A trail of a group of SpaceX's Starlink satellites passing over Uruguay. (Photo by Mariana Suarex/AFP, via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON ― The Space Force today announced it has awarded SpaceX $2.29 billion to “accelerate” fielding of a “backbone” data transport constellation in low Earth orbit (LEO) for the Space Data Network (SDN), which the service is developing as its central communications network to link sensors to shooters.
Under the Other Transaction Authority agreement, the company is to deliver “a fully operational prototype capability by the end of 2027,” Space Systems Command (SSC) said in a press release.
The SDN Backbone, formerly known as MILNET and based on SpaceX’s Starshield militarized variant of its commercial Starlink constellation, will serve as the backhaul data transport layer for the broader SDN. While the award to SpaceX is thus not a surprise, the size of the contract is.
The service’s fiscal 2026 budget included $277 million for MILNET. The FY27 request asks for $1.5 billion in SDN Backbone research and development, and another $1.6 billion in procurement with both pots to be provided via the reconciliation package.
