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V6 | Issue 2 | 2.1.22

Space situational awareness and space debris. Satellite comms and disaster relief. Get to know the Guardians.

Announcement

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Summary

By the CyberWire staff

At a glance.

Space situational awareness.
Creating, limiting, and cleaning up space debris.
Satellite communications played a central role in restoring Tonga's communication, post volcanic eruption.
They're Guardians, America, and yes, they're actual Service Members.

Space situational awareness.

On January 21st a United Launch Alliance Atlas V put two Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) satellites into orbit, Aerospace reports. They represent the fifth and sixth satellites of the US Space Force's GSSAP constellation. A Space Systems Command representative offered Breaking Defense some information about the program's objectives: "GSSAP-5 and -6 will provide improved SDA data to the National Space Defense Center and other national users to enhance our ability to navigate freely and safely within the GEO belt.” GSSAP, often described as a "neighborhood watch" program for geosynchronous orbit, deploys not only passive monitoring capabilities but the ability to approach, close with, and inspect suspicious satellites. The National Interest quotes Space Force's General Raymond on the needs the seldom-discussed system is designed to meet:

“And so historically, the way we have surveilled or had awareness of a domain is, we've taken observations from radars (with) optical capabilities. And we've come up with an address and space, if you will, of objects. And we've been worried about making sure two things don't collide. That we can keep that domain safe for all which is critical. But it's not sufficient. If you move into a warfighting domain, you have to have more knowledge than just where something is, you'd have to have some insights into what those capabilities are.”

Space debris, from earth to the moon.

Understanding and dealing with debris represents a special case of space situational awareness. Several recent and coming events highlight the dimensions of the challenge.

To take the projected event first, the upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 that launched the NOAA/NASA Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) in February of 2015 is expected to hit the moon on March 4, Space.com reports. This particular Falcon 9 flew before SpaceX had fully perfected its method of recovering launch vehicles, landing the first stages and sending the upper stages back into the earth's atmosphere for safe destruction, and in any case DSCOVR was parked too far out (at the Earth-sun Lagrange Point 1) to make returning the second stage impractical.

The defunct stage won't do any harm when it hits the moon, beyond making the regolith jump, but that's not necessarily the case with other debris, whether it's in orbit or headed back to earth. Space.com also reported that the Persei upper stage of a Russian Angara A5 heavy-lift rocket made an "uncontrolled" but harmless reentry on January 5th when the remains of the spent upper stage splashed down without incident in the Pacific. A malfunction prevented subsequent burns that would have enabled the Persei to put its test payload into the intended orbit, and that malfunction also probably prevented the upper stage from making a controlled reentry. Most of the 3.2 metric-ton stage burned up in the atmosphere.

Orbital debris has continued to be more worrisome. The Russian test of an anti-satellite (ASAT) interceptor on November 15th created a large debris field in earth orbit when an A-235/P-19 Nudol ASAT hit and destroyed Cosmos 1408. The debris will eventually decay, but the remains of Cosmos 1408 will remain a hazard to spacecraft (including the International Space Station) for several years.

Part of the reaction to recent incidents that have created significant orbital debris clouds has been to propose the extension of effective international law to the space domain. Not all of those concerns are related to ASAT testing. The American Bar Association in January published an essay advocating the recognition and regulation of earth orbit as a global commons. The author (Michael B. Runnels, Assistant Professor of Business Law at California State University, Los Angeles) is more interested in the proliferation of large commercial constellations, which he argues increase the risk of creating a Kessler cascade: one accidental collision creates a debris cloud that in turn destroys other satellites, whose debris in its turn begets more debris, and so on until it becomes effectively impossible to operate in earth orbit.

Such commercial satellite constellations have attracted attention before. China's government (silent about Russia's ASAT test) in December filed a complaint (strictly speaking a note verbale) with the United Nations titled, "Notification by China under Article V of the Outer Space Treaty concerning preventive collision avoidance between the China Space Station (international designation 2021-035A) and United States' Starlink-1095 (international designation 2020-001BK) and Starlink-2305 (international designation 2021-024N) satellites."

China itself tested what may be a "space tug." According to Breaking Defense, commercial space monitoring firm ExoAnalytic Solutions says that China’s SJ-21 satellite now “appears to be functioning as a space tug.” It removed a decommissioned Beidou ("CompassG2") navigation satellite away from other spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit. Breaking Defense reports:

"According to Flewelling’s [Brien Flewelling, chief architect for space situational awareness at ExoAnalytic] video presentation, the SJ-21 on Jan. 22 went “missing” from its orbital slot for a few hours, after performing what are known as 'close proximity operations,' moving closer and closer around the Compass G2. The 'gap' in observations was caused by the fact that when it then docked with the defunct satellite, it was daytime — when telescopes cannot image. ExoAnalytics tracked it down after it had subsequently performed 'a large maneuver' pulling the dead satellite out of GEO."

SJ-21 appears to have demonstrated On-Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (OSAM) capabilities. The orbit into which the tug moved Compass G2 was not, however, a conventional graveyard orbit, which is usually reckoned as some 300 kilometers above geosynchronous earth orbit, and opinion is, Space News reports, divided as to whether it was an OSAM demonstration or an on-orbit offensive capability demonstration.

A prerequisite of cleaning up earth orbit is being able to accurately track what's up there. Space Force has begun decommissioning the last piece of the Joint Mission System (JMS), JMS Service Pack 9, as it carries out the Air Force's 2018 decision to cut its losses in what it had come to regard as a failed program. According to Space News, Space Force is in the process of fielding Space C2, an agile development program that depends upon analytic services provided by big data company Palantir. Space C2 is expected to meet the requirements on which JMS fell short.

The other component essential to keeping space accessible is some effective means of removing debris from earth orbit. SpaceWERX, Space Forces innovation shop, has issued a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program solicitation for technologies that could be used to remove articles from orbit. The program is called "Orbital Prime," and proposals are due by February 17th. Since the program is an STTR, small businesses who wish to bid must team with an academic or a not-for-profit organization.

Wired has a rundown of possible approaches to managing orbital junk. Basically they fall into two broad categories: either repurpose the debris and bring it under control, or grab it and go. China's SJ-21, space tug or on-orbit weapon, is of the grab-and-go variety. (Wired's account of the fate and effects of that SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage is a little unclear, with perhaps some confusion of stages.)

SpyCast comes to the CyberWire Podcast Network.

The CyberWire and the International Spy Museum announced today that the museum’s popular, long-running podcast, SpyCast, has joined the rapidly growing CyberWire Podcast Network. We're happy to welcome them. In the latest episode, NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence & Security, David Cattler, takes host Andrew Hammond through the ways of intelligence at NATO. (And, space enthusiasts, if you're in Washington, DC, be sure to give the International Spy Museum a look. If you've got a need to know about overhead collection, they'll lay the knowledge on you. They've got a KH-9 take-up reel, for one thing, and who could say no to that?)

Satellite communications and disaster recovery.

The eruption of the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano on January 15th disrupted Tonga's Internet connection (and most other modes of communication), providing an extreme test of response, resilience, and recovery. Apparently the nation's undersea cable was severed; MIT Technology Review has an account of what will need to be done to reconnect the Pacific nation with the rest of the world. Some limited satellite phone service was initially Tonga's only method of communication with the rest of the world.

Satellite communications proved vital to restoring Tonga's connectivity, with Speedcast, Intelsat, and SES being noteworthy players in the restoration. Via Satellite describes the companies' varied roles in the recovery. Speedcast provided connectivity for the island nation's banks, Intelsat provided broadband service for emergency responders, including the New Zealand Defence Force units providing humanitarian relief to the stricken country, and SES restored some international telephone capacity.

Service culture, and achieving some proper degree of public recognition.

Military.com tells the dreary story of a Space Force Captain who sought to claim the discounted baggage fees an airline offered. The gate attendant didn't buy it, refusing to believe that there was any such thing as the United States Space Force, not even after the Captain presented a military ID and pulled up the official Space Force site on a phone. The attendant was having none of it. A supervisor eventually sorted out the confusion, and the airline sent the Captain a graceful letter of apology, but c'mon, everyone, Space Force is really a thing.

The problem extends to pre-commissioning programs. A Space Force cadet at the Citadel explained to some curious guy in a burger joint that he hoped to earn his commission in the Space Force, but said guy was incredulous, not believing (like the gate attendant) that there was any such thing.

If it's any consolation to you, Guardians, we've known Army personnel in Class A uniform to be mistaken for either bus drivers (in the old greens) or hotel doormen (in the more recent blues). But seriously, America, yes, Space Force is real, and yes, the guardians are actually Service Members, just like Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen. As the Marine Corps is to the Navy, so Space Force is to the Air Force: related, but distinct. (Just ask some Marines. They'll give you the right perspective.)

So semper supra, Guardians: we're all pulling for you. Building a Service culture takes time, but we'll all get there together.

Notes.

Today's issue includes events affecting China, Colombia, India, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, NATO/OTAN, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Selected Reading

Attacks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities

Powerful European Earth-observation satellite suffers anomaly in orbit (Space.com) Sentinel-1b hasn't beamed any data home since Dec. 23.

The major threats and challenges for America in space [Infographics] (Breaking Defense) A first-ever Breaking Defense space survey asked professionals in defense- and space-related fields about what worries them the most, and where America is falling behind.

Russian ASAT debris imperils DoD, NRO sats, while ISS risks increase: COMSPOC (Breaking Defense) The COMSPOC analysis shows that the bulk of the some 1,500 debris pieces being tracked by Space Command's 18th Space Control Squadron will de-orbit within about three years time.

North Korea fires suspected ballistic missile into sea (Military Times) The Japanese Defense Ministry also detected the North Korean launch, saying the country likely fired a missile.

Big hunk of failed Russian rocket crashes to Earth as space junk (Space.com) The Persei upper stage's brief stay in orbit is over.

Exploits to target satellite networks (ITWeb) Attacks will be launched on everything from crypto wallets to satellite services, warns Fortinet.

Trends

Space and national security: What to expect in 2022 (SpaceNews) The Space Force stands on firmer political ground but is coming under pressure to deliver new technologies to counter threats from Russia and China. The Space Development Agency is counting down to the launch of its first operational satellites. And ULA is still waiting for Blue Origin to deliver engines for Vulcan’s maiden flight.

SES CEO Steve Collar Expects U.S. Demand for Mobile Satellite Services to Outstrip Supply in 'a Few Years' (Via Satellite) SES has a busy year ahead in 2022. The global operator has multiple new satellites scheduled for launch during the next 12 months and its success depends

Marketplace

The Promise of New Cybersecurity Markets Through LEO Satellite Services (Via Satellite) The satellite communications market has long been a monolith, standing apart and operating relatively independently from terrestrial communications markets typified by mobile and landline networks. Today, two significant technology advances in telecommunications are blurring the lines between these distinct markets, driving innovation and opening-up competition.

UK Transport Minister Trudy Harrison Wants First Launches from Cornwall This Summer (Via Satellite) It is the start of a crucial year for the United Kingdom's blossoming space industry. The U.K. government has set out to build a strong and vibrant

AFRL partners with SpaceX to explore Rocket Cargo potential (C4ISRNet) Under the new contract, the Air Force Research Lab will leverage SpaceX's point-to-point launch capability to develop a case for future military use.

SpaceX snags $102 million contract to rocket military supplies and humanitarian aid around the world: report (Space.com) It's the largest contract of its kind ever awarded for rocket cargo, SpaceNews reported.

Parsons Wins DARPA Contract to Prototype Ground Operations for Blackjack Mission - Via Satellite - (Via Satellite) The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) awarded Parsons Corporation a contract to develop a prototype ground operations center for the

Myriad ways that commercial satellite capabilities augment DoD space assets (Breaking Defense) The U.S. Space Force is looking to the commercial satellite industry to make sure that breakthroughs in technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning are made available to combined commercial/military satellite networks.

NRO contracts 5 commercial SAR firms for study, considers official acquisition (Breaking Defense) Later in the contracting process, NRO potentially will "have the wherewithal to purchase ad hoc imagery, data products and the like," said Pete Muend, director of the spy agency's Commercial Systems Program Office.

A new commercial strategy for the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (Federal News Network) The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency is revising its approach to using commercial sources of technology and data. It wants to diversify its sources, improve data security, and maybe have some…

Space Force seeking both new weather sats, and subscription data services (Breaking Defense) "SSC is exploring both options," said Space Systems Command's Lt. Col. Joseph Maguadog, with a focus "on ensuring we meet both the near- & long-term needs of our warfighter."

US Space Force considers purchasing weather data as a service (C4ISRNet) As it looks to replace the legacy Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, the U.S. Space Force may issue a solicitation for a new space weather data procurement effort later this year.

AFRL Selects ViaLite Solution for Satcom Telemetry (Via Satellite) The U.S. Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) has chosen ViaLite to supply an L-band Radio Frequency (RF) over fiber solution, ViaLite announced Jan. 4. ViaLite

NASA Taps 12 Companies for Venture-Class Launch Contracts (Via Satellite) NASA selected 12 companies as eligible for contracts for its Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) missions. NASA announced the

BAE Systems wins $137M deal for US Navy C5ISR systems (Naval Today) BAE Systems has received a contract to provide lifecycle management and sustainment of the U.S. Navy’s C5ISR systems.

Spire and Dragonfly Aerospace Will Support Australian National Intelligence Satellite (Via Satellite) Australia’s Office of National Intelligence (ONI) has tapped Spire Global and Dragonfly Aerospace for a second satellite as part of its National

Mercury Systems awarded $17M contract for ruggedized RF microelectronics (Yahoo Finance) Mercury Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRCY, www.mrcy.com), a leader in trusted, secure mission-critical technologies for aerospace and defense, announced it was awarded a $17 million contract to provide crucial RF microelectronics supporting missile capabilities of the U.S. and its allies in ensuring 21st-century air dominance. These multi-channel digital RF assemblies will help provide real-time signals intelligence data, speeding information to the wa

Spanish Smallsat Launcher PLD Space Closes $28M Funding Round (Via Satellite) Spanish smallsat launcher in development PLD Space has closed a $28 million oversubscribed Series B funding round, the company announced at the end of

Comtech Rejects Unsolicited Takeover Proposal from Acacia (Via Satellite) Comtech Telecommunications rejected a takeover proposal from Acacia Research Corporation received earlier this year. The company announced Tuesday that

HawkEye 360 Secures $5M Investment from Leidos (Via Satellite) Leidos on Thursday said it will make a strategic investment in HawkEye 360, a commercial provider of Geospatial-Intelligence (GEOINT) solutions. Leidos

Satellogic Begins Trading on the Nasdaq After SPAC Merger Closes (Via Satellite) Satellogic began trading on the Nasdaq under ticker sign $SATL on Wednesday after completing its special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) merger.

Intelsat and Gilat Expand Aviation Partnership in Asia (Via Satellite) Intelsat and Gilat Satellite Networks are expanding their strategic partnership in commercial aviation. Intelsat will use Gilat’s SkyEdge II-c system to

D-Orbit to Go Public In $1.3B SPAC Deal (Via Satellite) D-Orbit is the latest space company to announce plans to go public via a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). D-Orbit is an in-space

SES CEO Steve Collar Expects U.S. Demand for IFC to Outstrip Supply in 'a Few Years' (Via Satellite) SES has a busy year ahead in 2022. The global operator has multiple new satellites scheduled for launch during the next 12 months and its success depends

Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s Liberty Strategic Capital to Invest $150 Million in Satellogic and CF Acquisition Corp. V (Nasdaq: CFV) (Satellogic) Investment will support Satellogic as it scales its constellation, with the goal of weekly remapping of the entire Earth’s surface in 2023 and daily remapping thereafter, unlocking countless commercial, sustainability, and government applications Secretary Mnuchin to serve as Non-Executive Chairman of Satellogic Board of Directors Howard W. Lutnick, Chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald and […]

OHB's LuxSpace Enters Enterprise IoT Service MOU with OQ Technology (Via Satellite) German space company OHB and its subsidiary LuxSpace entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with OQ Technology (OQ) to collaborate on a

Ovzon Receives Satcom as a Service Contracts in Italy and Columbia (Via Satellite) Satellite hardware company Ovzon has secured a $9.8 million contract for 14 months of Satcom as a Service (SaaS) for the Italian Fire and Rescue Service.

L3Harris streamlines with a focus on missile defense, space (Breaking Defense) The reorg eliminates the company's Aviation Systems segment, which is responsible commercial aviation solutions, systems, networks and pilot training.

Voyager Space Closes Acquisition of Space Micro (Via Satellite) Voyager Space has closed on its acquisition of a majority stake in Space Micro, which engineers satellite communications, digital, and electro-optic

Hughes Forms Joint Venture With Bharti Airtel for Satellite Broadband in India (Via Satellite) Hughes Network Systems has taken a major step forward to advance its broadband ambitions in India, forming a joint venture with Bharti Airtel (Airtel) to

Dankberg and Suri Explain Strategy Behind Viasat/Inmarsat Acquisition (Satellite Today) In November last year, Viasat stunned the satellite world when it announced it was acquiring Inmarsat in a deal worth over $7 billion. It was the biggest deal of 2021, and one that will create momentum for the whole industry going into 2022.

Loft Orbital Orders More Satellite Buses from LeoStella (Via Satellite) Loft Orbital has expanded its production agreement with LeoStella for multiple satellite buses under a contract announced Thursday. LeoStella will provide

Arianespace Receives Launch Contracts for Galileo, Platino Satellites (Via Satellite) Arianespace has received launch contracts for four additional Galileo satellites, and two PLATiNO satellites, the French launcher announced Thursday.

NASA and Rocket Lab Clear Way for Electron Launch from Virginia in 2022 (Via Satellite) Rocket Lab's launch site at the Wallops Flight Facility on the eastern coast of Virginia is expected to see a launch in 2022, as Rocket Lab and NASA near

Arqit to Lead United Kingdom-Australia Space Bridge Project (Via Satellite) Arqit Quantum has received a contract to bring its Federated Quantum System Project (FQS), which uses satellites to distribute quantum keys to data

Leidos fighting for second chance at $4.5B NGA cloud contract (Washington Technology) Leidos has filed a protest to challenge General Dynamics IT's win of a $4.5 billion cloud services contract with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

Satellogic Expands With Manufacturing Plant in Netherlands (Via Satellite) Earth observation company Satellogic is building a satellite manufacturing facility in the Netherlands. The new 57,000 square foot facility, announced

AST SpaceMobile Shows Satellite Manufacturing Facility in Video Tour (Via Satellite) AST SpaceMobile shared a look into the company’s satellite manufacturing plant in Midland, Texas in a video released Wednesday. National Geographic

Comtech Establishes Two New Satellite Ground Tech Business Lines (Via Satellite) Comtech Telecommunications has established two new business lines focused on satellite ground technologies. Comtech said these two businesses will serve

NASA Vet and Space Mogul Aim to Build 97% Cheaper Space Station (Bloomberg) Axiom has a head start in the race to build the first private space station

Relativity Space Taps Microsoft VP for New Software Engineering Role (Via Satellite) Relativity Space has hired its first vice president of Software Engineering, bringing on Scott Van Vliet, former Microsoft corporate vice president for

Kristin Robertson, Brad Tousley Join Raytheon Intelligence & Space Leadership Team; President Roy Azevedo Quoted (Executive Gov) Raytheon Intelligence & Space (RI&S) announced on Tuesday that Kristin Robertson and Brad Tousley have joined the business unit’s leadership team to

The president of 'space tug' maker Momentus is resigning after just 15 months on the job (Silicon Valley Business Journal) The company didn't explain Fred Kennedy's departure, but his exit follows a 64% plunge in its share price.

Voyager Space Appoints Monique Brown as Director of Business Development (SpaceRef) Voyager Space, a global leader in space exploration, today announced the appointment of Monique Brown as Director of Business Development for national security programs. Brown, a former Director of Strategy and Business Development at Lockheed Martin, will be responsible for identifying growth opportunities and expanding Voyager's customer base in the national security space sector.

Isotropic Appoints Rash Sahota as New COO (Via Satellite) Isotropic Systems has appointed Rash Sahota as its new general manager and chief operating officer. The company announced the appointment Monday. Sahota

Viasat Releases New Large-Aperture Space-to-Ground Communication Antennas (Via Satellite) Viasat has released a new large-aperture antenna class for space-to-ground communication. The company said this is its most advanced class of

SES Transitions John-Paul Hemingway to New Chief Strategy and Product Officer Position (Via Satellite) SES is eliminating the role of SES Networks CEO and moving John-Paul Hemingway to the newly created role of chief strategy and product officer, the

Arianespace Hires New CTO, Roland Lagier to Retire (Via Satellite) Arianespace named Pierre-Yves Tissier new chief technical officer, as current CTO Roland Lagier is retiring. Arianespace announced the change as immediate

Products, Services, and Solutions

Steve Collar Part Two: SES Will 'Likely' Leverage LEO in Multi-Orbit Future (Via Satellite) In the first part of this two-part interview with Steve Collar published yesterday, the SES CEO spoke about the company's plans for 2022 and his

Oman Partners With SatRevolution and Virgin Orbit for Country's First Satellite Launch (Via Satellite) Oman is getting ready to launch its first satellites to Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) in a milestone for the country. The Sultanate of Oman has selected Poland’s

Astroscale Pauses Elsa-d Mission After Detecting Spacecraft Anomaly (Via Satellite) Astroscale has paused its ELSA-d mission after detecting a spacecraft anomaly, the company said in a statement late Wednesday. Astroscale said that on

Hughes Signs Eight-Year Energy Sector VSAT Service Agreement with NSS (Via Satellite) Hughes Network Systems announced Tuesday that it signed an eight-year service contract with Network Services Solutions (NSS) to upgrade, expand and manage

Boeing to Showcase ‘Low Earth Orbit to Deep Space’ Portfolio at International Astronautical Congress (SpaceRef) Boeing [NYSE: BA] will participate in the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) – The CyberSpace Edition, which is taking place Oct. 12-14, with an innovative virtual exhibit online at iac2020.vfairs.com.

Viasat Releases New Large-Aperture Space-to-Ground Communication Antennas (Via Satellite) Viasat has released a new large-aperture antenna class for space-to-ground communication. The company said this is its most advanced class of

SpaceX Launches 105 Spacecraft in Transporter-3 Rideshare Mission (Via Satellite) SpaceX performed its first rideshare mission of the year on Thursday morning, deploying 105 spacecraft on a Falcon 9 vehicle. The mission, dubbed

Honeywell, SES, and Hughes Demonstrate MEO to GEO Satellite Switching for Military Customers (Via Satellite) Honeywell, SES, and Hughes have demonstrated multi-network, multi-orbit high-speed airborne connectivity for military customers. The companies announced

OneWeb Signs Distribution Agreements in Australia and India (Via Satellite) OneWeb has signed new distribution deals in Australia and India as it ramps up activity in 2022. Field Solutions Holdings (FSG), an Australian rural and

Mercury debuts open architecture transceiver (Intelligence Community News) On January 18, Andover, MA-based Mercury Systems, Inc. announced the new RFM3202 sensor open systems architecture (SOSA) aligned wideband transceiver for demanding spectrum processing applications.

Planet launches 44 SuperDove satellites (Intelligence Community News) San Francisco, CA-based Planet Labs PBC announced that the launch of its Flock 4x, consisting of 44 SuperDove satellites, took place on Thursday, January 13 on SpaceX's Falcon 9 Transporter-3 SSO.

Virgin Orbit Goes ‘Above the Clouds’ for First Mission of 2022 (Via Satellite) Thursday was a big day for commercial space launch in the U.S., as Virgin Orbit followed SpaceX’s rideshare mission from Florida in the morning with a

Telesat to Trial 5G Connectivity With ENCQOR in Canada (Via Satellite) Telesat will work on 5G technology and demonstrations in partnership with Canadian program ENCQOR 5G. Under the agreement announced Tuesday, Telesat plans

Eutelsat and Senet Partner on Terrestrial and Satellite LoRaWAN IoT Connectivity (Via Satellite) Cloud software provider Senet has partnered with Eutelsat Communications, TrakAssure, and Wyld Networks to offer interoperable terrestrial and satellite

SpaceX Kicks Off 2022 With Starlink Launch (Via Satellite) SpaceX kicked off 2022 with a Starlink launch from Cape Canaveral on Thursday afternoon. The first SpaceX launch of the new year sent 49 satellites to

SpaceBridge Connects 39 Airports for AeroCivil in Colombia (Via Satellite) SpaceBridge has connected 39 airports for Colombia's civil aviation authority Aerocivil Colombia under a partnership that began in 2015. Many Colombian

Gilat to Supply MNO in Japan With Cellular Backhaul System (Via Satellite) Gilat Satellite Networks will help a mobile network operator in Japan expand its 4G cellular network with cellular backhaul system. The MNO placed orders

Inmarsat I-6 F1 Satellite Begins Orbit-Raising Process (Via Satellite) Inmarsat's I-6 F1 satellite has begun its Electric Orbit Raising (EOR) process to reach Geostationary Orbit (GEO), 36,000 km above the Earth. Inmarsat

Huawei HarmonyOS to be used in space technologies this year: Huge (Huawei Central) Huawei launched the HarmonyOS ecosystem as an all-in-one platform that has capabilities to provide its services in all fields. According to the latest information, Huawei HarmonyOS is now expanding its boundaries and will be used for the betterment of space technologies this year. However, Huawei has donated the core structure of HarmonyOS and all the […]

SES GS Releases New On-Demand X-Band Managed Milsatcom Service (Via Satellite) SES Government Solutions (SES GS) launched a new X-band end-to-end managed service platform on Thursday for both fixed and mobile U.S. military and

Ursa Space Becomes AWS Data Exchange Partner (Via Satellite) Ursa Space Systems is working with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to make satellite data and insights available to AWS customers. Ursa announced Jan. 12 that

Mining Group Rio Tinto to Evaluate Pixxel’s Hyperspectral Satellite Imagery (Via Satellite) Earth imaging startup Pixxel has signed global mining group Rio Tinto as an early adopter of its technology. Rio Tinto plans to assess Pixel’s imaging

WISe.ART NFT to Mint first NFT from Space Using its WISeSat.Space (MarTech Series) WISeKey International Holding announced it has filed a patent application that ensures the provenance, authenticity, persistence.

Some Starlink customers say SpaceX's customer service is 'non-existent' nearly 1 year after paying a $100 deposit and receiving no updates (Business Insider) One Starlink customer who asked for a refund said he can't contact SpaceX to tell the company that he hasn't got his money back.

Technologies, Techniques, and Standards

Space Force’s troubled space-tracking system is officially shut down (SpaceNews) The Space Force announced Jan. 26 it has closed down the last remaining piece of the troubled Joint Mission System (JMS).

Cruise ship enters launch hazard area, forcing SpaceX to scrub mission a fourth time (Florida Today) A cruise ship veered into the exclusion zone along a Falcon 9 rocket's flightpath Sunday evening, forcing SpaceX to scrub the mission yet again.

Getting lost: Yet more delays to Space Force protected GPS program (Breaking Defense) Some services have turned to commercial solutions for receivers as delays mount, report says.

China’s Shijian-21 towed dead satellite to a high graveyard orbit (SpaceNews) China’s Shijian-21 space debris mitigation satellite has docked with a defunct Chinese satellite to drastically alter its geostationary orbit, demonstrating capabilities only previously exhibited by the United States.

China's SJ-21 'tugs' dead satellite out of GEO belt: Trackers (Breaking Defense) "I think there are more questions than answers right now when it comes to SJ-21," Todd Harrison, director of CSIS's Aerospace Project, told Breaking Defense.

Space Force Plans Two New Exercises: Polaris Hammer and Black Skies (Air Force Magazine) The Space Force is planning new training exercises aimed at improving the service’s command and control and electronic warfare capabilities.

Space Force Launches New Intelligence-Gathering Satellites (ExtremeTech) GSSAP-5 and GSSAP-6 will allow the new(ish) Air Force branch to collect information on other objects in orbit.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage will slam into the moon on March 4 (Space.com) The moon's spacecraft graveyard will soon welcome another body.

ULA Launches US Space Force GSSAP Satellites after Five-Month Delay (Via Satellite) The U.S. Space Force’s (USSF) Space Systems Command launched the fifth and sixth Northrop Grumman Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program

Space Force Launches Two New Satellites Built to Monitor Opposing Satellites (The National Interest) The satellites are part of the Space Force’s mysterious Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program.

Space Force to loft 2 new 'neighborhood watch' sats, as leader frets launch funds (Breaking Defense) Chief of Space Operations Gen. Jay Raymond said should a year-long continuing resolution come to pass, the disruption for sat launches would "ripple" for years.

Satellite Operators Restore Critical Communications to Tonga After Volcanic Eruption (Via Satellite) Satellite operators and service providers Speedcast, Intelsat, and SES worked to restore emergency communications in Tonga after the recent volcanic

Space Force's data transport layer is linchpin of JADC2: Raymond (Breaking Defense) "I've been saying, kind of tongue in cheek, we've been JADC2 before it was cool," Space Force chief Gen. Jay Raymond told CSIS.

Today’s Global Microlaunch Mindset: Flexible, Greener, Cheaper, and Safer (Satellite Today) A new generation of international launch startups vie for a piece of the booming smallsat launch market.

NASA getting SLS megarockets ready for crewed moon missions (Space.com) The huge rocket is scheduled to carry people for the first time in 2024.

Hack our spacecraft, says ESA (Register) Space: The final frontier for cybersecurity

Space Force to use navigation data from LEO constellations to detect electronic interference (SpaceNews) Under a $2 million contract from the U.S. Space Force, Slingshot Aerospace will develop an analytics tool that uses location data from commercial satellites in low Earth orbit to identify potential sources of electronic interference on the ground.

What will the US Space Force be able to do with its new GPS III variant? (C4ISRNet) The U.S. Space Force has yet to launch all of the GPS III satellites at its disposal, but work on new, more powerful versions is already underway.

Space Force plans multiple hosted payloads for GEO belt monitoring (Breaking Defense) Space System Command's overarching goal is to develop "diverse" capabilities for space domain awareness across all orbits.

NGA working with NRO to target satellite imagery 'deep fakes' (Breaking Defense) NGA's Chief Information Office Mark Andress said he has an entire engineering team dedicated to certifying the accuracy and validity of imagery products and the metadata around them.

NGA CIO: Winning the GEOINT Race Goes Beyond Speed (MeriTalk) With the United States involved in a great-power competition, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is being challenged to provide faster and better products and services for the nation to prevail. But meeting the test in this heightened level of competition, according to NGA CIO Mark Andress, demands more than just speed.

Design and Innovation

Defense Innovation Unit highlights 2021 technology transition efforts (C4ISRNet) The Defense Innovation Unit transitioned eight projects from commercial vendors to military users last year, according to its annual report.

Air Force Research Lab pushes new Space Force tack on hybrid architecture (C4ISRNet) As the Space Force moves to make its systems more resilient, the Air Force Research Lab is prioritizing the science and technology that will enable that transition.

Head of US Air Force’s space research will help design the Space Force’s satellite constellations (C4ISRNet) Col. Eric Felt, currently the director of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicles Directorate, is taking on a new role as deputy executive director of the Space Force's Space Architecture, Science and Technology Directorate.

Study: 1960 ramjet design for interstellar travel—a sci-fi staple—is unfeasible (Ars Technica) "It is very unlikely that even Kardashev civilizations of type II might build magnetic ramjets."

NASA wants your ideas to reuse trash and waste on a Mars mission (Space.com) You have until March 15 to submit your Red Planet innovations.

Research and Development

Toyota heading to moon with cruiser, robotic arms, dreams (AP NEWS) Toyota is working with Japan's space agency on a vehicle to explore the lunar surface, with ambitions to help people live on the moon by 2040 and then go live on Mars, company officials said Friday.

Artemis 1: Going back to the moon (Space.com) In 2022 NASA’s Artemis 1 test flight will take the first step on returning astronauts to the lunar surface.

NASA's Artemis 1 moon mission explained in photos (Space.com) The spacecraft will fly around the moon in 2022 to get ready for future astronaut missions.

NASA's gamma-ray observatory is in safe mode after a possible wheel failure (Space.com) NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has temporarily stopped its science observations while the mission team investigates an issue.

Possible sign of Mars life? Curiosity rover finds 'tantalizing' Red Planet organics (Space.com) There are three possible explanations for the new find, and one involves ancient Mars microbes.

Spaceflight makes the body kill red blood cells and it doesn't get better after landing (Space.com) Space anemia is more serious than we thought.

China builds 'artificial moon' for gravity experiment (Space.com) The researchers say their experiment was inspired by a levitating frog.

The New $1M-a-Year Research Grants AFRL Hopes Will Speed Up Space Tech (Air Force Magazine) Proposals combining both basic and applied university research, with manufacturers looped in, could get technology to the Space Force faster.

Space Force wants to help fund technologies to recycle, reuse or remove space debris (SpaceNews) Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. David Thompson in a video released Jan. 5 called on the private sector to help clean up space junk.

How to Deal With Rocket Boosters and Other Giant Space Garbage (Wired) As an errant SpaceX rocket booster careens toward the moon, here are some of the ways space agencies and companies are trying to deal with huge pieces of debris.

Northrop Grumman Celebrates Webb Telescope’s Arrival at Lagrange Point 2 (Northrop Grumman Newsroom) NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, built in partnership with Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC), arrived at its solar orbit, Lagrange Point 2 (L2), marking the completion of its million mile journey and the...

Webb telescope arrives at outpost 1 million miles from Earth to begin study of distant galaxies (Washington Post) Final course correction ends month-long journey; next challenge is focusing the telescope

The James Webb Space Telescope glides to its deep-space parking spot today! How to watch it live. (Space.com) Here's how to watch NASA's events related to the arrival.

James Webb Space Telescope marks deployment of all mirrors (Space.com) Next up: Arrival at L2!

'We're on an incredible high': James Webb Space Telescope scientists over the moon as observatory unfolds (Space.com) You'd be thrilled, too, after unfolding a giant space telescope in the most complicated way ever.

This amazing HD video is the last view we'll ever have of the James Webb Space Telescope (Space.com) The newly released HD video shows the observatory flying away from its rocket toward deep space.

James Webb Space Telescope should have fuel for about 20 years of science (Space.com) Webb will be working for a long, long time, scientists hope.

2022 could be a turning point in the study of UFOs (Space.com) Interest in UFOs continues to grow, both among scientists and government officials.

Will we ever know the true nature of 'Oumuamua, the first interstellar visitor? (Space.com) Probably not.

Academia

UNM included in 'Space University' program (Albuquerque Journal) Initiative part of Air Force effort to increase academic technology research

Legislation, Policy, and Regulation

New NATO space policy focuses on space support, domain awareness (Breaking Defense) The new NATO policy doesn't quite cover all the cracks in allied views of military action in space, noting that the 30 member states "should develop a common understanding of concepts such as the role of space in crisis or conflict."

New NATO policy positions the alliance as a broker, not an owner, in space race (Defense News) The document, which mostly hails from 2019 but was only published now, stakes out a broad vision for space but hedges on the details.

Will Space Force Protect Orbiting Gas Stations and Bases on the Moon? (Defense One) As U.S. companies venture farther from Earth, whether the newest service will protect them remains under discussion.

Lawmakers Propose Expanding Cybersecurity Support for Commercial Satellite Companies (Nextgov) New legislation would direct CISA to create a one-stop clearinghouse to help inform such entities.

Senators Introduce Bill to Protect Satellites From Getting Hacked (Gizmodo) Commercial satellites are increasingly vulnerable to hacking and need additional protections, according to lawmakers.

Exclusive: Space Warfighting Analysis Center chief on creating 'something out of nothing' (Breaking Defense) SWAC Director Andrew Cox joked that his office would be "building Pinocchios" if it can't move its blueprints for change into real-boy programs with funding behind them.

Is the Space Force doing what it's supposed to? [Infographics] (Breaking Defense) Respondents to the Breaking Defense Space Survey have differing opinions on how effective the Space Force has been, two years in.

Is Space Force playing nice with others? [Video] (Breaking Defense) “Someone has to make a decision. If all of these decisions are made by committees and committees and committees, then they are often dependent on personality and not actually how they will fulfill the mission.”

Empower our Space Force, just as we do for the other armed services (Defense News) We need to look at what the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps demand to get their jobs done, and then resource the Space Force with equivalent capabilities.

US Space Force wants funding for a new mission — tracking ground targets (C4ISRNet) The ongoing, SWAC-led analysis is weighing options for a space-based GMTI program that could be funded as soon as fiscal 2024.

Biden's space policy nominee backs ban on destructive ASAT testing, pushes norms (Breaking Defense) "Kinetic destructive tests," White House nominee for ASD Space Policy John Plumb said, "pose a long term enduring problem to all spacefaring nations, including astronauts."

NASA may need more astronauts for space station, moon missions, report says (Space.com) The astronaut corps is at its smallest since the 1970s.

NASA finds itself on the hunt for more astronauts (Federal News Network) In today’s Federal Newscast, NASA’s Office of Inspector General has identified a staffing shortage in the agency’s astronaut corps.

Classified space capabilities aimed at Russia, China could lose $800M under CR: Raymond (Breaking Defense) A year-long CR would force Space Force to chop two planned launches under the National Security Space Launch program — reducing the number of launches from a planned five in 2022 to three, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Jay Raymond told lawmakers.

Space is Critical — It’s Time We Act Like It (Via Satellite) When Russia launched a missile to destroy one of their own satellites in November 2021, it left behind 1,500 trackable pieces, plus thousands that were

Who’s in Charge of US Space Policy? (Defense One) Space professionals worry the National Space Council is ceding its defense portfolio.

Pentagon keeping pace in tech competition, official says (The Record by Recorded Future) The Defense Department is thus far managing to keep pace with peer competitors like China for dominance in cutting-edge technology areas such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and data, a senior Pentagon official said on Wednesday.

Fighting Comes Into Focus for the Space Force in 2022 (Air Force Magazine) The Space Force foresees becoming more “lethal” in 2022, inventing new tactical scenarios while maturing organizational charts.

Miles above top secret: Does the US classify too much in space? [Video] (Breaking Defense) A quarter of experts on space policy debate whether the US needs to be more open about its space capabilities.

DoD CDO sees leadership shakeup as agency ‘doubling down’ on data goals (Federal News Network) The Defense Department is putting data and artificial intelligence at the center of all its domains.

Ainsworth: Alabama Space Guard would provide support for U.S. Space Command, create jobs (Alabama Political Reporter) Ainsworth said a Space Guard unit within the Alabama National Guard would "logically provide much-needed support for U.S. Space Command."

President nominates new chief for National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (C4ISRNet) If confirmed by the Senate, the current director of intelligence for the Joint Staff would take over the NGA, the intelligence agency in charge of analyzing and distributing geospatial intelligence for the national security community.

'Space Force? Is that Real?' Guardians Still Struggling with an Unconvinced Public (Military.com) Guardians have taken to social media to complain about how civilians seem befuddled by the concept of the new branch.

Litigation, Investigation, and Law Enforcement

Lockheed-Aerojet merger on life support, facing FTC lawsuit - Breaking Defense (Breaking Defense) "We cannot afford to allow further concentration in markets critical to our national security and defense," an FTC official said.

DoD Statement on Proposed Lockheed Martin and Aerojet Rocketdyne Merger (U.S. Department of Defense) On Dec. 20, 2020, Lockheed Martin Corp. (LM) announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. (AJRD) for $4.4 billion.

Germany arrests Russian citizen suspected of space tech espionage (Reuters) German prosecutors arrested and charged a Russian citizen with spying for Russia, alleging he had passed information on aerospace technology, in particular the Ariane space launch vehicle, to Russian intelligence.

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