Space Development Agency to resume satellite launches on July 16 after nine-month pause

Published Jul 15, 04:19 PM UTC

The Space Development Agency (SDA) is set to resume its Tranche 1 satellite launch campaign on July 16 after a nine-month pause, launching 21 York Space Systems-built satellites via SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The pause followed the launch of 42 operational satellites in September and October 2025, which encountered hardware and software issues including thermal management discrepancies and insufficient connectivity with ground entry points. SDA Director Gurpartap Sandhoo acknowledged the challenges but emphasized the agency's rapid development approach, prioritizing operational readiness over launch cadence. Some satellites from the first batches experienced propulsion issues preventing them from reaching ideal orbital planes, and Lockheed Martin has yet to establish contact with one satellite, though redundancy is expected to mitigate mission impact. The Government Accountability Office has criticized SDA's aggressive schedule, but Sandhoo defended the approach as necessary given national security threats.