SpaceX Wins $2.29B Space Force Contract to Build Military Space Internet Backbone

The U.S. Space Force awarded SpaceX a $2.29 billion contract to build the SDN Backbone, a low‑Earth‑orbit satellite system that will serve as the military’s space‑based internet and enable real‑time, high‑capacity, secure communications for joint forces worldwide. SpaceX must deliver a fully operational prototype by the end of 2027, and the backbone will operate in concert with the Space Development Agency’s Transport Layer within an open‑architecture framework. The move underscores SpaceX’s central role in U.S. space and defense programs as NASA expands crew missions with SpaceX amid Boeing delays.