US Space Force confirms SpaceX will build sensor-to-shooter targeting network
Summary
Ars Technica reports that Space Force has awarded SpaceX a 2.29 billion contract to build the Space Data Network Backbone, creating a space-based data network to connect sensors and shooters. The piece places the program in the context of past SDA efforts, notes moves toward vendor competition and open standards, and highlights SpaceX's Starlink/Starshield role. It outlines the timeline to deliver a fully operational prototype by 2027 and discusses implications for global, secure, high-speed military communications.