SpaceX Wins $1.6 Billion in Launch Orders for Military Satellite Networks The U.S. Space Force has awarded SpaceX two launch task orders totaling $1.6 billion to deploy military satellite constellations, marking the largest publicly announced batch of missions under the National Security Space Launch Phase 3 program. The contracts cover 18 Falcon 9 launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California through the end of 2027, supporting the Space Based Sensing and Targeting portfolio. This portfolio includes satellite programs designed to enhance the military’s ability to detect, track, and communicate information about threats in near real time. The task orders solidify SpaceX’s central role in the military’s next-generation satellite networks. Beyond providing the launches, the company is also building two of the portfolio’s largest satellite systems under separate multibillion-dollar contracts. These systems will be critical components of the architecture, with SpaceX responsible for both placing the constellations in orbit and supplying key elements of the network. The Space Based Sensing and Targeting portfolio oversees several key initiatives. These include the Space Development Agency’s Tracking Layer, a constellation of infrared satellites designed to detect and track advanced missile threats; the Space Data Network Backbone, an optically linked communications network being developed by SpaceX to transmit large volumes of military data across the Joint Force; and the Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator program, another SpaceX-led constellation aimed at tracking aircraft and other airborne targets from orbit. SpaceX has previously secured contracts worth $2.29 billion for the Space Data Network Backbone and $4.#spacex #space_force #vandenberg_space_force_base #space_based_sensing_and_targeting #space_development_agency
