The Space Development Agency (SDA) is looking to industry for input on how its collaborative low-Earth orbit mega-constellation – known as the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) – could be integrated into President Donald Trump’s “Iron Dome for America” missile defense system.
In a solicitation published to Sam.gov on Feb. 11, the SDA requested 60-day studies from industry on “novel architecture concepts, systems, technologies, and capabilities” to integrate the PWSA for the “Iron Dome for America” – a major initiative aimed at strengthening U.S. defenses against advanced missile threats.
Responses are due by Feb. 28.
President Trump announced the Iron Dome in an executive order issued Jan. 27, which envisions a modernized, multilayered missile defense system that relies heavily on space-based assets, which includes the PWSA.
The PWSA enables seamless communication between satellites and military systems. It has three tranches: Tranche 0 tests data transfer, Tranche 1 provides encrypted regional connectivity, and Tranche 2 expands capabilities with more satellites and new data links.
President Trump’s Iron Dome executive order suggests developing a “custody layer” within the PWSA to enhance its integration into missile defense systems.
“SDA is soliciting executive summaries to study and provide recommendations for an Iron Dome for America architecture. These studies will inform SDA on concepts for such an architecture and how the PWSA could contribute,” the document reads.
The solicitation requires industry participants to outline six study topics in their reports: high-fidelity modeling and simulation, optimization of the PWSA transport layer for missile defense, supply chain analysis, space and ground architectures, on-orbit sensor data processing, and software solutions for autonomous satellite operations.
SDA is also seeking input on how to fast-track Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor capabilities into the PWSA’s tracking layer.
“SDA is interested in industry’s perspective on implementing the Iron Dome for America architecture, and is particularly interested in building on and integrating PWSA’s current contributions to global kill chains and missile defense,” the solicitation states.
SDA said it is contemplating multiple awards, but emphasized in the solicitation that the Federal government reserves the right to make a single award, multiple awards, or no awards at all.
