Derek Tournear Reinstated as Space Development Agency Director Following Investigation Related to Contract Dispute
Space Development Agency (SDA) Director Derek Tournear, who was placed on administrative leave Jan. 16 due to a contract dispute, will return to his position on April 17. SDA is charged with development of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA), a planned mega-constellation comprising hundreds of data relay, missile warning and missile tracking satellites stationed in low-Earth orbit.
“Effective April 17, 2025, Dr. Derek Tournear will resume his duties as the Director of the Space Development Agency,” an Air Force spokesperson stated in response to an inquiry regarding SDA's director, who has been suspended since Jan. 16.
Tournear’s suspension followed a bid protest by Viasat over SDA’s Aug. 16, 2024 award of two prototype agreements, worth approximately $424 million in total, to York Space Systems and Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems. For this award, each contractor was tasked with building 10 Tranche 2 Transport Layer (T2TL) – Gamma variant prototype space vehicles.
Tournear was initially replaced by Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, commander of the Space Force’s Space Systems Command, as acting director of the SDA; however the perception that this could be seen as an attempt to asset control over SDA led to William Blauser, deputy director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, assuming the role
The Gamma satellites will not be part of the operational Transport Layer of data relay satellites but are related to the agency’s efforts to develop fire control capabilities for missile defense and the experimental FOO Fighter program.
A subsequent investigation by the Department of the Air Force found that an unnamed “SDA employee” had revealed to Tyvak that its bid price “was the second highest and would not be selected for award," according to documents filed on Feb. 14 with the US Court of Federal Claims. Several sources close to the case confirmed that the employee was Tourner.
That action was determined by the senior Air Force official in charge of the review, Maj. Gen. Alice Trevino, to be a violation of the Procurement Integrity Act that regulates government contracting practices. Consequently, the department agreed to revoke the award to Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems worth $254 million for 10 experimental fire-control satellites and reopen bidding.
Asked about the investigation, an Air Force spokesperson said, “The matter was addressed through established civilian personnel processes.”