Space Development Agency Admits Orbital Mesh Network Delayed by at Least a Year

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The Space Development Agency’s plan to build a satellite-to-satellite data relay network is now more than a year behind schedule, SDA director G.P. Sandhoo disclosed.

Just over six months ago, Sandhoo told attendees of the Satellite 2026 conference in Washington, DC, that the program was “about three months behind” and that he hoped to begin construction within six months. That self-imposed deadline is set to expire in 10 days.

But Sandhoo said here on Tuesday that the SDA will not meet it. He now does not expect to begin work for at least another three months, bringing the total expected delay to a minimum of one year.

“We have not started yet,” the SDA director told reporters bluntly at the AFA 2026 conference. “We are behind on that. We should be there already.”

“I push on the team every week. … The next step is to get that done,” he continued. “In the next three to four months, that’s the number one priority for us.”

The network is considered a top priority because it is essential for streamlining data transfers across SDA’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PSWA), a constellation expected to encompass hundreds of satellites providing missile warning, tracking, and fire control capabilities. The network would enable satellites to exchange data directly with one another — rather than relaying signals through ground stations — using laser beams rather than radio waves.

According to Sandhoo, there have been “multiple issues,” but a significant one is securing enough high-quality optical components. The “optical heads” must be precisely engineered to send and receive clear signals while also being robust enough to survive the rigors of launch and orbital operation.

The problem is, quite literally, rocket science — compounded by supply chain challenges.

The SDA used firm fixed-price contracts to control costs for the initial group of Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture satellites, known as Tranche 1, Sandhoo explained. However, all of those contracts were awarded to a single supplier for Optical Communication Terminals (OCTs).

“That vendor is having issues with throughput and not able to deliver,” he said.

“I have not seen the improvement that I wanted to see … in Tranche 1,” the director continued. “With Tranche 2, we have done some risk mitigation.” The plan calls for creating “a parallel path … so you have options later in the design” to incorporate OCTs from an alternative supplier.

In the longer term, the Space Force has even broader ambitions for its PSWA satellites, Sandhoo said. Those include incorporating edge computing and artificial intelligence capabilities, enabling the satellites to process vast quantities of data in orbit, thereby conserving space-to-Earth bandwidth and accelerating the flow of high-priority information.

“We plan to leverage all of that as we get into this,” Sandhoo said, “But we are not going to start with transformative AI. … We’ve still got to get the satellites up first.”

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