Military
Stories about military and national security missions in orbit.
Astranis Notches Key Demo for USSF’s GPS Backup
“We have shown that our satellites will be fully compatible with legacy GPS receivers,” Astranis CEO John Gedmark told Payload.
Nations Lock Down EO Capabilities As Ukraine War Continues
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine three years ago this week catapulted EO tech into the spotlight, providing a bird’s eye view of everything from Russia’s build up of military equipment along the border to the theft of Ukrainian grain. Seeing the benefits of EO before and during the conflict, industry officials said other countries have been…
New Bill Would Classify Space as Critical Infrastructure
The Space Infrastructure Act seeks to codify in statute that space assets are so vital to the nation’s economy and security that their disruption would have a debilitating impact.
How to Build the Iron Dome For America
Trump directed the US to rapidly beef up its space-based missile defense capabilities to keep pace with advancing space-based missile tech from adversaries.
DoD’s Former Top Space Buyer Joins True Anomaly Board
“I really like the speed the company is going at,” he told Payload. “And I really like their approach.”
Lieber Institute: How to Stop Space Nukes
Laying out the legal and geopolitical options available to the US government to stem the proliferation of nuclear weapons and other WMDs in orbit.
The Hottest Trend in Space Is A Defense Pivot
“If I had a nickel for every space company that pivoted to national security, well, I wouldn’t need to raise another round,” one spacetech founder mulling that exact strategy told Payload this week.
US Launches 122 Defense Payloads in 2024, Europe Launches 1
The US launched 122 defense payloads in 2024, surging 184% YoY, according to data compiled by astronomer Jonathan McDowell. The upswing was driven by the National Reconnaissance Office’s deployment of 106 SpaceX and Northrop-built Starshield remote sensing recon satellites.
Redwire Plans To Buy UAS Builder to Further NatSec Biz
Redwire intends to acquire Edge Autonomy, an uncrewed airborne system builder (UAS), to boost its ability to offer national security customers a suite of interconnected platforms across domains.
Slingshot Wins Contract to Detect GPS Jamming and Spoofing
PNT-SENTINEL will take advantage of a mesh network of thousands of satellites to identify locations of GPS interference on the ground.
Kendall Predicts Bigger, Stronger Space Force By 2050
“Space is going to be the decisive domain. The ability of the entire joint force to project power depends upon our success in space,” he said in his final think tank engagement as Air Force secretary.
Trump’s Bid to Buy Greenland Highlights Arctic’s Role in Space Security
“Space dominance is the new frontier of military superiority,” Rep. Mike Haridopolos (R-FL) posted recently on X. “By having a presence this far north, we maintain the edge in satellite communications, navigation, and situational awareness.”
He Helped Create the Space Force. Now He Wants to Arm It.
“If the world was going to end in an hour, I’d spend 55 minutes on the problem and five minutes on the solution.”
