The Space Development Agency announced on July 13 that it has awarded $1.75 billion in contracts to L3Harris and Sierra Space to design, build, and deliver 36 satellites★ for the Pentagon's Golden Dome missile defense shield. The satellites are intended to provide missile warning, tracking, and targeting capabilities from low-Earth orbit, and the agency has put both contractors on what sources describe as an accelerated development schedule.
What the Satellites Will Do
The 36 spacecraft will form a dedicated LEO constellation focused on detecting and tracking missile threats across their flight trajectories—functions that are central to any credible layered missile defense architecture. The constellation is being built under Tranche 3 of SDA's broader missile defense warning and tracking layer, which the agency has been constructing in successive tranches to expand coverage and capacity over time★.
Timeline and Strategic Context
Both contractors are expected to have their satellites ready for launch by the end of 2028, a timeline that reflects the urgency the Pentagon is placing on closing capability gaps in space-based missile defense.
★ AI inference: One or more analytical conclusions in this article were drawn by the AI from cited facts and are not directly stated in the cited sources.