Defence Demand: SDA Tranches and Golden Dome
How much pressure does defence space spending put on the supply chain?
Chapter summary
more than any other source of demand outside the mega-constellations, and concentrated in exactly the parts that are scarcest.
Key takeaways
- 1
The Space Development Agency's proliferated architecture orders hundreds of satellites in two-year tranches, each needing optical terminals, infrared sensors, rad-hard processors and III-V solar cells.
- 2
Tranche 3 tracking alone awarded 72 satellites in December 2025 (about $3.5 billion across four primes, launch in fiscal 2029) and an accelerated add-on followed in July 2026.
- 3
Golden Dome adds space-based interceptors, more tracking and solid motors (Study S4).
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