Viasat Selected to Operate Space Force Space Data Network Center

The U.S. Space Force has chosen satellite communications company Viasat to build and manage an operations center for its emerging Space Data Network. The contract, worth up to $450 million, tasks the company with standing up the SDN Mission Operations Center and handling network operations for the service's proliferated communications layer.

The award covers operating the backbone network linked to the Space Development Agency. It comes the same week that reports surfaced of interoperability gaps across the Space Data Network architecture.

Viasat's role centers on the SDN Mission Operations Center, the facility that will manage the network. The company was selected for network operations duties tied to the Space Development Agency backbone. The contract carries a ceiling of $450 million.

The selection reflects the continuing build-out of the Pentagon's proliferated network layer and the cost associated with operating it. The Space Data Network represents an emerging capability for the Space Force, and the mission operations center is a key component of that architecture.

What remains to be seen is how the operations center integrates with the broader SDN architecture as the Space Force continues developing the network and addressing the interoperability questions raised this week.