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space-force Articles | Developments Today

Pentagon's Plans To Track Aircraft From Orbit Accelerated With New $4B SpaceX Deal

Space Force accelerates orbital aircraft-tracking push with $4.16 billion SpaceX award

The Space Force awarded SpaceX $4.16 billion for space-based airborne target tracking.
Officials say an early operational capability could reach orbit by 2028.
The effort supports a longer-term Pentagon shift from aircraft-based to space-based tracking.

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DT Editorial Team·May 30, 2026·via twz.com

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SpaceX wins $4.16B Space Force contract to detect airborne moving targets - Breaking Defense

SpaceX lands $4.16 billion Space Force sensor contract

The initial award is worth $4.16 billion.
The first satellite constellation is projected to field by 2028.
The Space Force expects multiple future awards to expand the capability.

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DT Editorial Team·May 29, 2026·via breakingdefense.com

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US Space Force confirms SpaceX will build sensor-to-shooter targeting network

Space Force confirms SpaceX will build military targeting data network

The Space Force confirmed a $2.29 billion contract for SpaceX to build the Space Data Network Backbone.
Officials say the low-Earth-orbit system will provide a resilient communications layer connecting military sensors and shooters.
The award deepens the Pentagon's reliance on SpaceX's commercial and government satellite infrastructure.

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DT Editorial Team·May 27, 2026·via arstechnica.com

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SpaceX wins $2.29B to speed Space Force's LEO communications 'backbone' - Breaking Defense

SpaceX Wins $2.29 Billion to Accelerate Space Force’s LEO Data Backbone

SpaceX will build a low Earth orbit communications backbone for the Space Data Network.
The agreement is worth $2.29 billion and targets an operational prototype by end-2027.
The system is designed to link sensors and shooters with resilient global data transport.

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DT Editorial Team·May 27, 2026·via breakingdefense.com

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Space Force eyes 2027 demonstrations of in-space refueling and satellite servicing

Space Force Plans 2027 In-Orbit Refueling and Servicing Demos in Geostationary Orbit

The Space Force plans a 2027 GEO mission with refueling and servicing demonstrations.
USSF-23 will involve Astroscale U.S., Orbit Fab and Starfish Space.
One goal is the first commercial in-space refueling of a U.S. Space Force asset.
Officials are also evaluating whether orbital logistics can become a viable commercial market.

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DT Editorial Team·May 21, 2026·via spacenews.com

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DT Editorial Team·May 21, 2026·via breakingdefense.com

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DT Editorial Team·May 20, 2026·via spacenews.com

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DT Editorial Team·May 17, 2026·via spacenews.com

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DT Editorial Team·May 17, 2026·via spacenews.com

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DT Editorial Team·May 9, 2026·via spacenews.com

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DT Editorial Team·May 8, 2026·via spacenews.com

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DT Editorial Team·May 8, 2026·via breakingdefense.com

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DT Editorial Team·May 7, 2026·via arstechnica.com

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DT Editorial Team·May 4, 2026·via breakingdefense.com

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DT Editorial Team·May 1, 2026·via spacenews.com

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DT Editorial Team·Apr 30, 2026·via spacenews.com

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DT Editorial Team·Apr 30, 2026·via breakingdefense.com

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DT Editorial Team·Apr 29, 2026·via spacenews.com

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DT Editorial Team·Apr 25, 2026·via spacenews.com

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DT Editorial Team·Apr 25, 2026·via arstechnica.com

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DAF study finds new space launch site 'probably' required - Breaking Defense

Space Force Study Points to Need for a New U.S. Heavy-Launch Range

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said a new study shows the U.S. probably needs another heavy-launch-capable site.
The Space Force alone is planning roughly 1,000 launches between fiscal 2027 and 2031.
Current launch infrastructure at Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg is emerging as a national bottleneck.

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SDA director Sandhoo takes on broader Space Force missile warning portfolio

Space Force Formalizes a New Missile Warning Leadership Structure

GP Sandhoo was formally appointed to oversee both SDA and the new missile warning and tracking acquisition portfolio.
The new office covers low Earth orbit tracking, Next-Gen OPIR, and a medium Earth orbit hypersonic-tracking effort.
The restructuring shows the Space Force moving toward mission-based acquisition management.

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Space Force awards Northrop Grumman $398 million satellite contract

Space Force Backs Northrop Prototype for Hardened Military Communications

Northrop Grumman won a $398 million Space Force contract for a protected communications prototype.
The satellite will test anti-jam and cyber-resilient technologies built around the Protected Tactical Waveform.
The mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than 2030.

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York Space defends growth strategy as SDA programs are reshaped

York Space argues Pentagon shake-up will not erase demand for military satellite networks

York’s recent expansion has been driven largely by Space Development Agency transport-layer contracts.
The Pentagon is moving SDA programs into a broader Space Force acquisition structure and transitioning the transport layer into the Space Data Network.
York argues that the military need for resilient, proliferated communications satellites remains intact despite the reorganization.

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Military space boom meets Beltway friction

A Space Budget Surge Is Coming, but Industry Wants Contracts, Not Signals

The Trump administration’s FY2027 budget proposal would more than double Space Force funding to over $71 billion.
Space companies are asking for concrete contract details before making costly capacity investments.
Pentagon officials say they are prepared to award and execute faster, but industry wants firmer demand visibility.

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Rocket Lab joins Raytheon on space interceptor program for Golden Dome

Rocket Lab Moves Deeper Into Defense With Golden Dome Work and Hypersonic Test Flights

Rocket Lab is supporting Raytheon on technology demonstrations for the Space Force’s space-based interceptor effort.
The company also won an agreement with Anduril for three hypersonic test flights using its HASTE vehicle.
The deals deepen Rocket Lab’s role in U.S. defense programs beyond its traditional commercial launch profile.

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Space Force boosts contract ceiling for Andromeda space monitoring sats to $6.2B - Breaking Defense

Space Force Expands Andromeda Contract Pool to $6.2 Billion for Next-Generation Space Surveillance

The Space Force raised the Andromeda contract ceiling from $1.8 billion to $6.2 billion.
RG-XX is set to replace the GSSAP fleet with smaller, lower-cost satellites.
Andromeda will also fund SG-XX, a future replacement for the classified SILENTBARKER constellation.

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Former NASA chief takes helm of national security space firm

Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine Joins Quantum Space as National Security Focus Intensifies

Former NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine has been named CEO of Quantum Space.
The company’s Ranger spacecraft is designed for rapid maneuvering from low-Earth orbit to cislunar space.
Quantum Space is tied to programs involving lunar water mapping, cislunar awareness, and surveillance missions.

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It's a wrap: Space-BACN satellite laser link program shifts from DARPA to DIU - Breaking Defense

DARPA’s Space-BACN program is shifting to DIU for a possible orbital next step

Space-BACN is shifting from DARPA to the Defense Innovation Unit.
The program aims to connect incompatible satellite networks through universal optical links.
Breaking Defense reports DIU may seek an on-orbit demonstration.
The technology is relevant to the Space Force’s planned Space Data Network and missile defense architecture.

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Northrop Grumman delivers sensor for missile-warning satellite as Pentagon cancels program

Pentagon Move to Cancel Next-Gen OPIR Polar Sets Up Clash Over Missile Warning Strategy

Northrop says delivery of a key sensor keeps the missile-warning program on track.
The Pentagon now proposes ending the polar satellite effort and shifting emphasis to LEO and MEO layers.
Congress has already signaled resistance to canceling the broader Next-Gen OPIR architecture.

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Space Force selects firms to build counter-surveillance payloads for satellites

Space Force backs counter-surveillance sensors for satellites in geosynchronous orbit

Three companies received $3 million SBIR contracts to develop radar-detection payloads.
The sensors are intended for U.S. military satellites in geosynchronous orbit.
The Space Force says the systems could reveal in real time when satellites are being tracked or targeted.

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Space Force awards first contracts for satellite threat warning radar payloads - Breaking Defense

Space Force starts building radar warning payloads for satellites that can sense when they are being watched

Space RCO awarded three $3 million contracts for radar warning receiver development.
The sensors are meant for maneuverable geosynchronous satellites under the Andromeda program.
Payloads will detect and characterize ground-based radars tracking Space Force assets.
The effort reflects a broader push for more tactically aware and survivable military spacecraft.

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Pentagon budget affirms Space Force role tracking moving targets from orbit

Pentagon Budget Pushes Space Force Deeper Into Real-Time Tracking From Orbit

The Pentagon’s fiscal 2027 budget request allocates more than $8 billion for space-based moving target indicator systems.
Ground moving target indication is further along and is being developed with the National Reconnaissance Office in low Earth orbit.
Air moving target indication is technically harder, but the Space Force has already awarded base contracts to nine vendors under a system-of-systems approach.

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Space Force faces surge in demand for heavy-lift launches

Space Force sharply raises demand for heavy-lift launches, tightening pressure on a thin national security market

The Space Force plans to add 25 high-energy missions between 2027 and 2029.
The original Phase 3 Lane 2 plan covered 54 missions over five years.
Only SpaceX and ULA are currently certified for these missions, and only SpaceX is flying them now.
The Pentagon’s fiscal 2027 budget request includes about $5 billion for 31 national security launches.

More in Space→

This is who's developing Golden Dome's orbital interceptors—if they're ever built

The Pentagon’s Golden Dome Is Moving Into Prototype Phase With a Dozen Space Contractors

The Space Force identified 12 companies involved in Golden Dome space-based interceptor work.
Twenty OTA awards made in late 2025 and early 2026 are worth up to $3.2 billion.
The current phase focuses on development and demonstrations, not operational deployment.

More in News→