Satellite Programs & Technology Space Force Commercial Space Industry (New Space) Space Defense & Militarization

Space Force awards SpaceX $57M crosslink demo using Link-182 for MILNET data relay

The Space Systems Command, the U.S. Space Force’s acquisition arm, awarded SpaceX a $57 million contract to demonstrate satellite-to-satellite communications using Link-182. The radio-frequency data-link standard has been adopted for the MILNET data relay network.

Discovered 2026-04-23T14:50:27.221197-07:00 | 2026-04-23T14:50:27.221197-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

Validates a key MILNET communications building block by funding a Link-182 satellite crosslink demonstration, reinforcing how data relay capacity will be improved and tested in orbit.
Highlights continued DoD reliance on commercial space providers for mission-enabling communications tech, in line with broader LEO connectivity expansion such as the governance implications of Starlink-scale constellations (How Starlink and Amazon Leo are reshaping satellite connectivity and governance).
Adds to the parallel tech push toward higher-throughput inter-satellite networking, complementing efforts like terabit-class optical switching for constellation backbones (ESA backs TTTech to build terabit-per-second Ethernet switch for optical ISL constellations).

Reported By

exterrajsc.com keeptrack.space SpaceNews.com