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| SpaceX. (Photo=Yonhap News) |
[Alpha Economy = (Chicago) Correspondent Paul Lee] The U.S. Space Force has named SpaceX the prime contractor on a $2.29 billion program to build a military satellite data network.
On May 26, the Space Force said the firm-fixed, non-traditional contract centers on building a Space Data Network (SDN) backbone. The effort includes a secure, high-speed, low-latency satellite communications system that will link military sensors and weapons platforms worldwide. A fully operational prototype must be delivered by the end of 2027.
The SDN will provide near-real-time data paths from missile warning and tracking sensors to interceptors, making it a key underpinning of the Trump administration’s “Golden Dome” missile-defense concept.
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| U.S. Space Force. (Photo=U.S. Space Force) |
Col. Ryan Frazer, the program manager, described the effort as a platform that leverages commercial innovation to deliver tangible advantages to warfighters.
The SDN backbone will consist of a distributed pLEO satellite constellation and will interoperate with the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) transport layer to form an integrated data-transport architecture for current and future Department of Defense missions.
The Pentagon said it plans to select additional vendors this summer to participate in other network elements, including satellite production.
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