View 21 satellites of SDA’s Tranche 1 Transport Layer ahead of their operations from Grand Forks Air Force Base
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CALIFORNIA – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), chair of the Senate Armed Services (SASC) Airland Subcommittee and co-chair of the Senate Space Force Caucus, visited Vandenberg Space Force Base (SFB) in California with Secretary of the U.S. Air Force Dr. Troy Meink to view a variety of satellites before they launch. The launches demonstrate responsive, rapid pathways to putting necessary capabilities in orbit. Vandenberg SFB is tasked with providing agile, responsive, and resilient spaceport, test range, and installation capabilities for the country. The visit also featured a tour of Vandenberg SFB’s launch and range infrastructure, the 18th Space Defense Squadron, and the 533rd Training Squadron.
Vandenberg’s host unit, Space Launch Delta 30, supports West Coast launch activities for several agencies, including the Air Force, Department of Defense (DOD), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Cramer toured the Space Development Agency (SDA) and National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)’s payload processing facility where he viewed 21 satellites from SDA’s Tranche 1 (T1) Transport Layer. The satellites were integrated during their visit, ahead of their operation out of SDA’s Operations Center – North at Grand Forks Air Force Base (GFAFB) in North Dakota as well as Operations Center – South at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama.
“The impressive work being done at Vandenberg points back to the excellence of Grand Forks’ space infrastructure,” said Cramer. “SDA’s first Tranche 1 satellites, controlled from Grand Forks Air Force Base, increase the resilience of our nation’s space-based defense and ensure our warfighters have the capabilities they need. This mission paves the way for future integration of cutting-edge satellite technology. I appreciate our military leadership’s keen attention to leading and securing the space domain.”
The 21 T1 Transport satellites are scheduled to be launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Sept. 10. The remaining 105 T1 Transport satellites launch in 2026.
In August 2024, Cramer flipped the switch to bring the SDA Operations and Networking Center at GFAFB online. The center supports the agency’s Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) tracking and transport satellite missions. GFAFB was approved to operate SDA’s future satellite mission in September 2021 using the base as a center to monitor and maneuver satellites. Cramer advocated for GFAFB to oversee this mission and has been working to direct additional federal space assets like SDA to North Dakota.
In June 2022, Cramer participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony opening the SDA’s first Ground Operations and Integration Center. GFAFB and the City of Grand Forks were selected to house, operate, and control multiple-layer satellite operations for Tranche 1 of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). The PWSA provides high-speed tactical data transport and supports DOD’s “pivot” to a multi-orbit, resilient missile warning, missile tracking, and missile defense architecture.