Elon Musk’s SpaceX has won a contract to develop a secure, high-speed satellite communications network for the US Space Force. The project is expected to support President Trump’s Golden Dome effort.
According to the US Space Force, the $2.29 billion network will provide high-capacity, low-latency data transport for the military. It covers the outfit’s next-gen satellite communications architecture, known as the Space Data Network (SDN) Backbone.
The global satellite network will be more resilient and offer higher redundancy, thanks to the distributed satellite nodes, unlike traditional systems that rely on a few large satellites. It will connect missile-tracking and warning systems in real time, a core feature of the Golden Dome missile-defense initiative.
The SDN Backbone will also integrate with the Space Development Agency’s Transport Layer, which will support current and future Department of Defense (DoD) missions.
The contract is fixed-price, meaning SpaceX is obligated to complete the project even if it runs over the budget. It was awarded under the DoD’s Other Transaction Authority (OTA) framework, which allows the military to leverage SpaceX’s commercial low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite expertise.
SpaceX is expected to deliver a working prototype before the end of 2027. However, Space Force will award more satellite construction contracts later in 2026.
The Space Force has a history of working with SpaceX. The military agency has used the space exploration company for multiple space mission launches. The latter also won a contract to build the Starshield satellite network for the Pentagon.
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