The Pentagon is moving to establish a mission operations center (MOC) for its Space Data Network (SDN) Backbone, a key step toward operating a multi-vendor satellite communications network to support the Golden Dome missile defense initiative and broader military modernization efforts.
The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command announced the effort on Nov. 5, awarding Viasat an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract with a $450 million ceiling. An initial $115 million task order will support the design, fielding, and scaling of the new center.
The mission operations center will provide an operational layer to integrate network capabilities and manage data transport across satellite systems developed by multiple providers.
“The MOC establishes the mission operations layer needed to integrate the diverse space data transport and space exchange systems being developed across related efforts,” said Space Force Lt. Col. Alexa Eggert, materiel leader for the SDN Backbone program. “By bringing the systems together in one place, it positions us to deliver a more integrated mission capability across multiple constellations and systems.”
For Golden Dome, the SDN Backbone is intended to provide connectivity supporting the Pentagon’s planned layered homeland missile defense architecture. The network is also designed to support broader Joint Force requirements for resilient, multidomain communications.
Viasat will serve as the network and mission systems integration partner, helping coordinate the different space data transport and exchange capabilities being developed under the SDN effort.
The mission operations center is intended to bring those capabilities together in a coordinated operational environment as the Space Force expands its use of multiple satellite providers.
The approach reflects the Pentagon’s broader effort to move toward an integrated communications architecture that can incorporate capabilities from different vendors rather than relying on a single proprietary network.
The Nov. 5 announcement did not specify where the mission operations center will be located or when it is expected to become operational.