WASHINGTON — Defense technology firm Anduril has won a $99.7 million U.S. Space Force contract to modernize the Space Surveillance Network (SSN), leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance space domain awareness and threat detection.
The five-year indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract, announced Nov. 21, will integrate Anduril’s Lattice software to autonomously process and distribute data from a global network of military space sensors, replacing legacy systems with a more advanced architecture.
Lattice enables machine-to-machine communication across diverse sensor types, including conventional and phased-array radars and telescopes. This capability allows for real-time analysis of space objects, improving the military’s ability to track satellites, monitor space debris, and provide early warning of potential ballistic missile launches.
The contract builds on previous awards, including a $33.5 million series of contracts for SSN upgrades the company received over the past two years. Anduril is also implementing SDANet, a mesh network that utilizes commercial space internet services like SpaceX’s Starlink to create high-speed connections between space domain awareness platforms.
U.S. Space Command has identified these network upgrades as an urgent priority, reflecting growing concerns about space-based threats and the need for more sophisticated monitoring capabilities.
The SSN, originally deployed in the late 1950s, has undergone incremental updates. Anduril said its AI-powered approach marks a technological leap in the military’s space surveillance infrastructure.
