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Space Agency Launches 21 Satellites Amid Supply Chain Bottlenecks

4/3/2026

23 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

The Space Development Agency launched 21 Lockheed Martin satellites on October 15.
Each payload uses three laser communication terminals due to a supply shortage.
Gurpartap Sandhoo, acting director of the Space Development Agency (SDA), says terminals are a bottleneck.
A report cites limited vendors and fragile supply chains, delaying testing and production.
Delays have prompted SDA to reassess launch frequency and improve terminal availability.

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Story summary

The Space Development Agency launched 21 Lockheed Martin satellites on October 15.
Each payload uses three laser communication terminals due to a supply shortage.
Gurpartap Sandhoo, acting director of the Space Development Agency (SDA), says terminals are a bottleneck.
A report cites limited vendors and fragile supply chains, delaying testing and production.
Delays have prompted SDA to reassess launch frequency and improve terminal availability.