Updated

Updated · 24/7 Wall St. · Aug 20

Space Force Awards 5 Contracts Worth $60 Million to Link Rival Satellites to SpaceX Network

Updated

Updated · 24/7 Wall St. · Aug 20

Space Force Awards 5 Contracts Worth $60 Million to Link Rival Satellites to SpaceX Network

1 articles · Updated · 24/7 Wall St. · Aug 20

$60 million in Space Force awards will fund five $12 million contracts to prove non-SpaceX satellites can connect to the Space Data Network backbone.
The move is aimed at avoiding reliance on a single orbital vendor even though SpaceX built that backbone under a $2.29 billion award in May 2026.
The latest push came as SpaceX completed its 100th launch of 2026 on Aug. 18 and expanded Starlink to more than 11,000 low-Earth-orbit satellites.
Rocket Lab is explicitly tied to the effort, with its contract covering Photon spacecraft design and ground testing ahead of a planned 2027 flight; the report says five U.S.-listed companies stand to benefit.
The awards signal Pentagon support for a broader multi-vendor military space architecture rather than deeper dependence on Starlink alone.

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Will the Space Force's new $60M interoperability push actually break SpaceX's monopoly, or is it too late to catch up?

As Starlink surpasses 11,000 satellites, can rival firms build an orbital router system fast enough to prevent a single-provider space internet?

How will Rocket Lab's massive Iridium acquisition and new defense contracts reshape the fierce battle for low Earth orbit supremacy by 2027?

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