Space Force eyes operations ‘hub’ for expansive data transport constellation

The Quad-band Large Aperture Antenna and Ground Multi-band Terminal satellite dishes are used by space range operators during an exercise near Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, Nov. 2, 2022.. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Charles Rivezzo)

By Courtney Albon • May 05, 2026

The Space Force plans to stand up a Mission Operations Center to manage the backbone of its hybrid commercial-government data transport constellation, the Space Data Network.

The center will be owned by the service but supported by contractors, serving as “the centralized hub that ‘brokers’ user services, mission plans, and resources,” the service said in an April 30 notice. “It will deliver enterprise-wide situational awareness and a common operational picture of all SDN ground and space assets.”

The Space Force’s vision for the SDN is to bring together commercial and military satellites that reside in multiple orbits to manage both tactical and enterprise communication needs, enabling faster decision-making for key missions like missile defense. The effort aims to combine both the secure, tactical communications that military users need as well as the high-throughput, low-latency satellites that can push large amounts of data to users with the goal of creating a more resilient and capable network.