SpaceX wins $2.3B US Space Force SDN backbone contract

TL;DR: The US Space Force awarded SpaceX a $2.3 billion contract to build the backbone of its Space Data Network using low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, with an operational prototype due by the end of 2027.

The US Space Force awarded SpaceX a $2.3 billion contract to deliver the backbone for the Space Data Network (SDN), a satellite communications network designed to connect military platforms and sensors. The contract covers a backbone that will use low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to provide global connectivity for armed forces. SpaceX must deliver an operational prototype by the end of 2027.

The US Space Force said the SDN will operate as an integrated network for high-capacity, low-latency data transport. It described the SDN as a core communications layer for its systems, intended to provide continuous and secure connectivity. The SDN backbone will work alongside the US Space Development Agency’s transport layer to provide high-throughput, low-latency data backhaul.

The US Space Force said the SDN programme aims to create a unified and open architecture for critical data transport for current and future Department of War missions. The agency also said it formed a consortium of industrial partners to address integration and architectural challenges linked to the programme. Colonel Ryan Frazier, acting portfolio acquisition executive for space-based sensing and targeting, said the backbone would use commercial technology as a foundation for the SDN mission.

Related questions

• What is the value of the US Space Force contract awarded to SpaceX?
• When must SpaceX deliver the operational prototype for the SDN backbone?
• What role will low Earth orbit satellites play in the Space Data Network?
• How will the SDN backbone work with the US Space Development Agency transport layer?