Space Force Contracts Five Companies for Space Data Network Connectivity Demonstrations
The Space Force has awarded $12 million contracts to five companies to validate multi-vendor capabilities for its Space Data Network. This initiative aims to enhance data transport across a hybrid architecture of military and commercial payloads.
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The Space Force has engaged five companies—Amazon LEO for Government, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Rocket Lab, and York Space Systems—to demonstrate multi-vendor data connectivity for the Space Data Network (SDN). Each contractor will receive $12 million under agreements that support two projects focused on optical laser communication terminals.
One agreement, worth $10 million, will last six to nine months and involves ground-to-space and space-to-space data transport. The second, valued at $2 million, will help develop space exchange point payloads, facilitating direct network connections.
This approach is intended to create a competitive environment and reduce reliance on single-source vendors, enhancing integration and lowering costs for future communication systems. The Space Force aims to operationalize a hybrid architecture combining military and commercial systems.
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