CLASSIFIED
BB 2
US Military Mesh Communications (SDA Tranche 0 Transport Layer) · US Space Development Agency
Right now
LiveIt moves every second. See exactly where it is — worked out from its orbit, on your own device — on the live 3D globe.
- Over
- —
- Altitude
- —
- Speed
- —
BB 2, part of the same April 2023 SDA Tranche 0 launch as the Checkmate satellites, contributing to the demonstration mesh network that proved small, cheap, laser-linked military satellites could genuinely relay tactical data fast enough to matter in real combat — the architecture the Pentagon has since scaled dramatically for its Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 Transport Layer constellations.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Low Earth Orbitcan appear as a fast-moving star at dawn or dusk
- Altitude
- 457–463 mi (736–745 km)
- Inclination
- 81.0°
- One orbit
- 99.5 minutes14.5 orbits a day
- NORAD ID
- 56170
- Int’l designator
- 2023-050J
- Launched
- 2023
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.
More classified
- BB3US Military Mesh Communications (SDA Tranche 0 Transport Layer)
- BB4Military Technology Demonstrator (SDA Tranche 0)
- BLACKJACK ACES-1US Military Technology Demonstrator (Scaled-Down Constellation)
- BLACKJACK ACES-2US Military Technology Demonstrator
- BLACKJACK ACES-3US Military Technology Demonstrator (Scaled-Down Constellation)
- CHAMRAN-1Technology demonstration