Terran Orbital, a leading manufacturer of satellite products primarily serving the aerospace and defense industries, has announced the successful deployment of 10 satellites in low Earth orbit. The satellites were launched on September 2, 2023, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

These satellites are part of the Tranche 0 Transport Layer of the Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). Terran Orbital manufactured the satellite buses for Lockheed Martin, which then integrated the payloads and delivered them to the Space Development Agency (SDA).

Terran Orbital is currently producing an additional 42 satellite buses for Lockheed Martin. These buses will be used to deliver 42 Tranche 1 Transport Layer satellites for the SDA, with a scheduled launch date in 2024.

The Tranche 1 satellites will have a range of capabilities to support global warfighter missions. These include optical communications links, Link-16 mission communications, a Ka-band RF communications payload, and a BMC3 module for on-orbit data processing.

Terran Orbital expressed gratitude for the opportunity to collaborate with Lockheed Martin on this important mission. Marc Bell, Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Terran Orbital, highlighted the company’s expertise in small satellite solutions and its commitment to supporting critical missions.

With the deployment of these satellites, Terran Orbital is expanding its presence in the satellite manufacturing industry and contributing to the advancement of space-based technologies for defense and communication purposes.