Image: SpaceX
The U.S. Space Force has awarded SpaceX a $2.29 billion contract to build a high-speed satellite communications network designed to keep military sensors and weapons systems connected anywhere in the world.
The contract covers the Space Data Network (SDN) Backbone, a constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites that will form a secure, high-capacity data highway for U.S. and allied forces. SpaceX is required to have a fully operational prototype up and running by the end of 2027.
“The SDN Backbone supports the broader SDN, which acts as a core communications layer for the USSF warfighting systems, ensuring our sensors and shooters are connected continuously, globally and securely,” said Col. Ryan Frazier, the acting Space Force portfolio acquisition executive overseeing the program.
The network will use optical inter-satellite links to create a mesh of connected satellites capable of delivering low-latency broadband and tactical communications worldwide. It will work alongside the Space Development Agency’s existing Transport Layer to form what the Space Force describes as a unified, open architecture for military data transport.
The Space Force used an Other Transaction Authority agreement to award the contract, a flexible procurement tool designed to speed up delivery. Lt. Col. Fry, the program manager, said the goal is speed without compromise. “We aren’t trading speed for scale; we are demanding both,” he said.
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