Appropriations, Procurement, and Acquisitions
NRO Expects to Release Hyperspectral Satellite RFP By the End of 2022 (Via Satellite) The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) is close to finishing a request for proposals to acquire commercial hyperspectral satellite data and
Rocket Lab to Build L-Band Radios for Inmarsat’s NASA Communications Services Project Contract (Via Satellite) Inmarsat has tapped Rocket Lab to develop and manufacture an L-band radio for NASA’s Communications Services Project (CSP). Rocket Lab announced the deal
Cognitive Space gets $1.2 million U.S. Air Force contract extension for satellite-tasking software (SpaceNews) Cognitive Space won a $1.2 million contract extension to continue development of the company’s satellite tasking software for the Air Force Research Laboratory.
Military Leaders Praise Musk as Treasury Officials Eye Twitter Deal (Defense One) Outgoing Chief of Space Operations Gen. Jay Raymond thanked the SpaceX CEO “for being here.”
Inmarsat Wins $410M DISA Contract for Satcom to Support Blue Force Tracker Network (Via Satellite) The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) awarded Inmarsat Government a $410 million contract for satellite communications to support the U.S. Army
Space Business and Market Trends
SpaceX just bought a big ad campaign on Twitter for Starlink (CNBC) Elon Musk's aerospace business SpaceX just ordered one of the larger advertising packages available from Twitter.
SpaceX’s Gwynne Shotwell Takes Over Starbase Mars Mission (The Information) SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell will assume oversight of the company’sStarbase facility in Texas that is building Starship, the rocket planned for a trip to Mars, according to two people familiar with the change. The appointment is part of a reorganization at ...
Viasat Revises 2023 Financial Target as ViaSat-3 Launch Pushed to 2023 (Via Satellite) Viasat’s first ViaSat-3 satellite launch has slipped to 2023, and the operator adjusted its 2023 fiscal outlook due to the delay. The company announced
EOCL Contract Propels BlackSky to Record Q3 Revenue (Via Satellite) BlackSky more than doubled its revenue in the third quarter of 2022 compared to the same time last year, posting 113% revenue growth, driven by increased
Northrop Grumman signs supply deal with Quickstep (APDR) Northrop Grumman has signed a six-year agreement with Quickstep for the supply of components to support the global aerospace program.
Maxar Acquires Wovenware to Strengthen AI Capabilities (Via Satellite) Maxar Technologies on Thursday said it acquired Wovenware, which specializes in artificial intelligence and software developing, and will make the Puerto
Launch Services
SES Taps Arianespace to Launch EAGLE-1 LEO Satellite (Via Satellite) SES has signed a new launch deal with Arianespace for its EAGLE-1 satellite, a LEO satellite, which will support the end-to-end secure Quantum Key
Spain closes airspace as 'out-of-control' Chinese rocket plummets to earth (The Telegraph) The Long March 5B (CZ-5B), China's most powerful rocket, was travelling at nearly eight kilometers per second
SpaceX launches Falcon Heavy rocket with 1st national security payload (Defense News) The Falcon Heavy flew for the first time since 2019, carrying two classified Space Force satellites.
SpaceX Sends Eutelsat's Hotbird 13G En Route to Orbit After Year-Long Wait (Via Satellite) After being delayed a full year due to pandemic-related slowdowns beyond its control, European operator Eutelsat has finally sent its long-awaited Hotbird
US Space Force
Next Space Force chief should focus on resiliency, Raymond says (C4ISRNet) Gen. Jay Raymond closed out his tenure as the first chief of space operations and his 38-year career with the Department of the Air Force Nov. 2.
Saltzman assumes command of US Space Force (Defense News) Gen. Chance Saltzman, who took the reins from Gen. Jay Raymond, is just the second official to assume leadership of the service.
Austin Says Space Force Ensures U.S. Maintains Space Preeminence (U.S. Department of Defense) Space systems must be ever-more resilient and there must be a relentless pursuit of innovation and technological advancements that will help the Defense Department maintain and expand its edge,
Remarks by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III at the Chief of Space Operations Chang (U.S. Department of Defense) Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III delivered remarks at a Space Force change of responsibility ceremony.
'Father of the Space Force' Raymond retires, as Saltzman takes command (Breaking Defense) “A resilient, ready and combat capable Space Force is indispensable to deterrence today, tomorrow and every day after that," the new Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said today. "And in the worst case, if deterrence fails, the Space Force will be an indispensable component of our joint force at war.”
Saltzman Set to Take Over as Space Force CSO as Raymond Retires (Air & Space Forces Magazine) Gen. B. Chance Saltzman will become the new CSO of the Space Force as Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond retires in a live streamed ceremony.
EXCLUSIVE: With new 'scorecard,' Space Force's acquisition chief talks changing culture (Breaking Defense) In addition to providing new "tenets" for Space Force officials, "I'm really messaging three things to industry — that I really want them to give me credible proposals, and I really want them to execute, and I'm not going to tolerate poor performance," Frank Calvelli told Breaking Defense.
Why the Space Force is getting serious about on-orbit servicing (C4ISRNet) The newest service is making organizational shifts and upping its engagement with companies developing on-orbit logistics technology.
USSF's Bythewood Takes Command of Joint 'Space Troopers' (Air & Space Forces Magazine) Space Force Brig. Gen. Dennis Bythewood took over U.S. Space Command’s Joint Task Force-Space Defense on Nov. 4.
‘Space troopers’ are real and US Space Command has 300 of them (Task & Purpose) "Maj. Gen. James saw a similarity in our space defense mission and the operations of traditional cavalry operations."
Space Force to Establish Components for INDOPACOM, CENTCOM, Korea by End of 2022 (Air & Space Forces Magazine) The U.S. Space Force will establish components within U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. Central Command, and U.S. Forces Korea before 2023.
In a first, Space Force picks private university as war college (Air Force Times) Graduates will earn a master’s degree in international public policy from Johns Hopkins's School of Advanced International Studies.
Military Space Operations
CyberSatGov Panelists Debate Landscape of a Potential New Cold War in Space (Via Satellite) RESTON, VA — The United States is in a new Cold War era. It may be a bold statement, but it is one that the vast majority of attendees at the CyberSatGov
UK MoD Officials Discuss Challenges and Priorities to Build a Modern Space Architecture at Global Milsatcom (Via Satellite) LONDON — Top officials from the U.K. Space Command and U.K. Strategic Command looked at how space could impact government operations going forward at
Iran Revolutionary Guard launches rocket amid more protests (AP NEWS) Iran's powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard on Saturday launched a new satellite-carrying rocket, state TV reported, seeking to demonstrate the hard-line force's prowess even as anti-government protests rage across the country.
Cybersecurity is Uniquely Critical to the Space Domain, US Space Force Col. Smail Says (Via Satellite) “Our adversaries are coming after us in cyberspace,” U.S. Space Force Col. John Smail did not mince words in a Nov. 4 CyberSatGov keynote. The U.S. needs
Sapphire in the sky: Space domain awareness is Canadian space commander's top priority (Breaking Defense) "Sapphire has done yeoman's service for us. It is beyond end of life, but keeps chugging away like the Energizer Bunny. And, and every day that it has a hiccup, I go, 'Not today, not today,'" said Brig. Gen. Mike Adamson.
Space Force’s secretive X-37B plane has spent more than 900 days in orbit (Task & Purpose) The small space plane, now operated by Space Force, has been conducting a series of experiments from the upper atmosphere for the last two years.
Space Development Agency missile tracking data will inform NC3 (Breaking Defense) While the timeframe for certifying SDA's Tracking Layer as part of the nuclear attack sensor network remains unclear, SDA Director Derek Tournear said there is "plenty of time" to get it done.
2024 budget to reflect Space Force, NRO accord on tracking moving targets from orbit (Breaking Defense) After an analysis of literally thousands of options, Space Force's Gen. DT Thompson said, "in the end [there was] a consensus opinion inside the Department of Defense and the [Intelligence Community] on how we should proceed."
Space Force official: We need the Commerce Department’s space traffic office to be successful (SpaceNews) Maj. Gen. DeAnna Burt said discussions between DoD and the Department of Commerce are picking up momentum as both agencies work to figure out how to transition space traffic management to the Office of Space Commerce.
Mysterious US military spacecraft Boeing X-37B has been in space for 900 days (Gadget Tendency) The military unmanned spacecraft Boeing X-37B, which has been surrounded by a halo of mystery for many years, continues to be in orbit, having reached the landmark mark of 900 days. The current OTV-6 mission started in May 2020 and is still ongoing. The previous record of 718 days, which was set in 2019, has […]
China’s mystery spaceplane releases object into orbit (SpaceNews) China’s secretive reusable spaceplane has released an object into orbit, according to tracking data from the U.S. Space Force.
Russia launches Soyuz rocket carrying military satellite - state media (Reuters) Russia has launched a Soyuz rocket carrying a military satellite into space, Russian news agencies reported on Wednesday citing the defence ministry.
Products, Services, and Solutions
Airbus HAPS Partners With Japan’s Space Compass (Via Satellite) Airbus HAPS Connectivity Business has signed a letter of intent with Japan’s Space Compass to serve the Japanese market with mobile connectivity and Earth
John Deere Tasks Satellite to Connect New Frontiers in Agriculture (Satellite Today) Agricultural giant John Deere is looking to the satellite industry to connect thousands of tractors and farm machines with persistent, always-on connectivity.
Maxar Plans for January 2023 WorldView Legion Launch (Via Satellite) Maxar Technologies expects for its first batch of WorldView Legion satellites to launch in January 2023, the company reported last week in its third
Intelsat Signs With Swissto12 for IS-45, Based on the Smaller HummingSat Product Line (Via Satellite) Intelsat has ordered Intelsat-45 from Swissto12, based on the HummingSat product line, which is smaller than typical satellites in Geostationary Orbit
Ukrainian official: Musk to keep funding key satellite links (AP NEWS) Elon Musk has given assurances to Ukraine that he will keep funding its access to a crucial satellite network providing Kyiv with battlefield and humanitarian communications in its war with Russia , a senior Ukrainian official said Wednesday.
Airtel Africa Becomes OneWeb’s Latest Distribution Partner (Via Satellite) OneWeb’s Africa ambitions were boosted Wednesday by the news of a new distribution agreement as it looks to bring its satellite Internet connectivity
Intelsat Wins MTN Contract for Broadband Capacity in South Sudan (Via Satellite) Intelsat has won a key new broadband contract in Africa. MTN, a multinational telecommunication group offering cellular network access and business
Mercury introduces radiation-tolerant 8GB DDR4 memory component to power enhanced edge processing for space missions (GlobeNewswire News Room) Mercury Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRCY, www.mrcy.com), a leader in trusted, secure mission-critical...
Hughes Network Systems Continues to Shed Broadband Subscribers in Q3 (Via Satellite) Hughes Network Systems broadband business continues to shed subscribers, as the company is constrained on satellite capacity awaiting the launch of the
Rivada Space Networks Issues RFP for 600 LEO Satellites, Ground Systems, and Integration (Via Satellite) German space company Rivada Space Networks issued a request for proposals to prime contractors interested in building 600 Low-Earth Orbit (LEO)
SES Sells O3b MEO Capacity to Digicel Pacific in Papua New Guinea (Via Satellite) Pacific regional telco Digicel Pacific signed a capacity agreement with SES to utilize the operator's O3b medium-earth orbit (MEO) satellite system in
SDA Eyeing Risk of Possible Launch Delay of L3Harris Tracking Layer Satellites (Defense Daily) The U.S. Space Force's Space Development Agency believes it will meet a scheduled launch next March for four Tranche 0 Tracking Layer satellites by
Synspective to Distribute SAR Solutions in North America With Frontier Precision (Via Satellite) Japanese synthetic aperture radar (SAR) company Synspective will now distribute its SAR solutions in North America, through a new distribution partnership
Policy, Strategy, and Regulation
From ‘lunar intelligence’ to orbital waystations, the US needs to keep the moon on the mind (Breaking Defense) The second moon race is on, and the US needs better eyes in the sky and coordination on the ground, writes Mike Rogers Center for Intelligence & Global Affairs Director Joshua Huminski.
China Is Now a Major Space Power (WIRED) With the Tiangong station's completion, the country has a long-term platform in orbit.
UN committee endorses US call for moratorium on destructive ASAT missile tests (Breaking Defense) "There are ongoing reviews to find other other commitments that we can make, specifically around national security space activities," said the State Department's Richard Buenneke.
FCC to open 'Space Bureau' to keep up with satellite boom in new, commercial 'Space Age' (Breaking Defense) "I think the FCC needs some remodeling," Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said, announcing the new bureau as well as a new, separate International Affairs office.
FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel Proposes Reorganization With a New Space Bureau (Via Satellite) FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel proposed an effort to reorganize the FCC, creating a new Space Bureau to better support the rapidly developing
EXCLUSIVE: US Strategic Space Review signed out, but no unclassified version is coming (Breaking Defense) "If we want deterrence to be effective, it takes three things: 1. Capabilities 2. Credible threats in the mind of the adversary and 3. The will to communicate the first two," Chris Stone, Mitchell Institute fellow, told Breaking Defense.
Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation
Spire Wins DARPA Contract to Design ‘Ouija’ Satellite (Via Satellite) The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded Spire Global a contract to design a satellite to carry sensors to measure the ionosphere.
Air Force Research Lab awards $76 million for lunar experimentation (Defense News) AFRL expects the Oracle satellite to launch in 2025 and have a two-year mission life.
Space Development Agency asks for satellite 'battle management system' proposals (Breaking Defense) The on-board Battle Management, Command, Control and Communications (BMC3) software module will be tested on SDA's Tranche 1 Transport Layer data relay satellites.
The Problem With Spinning Spacecraft (WIRED) To send astronauts on long-term space missions, it’ll take rotating habitats to produce artificial gravity. But that’s trickier than you might think.
SpiderOak Wins DoD Contract to Demo OrbitSecure Zero-Trust Protocol (Via Satellite) Space cybersecurity solutions provider SpiderOak confirmed Wednesday that it received a contract from the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to deliver
Rocket Lab to Attempt Helicopter Recovery of Electron Mid-Stage This Week (Via Satellite) Commercial launch services company Rocket Lab will attempt to catch the mid-stage engine of the next rocket it launches into space with a helicopter as it
Space Policy chief warns against 'ridiculous' testing aversion for new missile interceptor (Breaking Defense) "I would say the United States should prove to ourselves that we can shoot something down before we buy more of a thing," said DoD Assistant Secretary for Space Policy John Plumb. "So, fly before you buy, if fly includes shooting a missile down to prove that it works."
Phase Four's spacecraft engine first to demo AFRL's game-changing 'green' fuel (Breaking Defense) Former NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine told Breaking Defense that Phase Four has the potential to "disrupt the in-space propulsion market," and its technology "is important for the country."
Space Technology
SDA Considers PNT Payloads for Future NDSA Satellites (Via Satellite) Hundreds of future satellites under the National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA) may carry GPS-type payloads to complement, improve, and back-up GPS
Safety Board: NASA Needs a Better Plan to De-Orbit the International Space Station (Air & Space Forces Magazine) A NASA safety panel is recommending the U.S. work on a more detailed plan for taking the International Space Station out of orbit.
Orbit of Babel: SDA developing 'translators' to get data from ISR sats to warfighters (Breaking Defense) "Translator" payloads are necessary because many of today's commercial remote sensing providers do not, and will not, have the ability to equip their satellites with optical inter-satellite links (OISLs) required to link to the agency's Transport Layer birds, said SDA Director Derek Tournear.
Northrop Grumman-built NOAA Satellite Launches to Enhance Weather and Climate Data Tracking (Northrop Grumman Newsroom) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) spacecraft, built by Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC), successfully launched today aboard a United Launch...
Boeing-Built X-37B Completes Sixth Mission, Sets New Endurance Record (MediaRoom) The Boeing [NYSE: BA] built X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) set a new endurance record after spending 908 days on orbit before landing at NASA’s...
NASA and Northrop Grumman Receive Aviation Week Grand Laureate Award (Northrop Grumman Newsroom) Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) in partnership with NASA received the Aviation Week Grand Laureate Award for its development of the James Webb Space Telescope. This honor recognizes NASA and the Northrop Grumman...
Joint Commerce, STRATCOM commercial SSA pilot planned for December (Breaking Defense) That pilot project will use SPACECOM's Unified Data Library (UDL) as a data base, DalBello said, because Commerce is still in the early stages of creating its own cloud-based data storage capability, called the Open Architecture Data Repository (OADR).
The return of LEO satellites set to transform the digital divide (CRN Australia) Australia is yet to bridge the digital divide between the city, and regional and remote areas
Northrop Grumman’s 18th Cygnus Cargo Resupply Spacecraft Arrives at International Space Station (Northrop Grumman Newsroom) Northrop Grumman Corporation’s (NYSE: NOC) 18th resupply mission (NG-18), under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Service-2 contract, berthed to the International Space Station (ISS) today after a November 7 launch from the...
Space Science
Why the Navy is shooting fungus into space (Task & Purpose) “Fungi have been forgotten for the past 20 or 30 years, but it's time to go back to them."
Threats and Risks to Space Systems
Alma radio telescope in Chile taken down by cyber attack (Yahoo) The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Observatory will be offline for an indeterminate amount of time as workers try to recover from a 29 October cyber attack
Cyberattack on observatory in Chile raises concerns about security of space tech (The Record by Recorded Future) One of the world’s largest astronomical observatories suffered a cyberattack in late October and was forced to suspend work, it announced last week.
Miscellanea
Huge ‘planet killer’ asteroid discovered – and it’s heading our way (the Guardian) With a diameter of 1 to 2km, space rock named 2022 AP7 crosses our orbit but has ‘no chance’ of hitting Earth