VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. -- A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 0 mission to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., at 7:29 a.m. on April 2, 2023.
This was the SDA’s first dedicated launch. It was also the first launch of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, a new layered network of satellites in low-Earth orbit that will provide global military communication and missile warning, indication, and tracking capabilities.
The SDA became part of the U.S. Space Force on Oct. 1, 2022. It is responsible for rapid delivery of space-based capabilities to the joint warfighter.
(U.S. Space Force photo by Senior Airman Rocio Romo)