Space Force FY24 request likely to jump by billions, but lawmakers may balk: Analyst

By Theresa Hitchens, Published by Breaking Defense, 17 February 2023 While there's broad support on the Hill for space operations, long-time space budget guru Mike Tierney says language in recent policy and appropriations bills suggests lawmakers want Space Force and the Pentagon to "show their work." WASHINGTON — The Defense

Read More

3D render of planet Earth viewed from space, with night lights in Europe and sun rising over Asia. Blue hue treatment. Elements from NASA (https://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/57000/57752/land_shallow_topo_2048.jpg)

NATO reveals new space fleet

Published by RT, 16 February 2023 The US-led military bloc will use commercial satellites to improve intelligence gathering NATO has announced a new space project that aims to create a fleet of spy satellites. The initiative, which includes NATO applicants Sweden and Finland, involves not only national but commercial assets.

Read More

16 Allies, Finland and Sweden launch largest space project in NATO’s history

Published by NATO News, 15 February 2023 On Wednesday (15 February 2023), 16 Allies (Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Turkiye, United Kingdom, United States), together with invitees Finland and Sweden, launched a new initiative that will transform the way NATO gathers and

Read More

Pentagon working with Congress on unclassified space strategy

By Sandra Erwin, Published by SpaceNews, 15 February 2023 Congress directed DoD and the director of national intelligence to “make publicly available a strategy regarding defending and protecting on-orbit satellites” WASHINGTON — The Defense Department’s space policy office is drafting a congressionally mandated report explaining how the U.S. will defend

Read More

Maxar signs agreement with Umbra for direct access to radar imaging satellites

By Sandra Erwin, Published by SpaceNews, 14 February 2023 Maxar will be able to task Umbra’s satellites and integrate synthetic aperture radar data into its portfolio of Earth Intelligence products WASHINGTON — Maxar has signed a contract with satellite imagery startup Umbra to get dedicated access to the company’s radar

Read More

Astranis wins Space Force contract to integrate military satcom on commercial payload

By Sandra Erwin, Published by SpaceNews, 14 February 2023 The $4.5 million SBIR Phase 3 contract has $6 million option for an on-orbit demonstration WASHINGTON – Astranis Space Technologies won a $4.5 million contract to integrate a U.S. military communications waveform on one of the company’s satellite communications payloads, the

Read More

The Air Force Research Laboratory is now exploring cislunar space, which is expected to get more congested as more firms and countries invest in space travel to the moon. Their Cislunar Highway Patrol (CHPS) will experiment with space domain awareness beyond Geosynchronous Earth Orbit. AFRL courtesy image

Galactic dissonance for the Space Force

By Matthew Jenkins, Published by The Space Review, 13 February 2023 In the early days of airpower, foresighted theorists like Billy Mitchell petitioned hard to demonstrate the value that airpower could bring to the warfighting abilities of the United States. Ardently campaigning, Mitchell got permission from Congress to illustrate this

Read More