Elon Musk's SpaceX has just landed a whopping $2.29 billion deal with the U.S. Space Force to build a satellite network for military communications and President Donald Trump's "Golden Dome" missile defense project. I mean, who needs healthcare and education when we can have a shiny golden dome in space, am I right?
This is apparently the largest military satellite contract to date for SpaceX, and it comes just weeks before the company is set to go public in what could be the largest-ever initial public offering. Cha-ching!
The work will likely go to SpaceX's subsidiary Starlink, which is already operating Starshield, a secure network for the U.S. government and military. Because nothing says "disruption" like a private company building the military's communications infrastructure.
The Space Data Network Backbone, as they're calling it, will be a constellation of hundreds of satellites in low-Earth orbit providing connectivity for data and communications. An operational prototype is due by the end of next year.
The contract was made under so-called Other Transaction Authorities, which fall outside of federal acquisition guidelines. The Pentagon has been using this authority more and more to acquire new technologies from non-traditional defense contractors. Sure, the Government Accountability Office has raised some oversight concerns, but who cares about that when there's money to be made?
Separately, the Missile Defense Agency named 2,440 businesses across the country, including at least 20 based in Texas or with a major presence in the state, as vendors under a contract that could be worth $151 billion for Golden Dome work over 10 years. That's a lot of gold!
So buckle up, folks. It looks like the future of warfare is in the stars, and Elon Musk is holding the keys to the Golden Dome. Let's just hope he doesn't get too distracted by his Twitter feed while he's up there.