Rocket Lab Corporation (Nasdaq: RKLB) has been selected to join the U.S. Space Force's Space Data Network (SDN) Consortium and awarded two delivery orders totaling $12 million to support a secure military satellite communications network, according to a company statement.

The SDN Consortium, managed by the Space Force's Space Systems Command, is developing the Space Data Network Backbone (SDN-B), a satellite communications architecture intended to provide secure, low-latency global connectivity for U.S. military operations across air, land, sea, and space domains.

Under the delivery orders, Rocket Lab will design, test, and demonstrate technologies to enable communication between satellites and ground systems. The company will also conduct an in-orbit demonstration using a Rocket Lab-built Photon spacecraft equipped with optical and network capabilities to demonstrate interoperability of secure optical communications in space. An operational demonstration is expected in 2027.

"Rocket Lab is honored to join the U.S. Space Force's Space Data Network Consortium and to contribute to the development of this critical communications infrastructure," said Sir Peter Beck, Rocket Lab founder and CEO.

Rocket Lab is headquartered in Long Beach, California, and provides launch services, satellite manufacturing, and spacecraft components for commercial, government, and defense customers.