Space Development Agency Director Derek Tournear will be reinstated this week following an investigation into its satellite-contracting conduct.
According to the U.S. Air Force, Mr. Tournear will resume his duties as SDA director Thursday, replacing acting Director William Blauser, who was serving during the probe.
Mr. Tournear was on administrative leave since January following the launch of the Pentagon probe. The investigation was related to two contracts awarded by SDA in August.
The agency awarded a $254 million contract to Lockheed Martin subsidiary Tyvak and $170 million to York Space Systems to develop and build 10 tactical satellite prototypes.
Following the awards, losing bidder Viasat filed a complaint alleging the SDA failed to properly consider its offer and gave preferential treatment to other contractors.
Following the internal probe, the U.S. Air Force found that an SDA employee violated the Procurement Integrity Act during contract procedures. The SDA said it would recompete the contract awarded to Tyvak while leaving York Space Systems in place.
The Air Force did not confirm if the employee in question had been terminated or if Mr. Tournear was aware of the violation.
The SDA was established in 2019 as an independent acquisition arm of the U.S. Space Force. The agency is tasked with procuring and deploying thousands of missile-tracking satellites to form a robust constellation around Earth.
