Maxar 300 series' design approved for SDA's military satellite constellation

Space technology company Maxar Technologies announced it has completed the first critical design review of the Maxar 300 series for the Space Force's Tranche 1 Tracking Layer.

In collaboration with L3Harris Technologies, the Maxar 300 series is designed to carry a minimum of eight space vehicles per launch with low jitter demand and high power required for the missile defense mission, the company said.

“We designed the Maxar 300 series platform to be quickly scalable,” Chris Johnson, Maxar Space senior vice president and general manager, said in the announcement July 24.

Johnson noted the series' critical design review was completed within 10 months of the contract award and is scheduled to begin production of the series later this year, with initial deliveries in early 2024.

Maxar is responsible for building 16 platforms for the Space Development Agency’s T1TRK program, each about the width of a conventional oven. According to the announcement, unlike traditional missile tracking systems, these new dimensions will assist SDA to accomplish its goals to “reduce the size, weight, power and cost.”

The agency also plans to adapt and extend Maxar’s deep commercial communications satellite experience for new uses, the announcement reads.

The Defense Department in July 2022 said the T1TRK would build upon the Tranche 0 Tracking Layer capabilities, featuring enhanced targeted technologies, expanded coverage, increased integration, calibration processes and greater production efficiencies.