Elon Musk’s SpaceX has received a $2.29-billion contract to build a secure satellite communications network to link military sensors, weapon systems, and command capabilities.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has received a $2.29-billion contract to build a secure satellite communications network to link military sensors, weapon systems, and command capabilities.
Awarded by the US Space Force, the agreement supports Washington’s Space Data Network (SDN) Backbone, a low Earth orbit satellite constellation that will provide resilient, low-latency data transport for the joint force.
The company is expected to deliver the solution’s prototype in mission-ready status by 2027.
Once operational, the SDN Backbone will serve as the core data transport layer for future operations, enabling near-real-time “sensor-to-shooter” connectivity across the globe.
Sources described the network as a “foundational” asset tied to the Trump administration’s Golden Dome missile defense initiative, which will employ ground and space-based technologies to protect the homeland against current and future ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic threats.
“The SDN Backbone leverages the best of commercial innovation and delivers a strong foundation for the SDN mission set,” said Col. Ryan Frazier, acting portfolio acquisition executive for space-based sensing and targeting at the US Space Force.
The network will operate alongside the Space Development Agency’s Transport Layer upon fielding, positioning a broader hybrid mesh architecture for data relay.
“We aren’t trading speed for scale; we are demanding both,” said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Fry, program manager for the SDN Backbone system.
“We are ensuring our advanced solutions are integrated and delivered to the warfighter as fast as possible.”
