The first Space Development Agency Tranche 0 launch carried 10 satellites to orbit.
COLORADO SPRINGS—The Space Development Agency (SDA) is negotiating with the FAA for temporary approval to test broadcasting a Link 16 datalink from its recently launched satellites.
The SDA on April 2 launched its first Tranche 0 satellites, which are being evaluated to provide Link 16 transmissions from orbit to military systems including aircraft. But the SDA has not received FAA approval to start the testing because it has not conducted electromagnetic certification checks. This means the SDA is missing its goal of testing Link 16 during this summer’s Northern Edge exercise.
SDA Director Derek Tournear said April 19 his agency is asking the FAA for a 60-day temporary frequency authorization before full testing is conducted to start limited evaluations of Link 16. The SDA has a test stand built for this function at the test and training range near Eglin AFB, Florida.
The full electromagnetic certification testing process could take “many months,” so the temporary approval is needed right away, Tournear argues. “Otherwise it’ll delay our test. So until we get approval on that, we haven’t locked in any specific Link 16 demos because we don’t know the timing. We don’t know whether we’ll be able to turn on in July or November, so that’s one of the things that we’re working,” he told reporters at the Space Symposium here.
Tournear previously said he was hoping to participate in a U.S. Marine Corps-led exercise in the Pacific in late summer, but that is not finalized.
“The only thing that’s set in stone now [is] we’ll certainly do the Link 16 demos over Eglin as soon as we’re given authority to operate in the national airspace,” he says.
The FAA in a statement says: “We are collaborating with several federal agencies to understand the unique compatibility issues as we continue to work to ensure the safety of the national airspace system.”
