SDA director Sandhoo takes on broader Space Force missile warning portfolio

Space Development Agency director GP Sandhoo speaks at the 2026 Space Symposium. Credit: Space Foundation

WASHINGTON — The acting director of the Space Development Agency, Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo, has been appointed to a dual role overseeing both the agency and a new U.S. Space Force acquisition office responsible for missile-warning satellite procurements.

In the new assignment, Sandhoo will serve as director of SDA and as Portfolio Acquisition Executive, or PAE, for missile warning and tracking, SDA said.

The appointment formalizes a broader restructuring underway inside the Space Force as it reorganizes procurement programs around mission portfolios rather than individual satellite systems. A PAE oversees acquisition decisions, budgets and program integration for an entire mission area.

Sandhoo has led SDA as acting director since September 2025. His selection as missile-warning PAE had been reported previously by SpaceNews and other industry publications but was formally announced May 19.