US Space Force Awards SpaceX $2.29 Billion Contract for Military Space Data Network
SpaceX will build a secure satellite backbone that links military sensors and weapons systems, with a fully operational prototype due by the end of 2027.
- On Tuesday, the U.S. Space Force awarded SpaceX a $2.29 billion contract to build the Space Data Network Backbone, a secure satellite communications network designed to connect military sensors and weapons platforms globally using Starshield satellites.
- The Pentagon restructured satellite acquisition efforts before Tranche 3 procurements, shifting emphasis toward the Space Data Network, consolidating major future satellite work under SpaceX compared to earlier Transport Layer acquisitions distributed across multiple vendors.
- Military officials prioritize the network because missile-tracking satellites can rapidly transmit targeting data through orbital relay networks to command systems with minimal delay; Space Force Colonel Ryan Frazier, acting portfolio acquisition executive, said it 'leverages the best of commercial innovation and delivers a strong foundation for the SDN mission set.'
- SpaceX must deliver a fully operational prototype by the end of 2027, while the Space Force plans to identify additional contractors this summer for satellite construction and will integrate the backbone with the Space Development Agency's Transport Layer constellation.
- The Trump administration's fiscal year 2027 budget request includes nearly $1.5 billion in research and development funding for the SDN Backbone plus $2.38 billion in procurement funding, as the Space Force established an SDN consortium to coordinate interoperability standards among participating vendors.
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30 Articles
The U.S. public administrations are taking care of SpaceX again. This time, the U.S. Space Force has awarded the company a contract of $2.29 billion (about €1.98 billion, at the current change) for the construction of a secure and high-speed satellite communications network that will connect military sensors and weapon platforms around the world. Thus, Elon Musk’s company obtains new multi-million dollar public contracts with which to attract in…
Space Force Secures Deal for Military Satellites
Space Force has secured a $2.29 billion contract with SpaceX to construct a satellite communications network. The system, the Space Data Network (SDN) Backbone program, aims to advance a “resilient, optically interconnected satellite constellation” in order to provide “secure, high-speed global data transport for the Joint Force.” The contract will enhance the network with an expanded satellite connection for “world-wide tactical communications …
Space Force awards $2.29B deal to SpaceX to accelerate 'backbone' SATCOM network
The Space Force’s acquisition arm has tapped SpaceX to expedite development of a proliferated low-Earth orbit constellation that’s expected to serve as the foundation of the Pentagon’s future space-based communications architecture. The $2.29 billion Other Transaction Authority agreement announced by the service Tuesday evening is for the Space Data Network (SDN) Backbone. Per the contract, SpaceX is required to deliver a “fully operational prot…
US Space Force Awards SpaceX $2.29 Billion Contract to Build Space Data Highway
The U.S. Space Force has agreed to a $2.29 billion contract with SpaceX to build a high-speed satellite communications network to connect military sensors and weapons platforms across the globe, the service said on May 26. The fixed-price nontraditional contracting agreement covers the Space Data Network (SDN) Backbone, a resilient network architecture that provides high-capacity, low-latency data transport for the military. Among other roles…
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