Space Force Targets 2027 for Space Data Network Prototype
The Space Force plans to place an operational prototype of its Space Data Network Backbone in orbit by 2027.
FlyMarshall Newsroom1 min read
Photo: U.S. Space Force photo by 2nd Lt. Andrew Taller (Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
The Space Force plans to orbit an operational prototype of the Space Data Network (SDN) Backbone by 2027. The program is intended to link military and commercial satellite networks and support missions that include missile warning, tracking and targeting.
Key details
- SpaceX is developing the SDN Backbone under a contract awarded in May, valued at $2.29 billion.
- The planned network is described as a low-Earth-orbit data-backhaul layer, reworked from the earlier MILNET concept.
- A reported description of the earlier MILNET effort called for more than 480 satellites.
The Space Data Network Backbone contract awarded to SpaceX in May is valued at $2.29 billion.
Why it matters
A data-backhaul layer would provide a path for information to move between military and commercial satellite networks. The planned mission areas include missile warning, tracking and targeting.
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