Space.com
• Mike Wall
SpaceX launched a classified mission for the U.S. Space Force from California on Nov. 11, marking the company’s second such launch in a six-day span. The missions underscore SpaceX’s active role in U.S. military space launch, though the classified nature of the payloads leaves their specific objectives undisclosed.
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The Space Development Agency is examining how SpaceX laser communication terminals could be integrated with its missile-tracking satellites. An SDA spokesperson described the study as an initial step, with multiple potential hardware and software integration pathways still under consideration.
SpaceX launched a classified mission for the U.S. Space Force from California on Nov. 11, marking the company’s second such launch in a six-day span. The missions underscore SpaceX’s active role in U.S. military space launch, though the classified nature of the payloads leaves their specific objectives undisclosed.
The Space Development Agency contract will assess whether SpaceX’s proprietary Plaser laser terminal can work with Pentagon missile-warning and tracking satellites. The study addresses a broader interoperability challenge: connecting satellite networks that use different optical communications standards as the Space Force builds out its systems.
AST SpaceMobile has disclosed that it is involved in a U.S. Space Force program focused on airborne tracking. The available report does not specify the company’s contribution, the program’s capabilities or schedule, or the value of its role.
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Rocket Lab lifted the price of a dedicated Neutron launch from $55 million to $70 million, citing strong demand and constrained launch capacity. The company booked more than $515 million in Neutron launch contracts last quarter, including eight missions across five constellation operators, while shifting the rocket’s first launch to 2027.
Ukraine’s parliament has approved in first reading a bill to establish Space Forces as a new branch of its armed forces, amid concerns about dependence on foreign satellite communications. Recent Starlink and Starshield disruptions during the war have highlighted how access to space-based services can affect military operations.
SpaceX is scheduled to launch a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base’s pad 4E at 4:48 p.m. PST (7:48 p.m. EST, 0048 UTC). The classified U.S. Space Force mission is thought to carry satellites based on SpaceX’s Starshield platform.
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The U.S. Space Force selected Viasat under an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract to design, field and scale a Mission Operations Center for the Space Data Network Backbone. The center is intended to support operations of the service’s satellite data relay network; the award has a maximum value of $450 million.
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