U.S. Space Force

Space Force's classified sensing constellation grows with USSF-432 launch

Customer for the classified mission

A Falcon 9 lifted off from California's central coast on the evening of Nov. 6 carrying a payload the Pentagon will not describe. It was the fourth launch in a classified series that outside tracking says has placed 23 satellites in orbit each time.

Updated 4 days ago

US Space Force gives SpaceX exclusive access to orbital tracking data

Rule Changes

Administers the SpaceX data exchange and says it is negotiating similar deals with other firms

The US Space Force has given SpaceX access to Vector Covariance Messages, its most precise orbital tracking files. No other private firm has routine access to the data, which carries the military's error margins for objects in orbit.

Updated Oct 27

SpaceX launches fourth batch of SDA data transport satellites

New Capabilities

Owner of the PWSA network

The Space Development Agency (SDA) launched the fourth batch of Tranche 1 data transport satellites on Oct. 10. The 21 Northrop Grumman-built spacecraft bring the total on orbit to 84 of 154 planned operational satellites.

Updated Oct 26

US confirms for first time it has weapons deployed in orbit

Force in Play

As of September 2026: Confirmed on-orbit space-control weapons; chief says acknowledgment was overdue

The United States has weapons deployed in orbit. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink confirmed it Monday at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference, saying the 'space-control weapons' are needed to defend against hostile adversaries.

Updated Sep 16

SpaceX builds out a U.S. defense satellite constellation

Built World

As of June 2026: Lead military customer

On June 7, a Falcon 9 rose from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California carrying 23 satellites. Two were Starshield, the military version of Starlink. SpaceX said so out loud, which it rarely does.

Updated Jun 7

The Space Force infrastructure race

New Capabilities

As of May 2026: Executing $12.5B infrastructure modernization amid rising threats

The Space Force just started ripping out 1970s-era network equipment at 14 bases nationwide, racing to install zero-trust cybersecurity before adversaries can blind America's satellites. CACI won the $212 million job (77% below the government's estimate) to upgrade both classified and unclassified networks as cyber incidents targeting space systems surged 118% in 2025. It's the biggest bet yet that software-defined networks can stop what's coming.

Updated May 19