GAO Warns SDA’s Missile-Tracking Constellation Is at Risk From Overstated Tech Readiness

Overview

• GAO said the Space Development Agency is advancing new satellite tranches faster than key spacecraft, sensor, and ground technologies are proven, putting schedule and capability delivery at risk.
• The watchdog criticized SDA’s fixed-cadence tranche model for lacking an architecture-level schedule that shows how delays in one tranche ripple across the broader Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.
• GAO reported that early commercial buses and flight software required significant unplanned development, and that timely, actionable tracking performance has yet to be fully demonstrated across space and ground elements.
• The report found the Pentagon lacks a reliable life-cycle cost estimate for the Tracking Layer, citing limited contractor cost data and noting five-year satellite lifetimes that will require undefined replacement costs.
• Ground-segment work was underestimated and beset by scope confusion, and GAO issued six fixes on technology assessments, scheduling, warfighter collaboration, and cost data reporting that DoD mostly concurred with, partially agreeing with one.