Viasat Wins $450M Deal for Space Mission Center
Space Systems Command has awarded Viasat an indefinite delivery contract to build a Missions Operation Center for a SpaceX-built satellite network.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Data Centers
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Space Systems Command awarded Viasat a contract with a $450 million ceiling to build a Missions Operation Center. The center will orchestrate the Space Data Network Backbone, a low Earth orbit satellite constellation being built by SpaceX.
Why it matters
The network links military and commercial space sensors and communications satellites with decision-makers and weapons platforms, with an initial focus on supporting the Golden Dome missile defense initiative. Its ability to reroute data among constellations is designed to keep transmissions moving during bandwidth congestion or adversary jamming.
The contract carries a $450 million ceiling under an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity structure, meaning the final spending depends on task orders not yet issued. The center will rely on software-run network orchestration that autonomously shifts data among satellite constellations and ground stations.
The players
Viasat
Viasat is a satellite communications company serving government and commercial customers, and it will serve as the network and mission system integration partner for the center.
SpaceX
SpaceX is the aerospace company building the low Earth orbit satellite constellation that forms the Space Data Network Backbone.
Space Systems Command
Space Systems Command is the U.S. Space Force unit responsible for acquiring space systems, and it issued the contract award.
The details
Space Systems Command issued the award on Thursday, naming Viasat as the network and mission system integration partner for the Missions Operation Center. The Space Force is working with the Pentagon's Golden Dome office on the project, which will integrate disparate satellite systems into a unified communications network.
Timeline
Thursday, November 5, 2026: Space Systems Command announces the Viasat contract award.
Tech Race
The project extends the Golden Dome missile defense initiative into space-based data networking, linking military and commercial satellites under one orchestration layer. It reflects a broader shift toward commercial constellations such as SpaceX's being integrated into national defense communications.
For most people the contract has no immediate effect, since the network serves military and defense missions rather than consumer services. Its role in linking satellites and rerouting data during jamming could eventually affect the reliability of communications that rely on these systems.
The takeaway
The Space Data Network Backbone shows how satellite constellations from different builders are being tied into one command layer for defense. Watch how the Golden Dome program defines its data-routing demands as the network takes shape.
Further reading
For more on the infrastructure behind networks like this, see Data Centers coverage.
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