(KNOX) – U.S. Senator John Hoeven today announced that he is working to expand the Space Development Agency (SDA) satellite mission at the Grand Forks Air Force Base. Hoeven made the announcement with SDA Director Dr. Derek Tournear while reviewing progress on the facilities being developed at the Grand Forks Air Force Base for the SDA’s low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite mission, which will serve as the backbone for all U.S. military communications. The priorities Hoeven is working to advance include:
- Operations Center North, also known as the space networking center.
- The construction is supported by $18 million that Hoeven secured in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 for this and a similar facility at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama.
- The facility is expected to be completed in the first part of August and will include a 56-seat operations center capable of supporting Tranche 1, Tranche 2 and Tranche 3 operations.
- 26 personnel are already on site, which is expected to grow to 75.
- The Test and Checkout Center (TCC), which is being re-named to the Technology Acceleration Center (TAC).
- The TAC will be used to conduct initial operations for the hundreds of satellites SDA will launch in coming years, testing their components and verifying they are ready to join the SDA network.
- Hoeven secured an initial $4 million in FY2023 to accelerate development of the TAC and is working to ensure SDA has the resources needed to complete the estimated $12 million project.
- SDA completed its initial design for the TAC and is working to award a construction contract next month, with an expected completion date in 2026.
- Expanding the SDA mission with Advanced Fire Control (AFC) operations at the base.
- SDA has started to develop satellites that can collect AFC data and rapidly transmit it to warfighters.
- As the technology matures, Hoeven is positioning Grand Forks to house AFC operations, utilizing additional capacity that will be available at the TAC.
“SDA operations in Grand Forks are ready for takeoff. When the Tranche 1 LEO satellites launch this year, Operations Center North will be squarely in the middle of military operations across the globe, but our efforts don’t stop there. We’ve worked to ensure both the ops center and the TAC have enough capacity to house future SDA operations, like the Advanced Fire Control capabilities that are currently being developed,” said Senator Hoeven. “AFC will enable mission-critical satellite info to be relayed to our warfighters in real time, giving the U.S. and its allies a strategic advantage. Between LEO, future AFC operations and the SkyRange hypersonic missile testing program at Grand Sky, this region is truly positioned to lead in the future of our nation’s defense. That’s not only good for our security, but will benefit the economy throughout the Red River Valley.”
“The Grand Forks community has provided outstanding support for SDA and the crucial work we are doing to deliver the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture,” said Derek Tournear, director of SDA. “Our Tranche 1 Space Networking Operations Center is nearing completion and we’re growing the role of the TCC into a more comprehensive center aimed at operating our future advanced fire control satellites in addition to onboarding the new tranches. So, we’re renaming the TCC to Technology Acceleration Center, or TAC, to more properly reflect the growing impact of the center.”
Standing up SDA’s LEO Mission
In 2021, Senator Hoeven announced Air Force approval to stand-up SDA’s new LEO satellite mission at Grand Forks, following his efforts with the SDA, including Director Tournear, and Senator Kevin Cramer. Over time, the mission could include not only operating SDA satellites but linking them with unmanned aerial systems (UAS), which would complement the base’s role in the Air Force’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
Prior to this, Hoeven hosted Tournear in North Dakota to outline efforts to establish the new center and announce the new laser communications project, which SDA is pursuing in conjunction with General Atomics. The senator also joined Tournear to review launch operations at Cape Canaveral, where the SDA launched five satellites central to the space networking center and the General Atomics project.
Operations Center North will support the first layer of the SDA’s satellite operations, which is designed to transport data and facilitate communications. SDA will begin launching that tranche of satellites this year, with additional layers to follow, including:
- A tracking layer, to provide warning of advanced missile threats.
- A targeting layer, to ensure constant access to targets around the world.
- A battle management layer, to support command and control of Department of Defense assets.
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