Secretive ‘SILENTBARKER’ sats to launch late summer as space monitoring demands grow

By Theresa Hitchens, Published by Breaking Defense, 25 April 2023 SPACE SYMPOSIUM — The National Reconnaissance Office and the Space Force now plan to launch the first satellites in their highly classified joint SILENTBARKER program to improve monitoring of the heavens this summer, according to NRO Director Chris Scolese. The

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Space Force, SPACECOM pushing to speed ‘sustained’ maneuverability on orbit

By Theresa Hitschens, Published by Breaking Defense, 19 April, 2023 The Space Force is rushing to meet SPACECOM's demand, developing a new acquisition plan for space "mobility and logistics" — including on-orbit servicing and repair, satellite refueling and space junk cleanup — a plan that will lean heavily on use

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NRO signs agreements with commercial providers of hyperspectral imagery

By Sandra Erwin, Published by SpaceNews, 22 March 2023 The companies selected are BlackSky, HyperSat, Orbital Sidekick, Pixxel, Planet and Xplore WASHINGTON — The National Reconnaissance Office has signed five-year agreements with six commercial providers of hyperspectral satellite imagery, the agency announced March 22. The selected companies — BlackSky Technology,

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Limits on Ukraine’s use of Starlink for war operations is a lesson for U.S. military

By Sandra Erwin, Published by SpaceNews, 9 March 2023 Gen. Dickinson: “A shared understanding” is needed between commercial providers and their customers WASHINGTON — SpaceX’s decision to limit Ukrainian troops’ use of the company’s satellite internet is a cautionary tale for the U.S. military as it grows its reliance on

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