Space Force Assigns Viasat to Build Mission Operations Center for Space Data Network

The US Space Systems Command has selected Viasat to design, build and scale a Mission Operations Center (MOC) for the Space Data Network Backbone, the data-relay architecture that supports Golden Dome and other modernization programs. The award, announced on 5 November 2026, takes the form of an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a ceiling of US$450 million and an initial task order valued at US$115 million. According to the official release cited by sector media, the MOC will orchestrate multi-vendor satellite constellations, provide cross-domain connectivity and support real-time priority routing across the network.

The announcement follows separate reporting by Breaking Defense that optical terminals fielded by SpaceX, the Space Development Agency and the Space Systems Command are not currently interoperable, and that a supplementary set of relay satellites, called Space Exchange Points and estimated at around US$1 billion, may be required to bridge them. The two developments underline satellite data interoperability and cross-system integration as a significant spending category in current US defense procurement.