Space Force ground stations are being challenged to manage ever more satellites, bandwidth, mission-critical applications, and services while concurrently managing complex LANs, WANs, and fiber-based terrestrial/submarine networks that span the globe. Using outdated operational processes and proprietary tools is impractical. Modern software-centric automation is the answer. Ciena’s Blue Planet software can help automate operations across complex heterogeneous networks. Blue Planet automation speeds service activation while greatly decreasing traditional order-to-service OPEX; it also eliminates downtime cause by manual errors and frees up highly skilled technicians. With accurate inventory data, dynamic service activation, and automated recovery, Space Force can use Blue Planet to improve performance, security, and resiliency and achieve operational excellence at scale.