Military
Stories about military and national security missions in orbit.
Cognitive Space Wins Two DoD Contracts
Cognitive Space inked a pair of contracts with the Pentagon on Tuesday to automate and improve how quickly information can be shared in space. A first The SBIR Phase I contract with the Space Development Agency is the company’s “first engagement” with the Space Force office focused on quick development cycles and proliferated constellations, Cognitive…
Some Key Space Advocates Are Leaving Congress in 2023
The looming departure of national security space champions from Capitol Hill is expected to leave a vacuum as the Space Force approaches its third birthday, but experts say more junior members are waiting in the wings for their shot to drive military space policy. One of the community’s biggest losses is Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN),…
Pentagon Emphasizes the Need for Norms
The Pentagon’s long-awaited National Defense Strategy warns that conflict in space could quickly spiral out of control without a clear set of norms and expectations. Released Thursday, the strategy breaks out space concerns primarily into three buckets: Dangers of escalation The risk of accidentally escalating a conflict in space is “particularly high due to unclear…
DoD’s Indo-Pacific Command Adds Space Component
The US military command focused on deterring China will beef up its space footprint next month, the Space Force’s #2 officer, Gen. David “DT” Thompson, said Tuesday. The US Indo-Pacific Command will establish a Space Force component command on Nov. 22, said Thompson, who is the service’s vice chief of space operations, at a Mitchell…
Lockheed Martin Holds “Destination: Space 2050” Event in DC
Advanced tech can only do as much as the policies that regulate it allow, Lockheed Martin’s space chief said Thursday at an event to sell Washington officials on the moon habitats, in-space manufacturing, and smart cities that the company predicts will be commonplace by 2050. “The goal really is to start a dialogue and think…
White House Releases National Security Strategy Report
The Biden administration’s National Security Strategy highlights America’s exploration goals and economic opportunities in orbit, but some critics say it misses the mark on national security and largely ignores threats in orbit. The 48-page, unclassified document released last week has one paragraph dedicated to America’s space ambitions, including a pledge to lead the way in…
Rand Releases Adversary Perception Report
RAND Corporation is out with a new report on how the US’ principal adversaries—China and Russia—perceive the American space program. The overall findings are bleak, though they come as no surprise: “The Chinese and Russian native-language primary sources reviewed for this project reflect a sustained perception that US military activities related to the space domain…
Space Force to Refuel GEO Satellite with Orbit Fab Tanker
The Space Force (USSF) has signed on to be one of the very first customers of a gas station in space. This week, in-space refueling company Orbit Fab won a $13.3M USSF contract to gas up geostationary (GEO) military satellites starting in 2025. Under the four-year contract, which was first reported by Bloomberg, the Colorado-based…
Looking Ahead to FY2023
Happy Fiscal New Year, Payload readers. On Oct. 1, fiscal year 2023 (FY23) officially began. As is tradition in recent years, Congress has yet to pass any of the 12 appropriations bills necessary to keep the government running for the next fiscal year. President Biden signed a continuing resolution (CR) into law on Friday, avoiding…
Q3 2022 News Roundup
Time just flies by in the space industry, and we’ve already arrived at the end of the third quarter of 2022. It was a busy quarter, full of major partnership announcements, strides in science, and a jam-packed conference season. Here are the highlights from the last three months in commercial, military, and civil space. July…
NRO Awards Space-Based Radio Frequency Contracts
Commercial radio frequency (RF) sensing companies are opening their doors to the NRO in hopes of winning future data procurement contracts. Driving the news: The National Reconnaissance Office awarded six study contracts to Aurora Insight, HawkEye 360, Kleos Space, PredaSAR, Spire Global ($SPIR), and Umbra Lab. Bringing in industry These contracts are part of an…
SpaceX Activates Starlink in Iran
Protests in Iran reached their 10th night and 50 cities over the weekend, following the death of Mahsa Amini in custody. A digital curtain descends… In response to anti-government protests, Tehran has throttled internet access and mobile networks and blocked WhatsApp and Instagram, popular Western services within the country. NetBlocks, Cloudflare, and OONI are documenting…
The Role of Satellites and Space-Based Services during War, Six Months after Russia Invaded
Today marks the six-month anniversary of Russia invading Ukraine. Over the last half year, space-based services have played an integral role in each step of the conflict. Today, we’re providing a partial accounting of how space-based services and hardware have altered the course of the conflict (and how the space industry has itself been changed).…
