Tranche 3 baseline. SDA will soon be releasing an RFP for 80 Tranche 3 Lambda transport layer satellites intended to host the LWS mission. In 2030, SDA expect to expand on LWS in Tranche 4 adding additional satellites deploying the full operational capability.

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