Stories about military and national security missions in orbit.
This morning, Kall Morris Inc. (KMI) announced that it’s notched an agreement with the US Air Force to explore its proposed method to dock with uncontrolled pieces of debris in orbit for removal. TumblEye-ing: Under the contract, Kall Morris plans to test its TumblEye system for active debris removal (ADR) applications for USAF. Removing a […]
It’s about time for the US Space Force to start seriously building out its counterspace capabilities, the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies argues in a report released yesterday. The report looks at what threats US assets face in space, particularly from China, and encourages the USSF to start building out its own arsenal of military […]
One lawmaker is looking to make military launch facilities run more like commercial airports with a pair of amendments set to be introduced tomorrow when the House Armed Services Committee debates its version of the NDAA. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA) is expected to introduce two amendments on the Spaceport of the Future: one to allow […]
When the US talks to China, China never talks back, according to a senior DoD official. Lt. Gen. John Shaw, the second in command at US Space Command, said there are “a couple” Chinese email addresses registered with the government’s space-track.org site, which alerts operators about potential collisions in orbit, giving them an opportunity to […]
Space sustainability enthusiasts who gathered in New York this week for the fifth iteration of the Secure World Foundation’s Summit for Space Sustainability were faced with a dizzying stat: more than 2,700 spacecraft have been launched since the organization’s last meeting a year ago. The first day of the conference was all about the need […]
The Spaceport Company, a startup aiming to supply mobile, floating launch pads for responsive launch, won a $1.5M contract from the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) through its National Security Innovation Capital (NSIC) program, the company announced Monday. Under the contract, The Spaceport Company will develop a resilient sea platform that can be deployed in rough […]
Ursa Major received a contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) on Tuesday to test a prototype of its new Draper engine for hypersonics and to continue developing its Arroway engines. AFRL awarded these funds aiming to decrease US dependence on foreign propulsion systems for space launch, a key goal of its rocket propulsion […]
Some lawmakers are re-launching their bid to establish a Space National Guard, despite strong White House opposition to previous efforts. House Armed Services Committee members Reps. Jason Crow (D-CO) and Doug Lamborn (R-CO) this week reintroduced the Space National Guard Establishment Act, which would move space-focused Air National Guard members from seven states and one […]
Cyber experts will get the opportunity to practice defending assets from cyber attacks in orbit on a new “hacking sandbox” satellite expected to launch later this year. Moonlighter is a joint project from the Aerospace Corporation, Space Systems Command, and the Air Force Research Laboratory that will let good guy hackers look for vulnerabilities in […]
North Korea’s military is getting ready to expand to orbit with the launch of its first spy satellite, leader Kim Jong Un announced Wednesday, according to an AP report. North Korea in space: The Hermit Kingdom has previously launched three non-military satellites to orbit: one experimental comms satellite in 2009 and two EO satellites in […]
Russia has used space assets in its assault on Ukraine, including using electronic warfare capabilities against targets in orbit and interfering with European Sentinel-1 SAR satellites over the country, according to a new report evaluating the counterspace capabilities of 11 countries. The Secure World Foundation on Friday released the 2023 version of its annual Counterspace […]
Outpost has won a $1.7M DoD contract to help fund development and testing of its Ferry satellite, which can bring payloads safely back to Earth without burning up in the atmosphere. The Direct to Phase II Orbital Prime SBIR contract from SpaceWERX is the startup’s first contract with the Defense Department, Paul Tomko, the director […]
