Viasat Wins Up to $450 Million Contract for Military Space Data Network

The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) has awarded Viasat a contract valued at up to $450 million to develop and operate a Mission Operations Center (MOC) for the Space Data Network-Backbone (SDN-B).

The facility will serve as a central integration hub for military communications and data transport across multiple satellite providers, supporting future operations that could include missile defense capabilities under the proposed Golden Dome system.

The contract begins with a $115 million task order for Viasat to design, establish, and scale the MOC.

The company will serve as the network and mission systems integration partner as the Space Force develops an open-architecture network connecting multiple space-based providers.

The center will coordinate mission integration, network operations, and data transport management, with the goal of improving secure connectivity and reducing reliance on individual systems or providers.

The award is part of the broader SDN initiative, a planned network of low Earth orbit military communications satellites intended to provide resilient, high-capacity data links across air, land, sea, and space domains.

The Space Force's fiscal 2027 budget includes $4.5 billion for the Space Data Network, making it one of the service's largest unclassified investment areas.