We’re very pleased to announce that the Retail & Hospitality ISAC Podcast has joined the CyberWire Podcast Network. Join host Luke Vander Linden for chats with members of the InfoSec community to discuss the latest challenges, opportunities, and best practices unique to cybersecurity in the retail and hospitality industry. Tune in and subscribe.
Smaller satellites (and smaller companies) along with a more diverse set of orbits, are shaping plans for the evolution of National Security Space Launches, C4ISRNet reports. Launch ranges themselves are expected to evolve in a direction that will support those plans. An overall goal of both developments is a shared push for greater resilience.
Smaller providers are set to figure in US Space Force's launch contracts. Breaking Defense quotes Major General Stephen Purdy, Space Force program executive officer for Assured Access to Space: “We developed an acquisition strategy consisting of a dual-lane approach that provides access to diverse commercially available systems, increases resiliency through alternate launch sites and streamlined integration timelines, allows annual on-ramping of emerging launch providers and systems, secures launch capacity, enables supply chain stability, and enhances affordability for the most stressing National Security Space missions."
Military Times sees a coming surge in National Security Space Launch contracts. United Launch Alliance and SpaceX continue to dominate the market, but General Purdy sees value in expanding the pool of launch service providers. To that end, Space Force is establishing two "Lanes" within its National Security Space Launches. Lane 1 consists of small launches and "commercial-like missions." General Purdy envisions Lane 1 as accommodating “an unlimited number of providers.” New companies will be able to compete without having to meet launch certification requirements. Lane 1 opportunities will start in Fiscal Year 2025 and continue through Fiscal Year 2034. Lane 2 is closer to current contracting practices; it's geared toward what General Purdy characterized as “more stressing” missions with more stringent requirements, and will be limited to the two companies certified to fly military missions. Lane 2 will be open between Fiscal Year 2025 and Fiscal Year 2029.
Requests-for-proposals establish a place for small vendors in launch services. Small businesses are encouraged to reach out directly to launch service providers, and Space Systems Command also provides small-business points-of-contact within the command, who can be reached at smallbus@us.af.mil.
The National Space Council’s Users Advisory Group held its inaugural meetings on February 23rd, Breaking Defense reports, and prominent among the agenda were discussions of how the Department of Defense might make use the commercial space sector to its advantage. The Space Force Vice Chief, General D.T. Thompson, outlined two ways in which the Service wishes to make use of commercial space: by direct purchase of services and products, and as a source of innovation. “In the Space Force, we think about the use of the commercial sector in two ways,” General Thompson said. “The first is the direct use of those commercial services to support our operations, our missions, and our activities, buying them as off-the-shelf services that we can use. The commercial sector is now also serving as an engine of innovation, and the technologies that they’re developing, the new and innovative operating concepts, the way they are thinking about space also spurs us on to think about, can we use those technologies and operating concepts...perhaps we can adapt them to some of the military roles and missions." Other discussions at the Users Advisory Group saw an increasing convergence of the requirements of three general user groups: civil, defense, and commercial. That convergence is expected to continue.
Two approaches to establishing a surge capacity for US Space Force are presently in play. The first of these is Space Systems Command's Commercial Augmentation Space Reserves, a program that would fill a role analogous to the one the Civil Reserve Air Fleet plays in the rapid augmentation of Air Force airlift capability. Space News quotes Colonel Rich Kniseley, chief of enterprise requirements at the Space Systems Command’s space systems integration office, who explains, “We are talking about how we’re going to expand our commercial partnerships during peacetime to ensure we have access to commercial capabilities during times of crisis or conflict."
Another approach has regained bipartisan traction in Congress: a Space National Guard. Military.com reports that Senators Dianne Feinstein (Democrat of California) and Marco Rubio (Republican of Florida) this month introduced the “Space National Guard Establishment Act" on Wednesday. The bill would align National Guard service members who perform space missions under US Space Force. Fourteen Air National Guard organizations (in California, Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii, Florida, Colorado, Ohio, New York and Guam) currently have space-related missions. Federal Times says that the National Guard Association has come out in support of the proposed law, and said that establishing a Space National Guard would cost notably less than many have expected.
President Biden, miffed by the way no one in China answered Defense Secretary Austin's hotline call about the Chinese balloons that wafted over North America early this month, will bring the matter up when he next speaks with President Xi, Bloomberg reports. “I expect to be speaking with President Xi, and I hope we have a — we are going to get to the bottom of this. But I make no apologies for taking down that balloon,” President Biden told members of the press. Chinese authorities called the US reaction to the balloons "absurd and hysterical," according to the Guardian. US Secretary of State Blinken, from the US side, said that incursions of such balloons "must never happen again." In general, however, the two sides seem interested in reducing tensions the incident raised.
The US has ended its search for objects shot down over Alaska and Lake Huron (one of them may have been a balloon flown by hobbyists). Observers are counting the cost of the shootdowns. The four AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles fired against the balloons alone cost about $1.5 million, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The AP reports that the European Space Agency is interested in an international agreement to establish a lunar time zone. It's thought that a common lunar time would be useful as more countries, and as private companies, begin to send crewed missions to the moon.
Today's issue includes events affecting China, Japan, Luxembourg, Russia, and the United States.
White House advisory group to explore DoD use of commercial space (Breaking Defense) The "Venn diagram ... of civil, commercial, and national security is becoming more and more overlapped," said Chirag Parikh, executive secretary of the National Space Council.
Space Force may hire companies to service orbiting satellites (C4ISRNet) The head of the Space Force's mobility enterprise said this week the service wants to buy commercial on-orbit logistics capabilities.
Space Force plans to open access for small providers to multibillion launch contracts (Breaking Defense) "We developed an acquisition strategy consisting of a dual-lane approach that provides access to diverse commercially available systems," said Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, Space Force's acquisition lead for space launch.
Space Command crafting requirements to improve satellite mobility (Defense News) Lt. Gen. John Shaw says the need for mobility is driving the command to explore options for what he calls "dynamic space operations."
Astroscale Wins UK MoD Funding to Study Space Domain Awareness Missions (Via Satellite) Astroscale’s U.K. subsidiary has been awarded 100,000 pounds in funding from the UK Ministry of Defence to perform a study on space-based space domain
Elon Musk is winning the space race (The Telegraph) SpaceX’s dominance is happening so fast that regulators may struggle to keep pace
The 10 Hottest Satellite Companies in 2023 (Satellite Today) Back for its fifth year, Via Satellite’s 10 Hottest Companies list highlights the “must watch” companies in the satellite sector.
Yahsat Takes Steps into the EO Arena (Via Satellite) Yahsat has signed a new MoU with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) as the two organizations look to take the UAE’s space ambitions to the next
Intuitive Machines Goes Public After SPAC Merger (Via Satellite) Intuitive Machines began trading on the Nasdaq on Tuesday after using a special purpose acquisition company merger (SPAC) to go public. Intuitive Machines
Astroscale Raises $76 Million, Including Manufacturing Deal with Mitsubishi Electric (Via Satellite) Astroscale raised $76 million in its Series G round, with funding from new investors Mitsubishi Electric, Yusaku Maezawa, Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, Mitsubishi
Hughes Revenue Slightly Up in 2022 Despite Subscriber Decline (Via Satellite) Hughes Network Systems grew revenue by $10 million 2022 compared to 2021, despite a 16% drop in subscribers as the satellite operator faces competition
Iridium Posts Double-Digit Revenue Increase in 2022, Surpasses 2M Subscribers (Via Satellite) Iridium Communications reported another year of record revenue in 2022, growing revenue 17% compared to 2021. The company reported full year 2022 revenue
Northrop Grumman Board Declares Quarterly Dividend (Northrop Grumman Newsroom) The board of directors of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) declared a quarterly dividend of $1.73 per share on Northrop Grumman common stock, payable March 15, 2023, to shareholders of record as of the close of...
China sanctions Lockheed Martin, Raytheon over Taiwan arms sales (Reuters) China on Thursday put Lockheed Martin and a unit of Raytheon Technologies on an "unreliable entities list" over arms sales to Taiwan, banning them from imports and exports related to China in its latest sanctions against the U.S. companies.
Mangata Networks Establishes Maritime Base in Singapore (Via Satellite) Mangata Networks is establishing Singapore as the location for its Maritime Global Headquarters (MGHQ). The company announced the move, Feb. 15. It has
SES Wins Luxembourg Government Defense Deal for O3b mPOWER (Via Satellite) The Luxembourg government is deepening its relationship with SES thanks to a new partnership announced Feb. 23. The program – MEO Global Services (MGS) –
Momentus Settles Class Action Lawsuit for $8.5M, Updates Vigoride Schedule (Via Satellite) Momentus settled a class action lawsuit against certain of its current and former directors and former officers, the company announced Thursday. Momentus
LeoLabs Exec Matthew Shouppe Joins Kayhan Space as Chief Commercial Officer (Via Satellite) LeoLabs executive Matthew Shouppe joined spaceflight safety company Kayhan Space as chief commercial officer, the company announced Thursday. Shouppe has
Japan H3 rocket launch aborted (Nikkei Asia) Another setback for the country's space industry after failure of Epsilon in October
Virgin Orbit Says Dislodged Fuel Filter Led to UK Launch Failure (Via Satellite) Virgin Orbit released more details about its January mission from the United Kingdom that failed, reporting that data showed there was a dislodged fuel
Space Force sees greater demand for national security launch program (Military Times) The projected growth is driving the service to consider how it can expand its pool of launch providers.
Space Force considers public-private partnerships to respond to crises (SpaceNews) Space Force considers public-private partnerships to respond to crises If a conflict with a rival power like China broke out, the U.S. military would need help from the private sector to protect American space assets and augment DoD’s existing satellite-based services.
Space Force envisions 'freight trains' to space, 'Walmarts on orbit' (Breaking Defense) Stephen "Bucky" Butow, director of space at the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit summed up the end goal for future operations as creating a "blue collar space."
Space Force FY24 request likely to jump by billions, but lawmakers may balk: Analyst (Breaking Defense) While there's broad support on the Hill for space operations, long-time space budget guru Mike Tierney says language in recent policy and appropriations bills suggests lawmakers want Space Force and the Pentagon to "show their work."
Space Force launch plan mirrors shift to smaller satellites (C4ISRNet) The two-lane strategy is a departure from the service’s prior approach, which split all National Security Space Launches between two companies.
Space Force wants launch ranges to be more resilient (C4ISRNet) The service is building operational concepts to ensure its launch ranges can operate under adverse conditions, including natural disasters.
Keys to Space Resilience: It's More Than Orbits, Says DOD's Plumb (Air & Space Forces Magazine) Assistant secretary of Defense for space policy John F. Plumb discussed the importance of space resilience in cyber, launch, and in orbit.
Space National Guard cost overstated, association says (Federal Times) A CBO study found that forming a service with as many as 5,800 personnel could cost nearly $500 million a year.
Creation of a Space National Guard Gets Renewed Push from Lawmakers (Military.com) Senators Feinstein and Rubio pushed for the legislation last year, but their bill saw little movement.
Senator Asks Biden to Block Relocation of Space Command, Citing National Security Worries (Military.com) Space Command was reactivated in August 2019 and temporarily run from Peterson Space Force Base.
Is Space Command still coming to Huntsville? Tuberville speaks on delay (AL.com) "Somebody's got to make the call," senator says.
Diesel spill cleanup at Space Force site on Maui could begin this week (Stars and Stripes) About 700 gallons of diesel fuel spilled Jan. 29 at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex atop the 10,000-foot summit of Haleakala, a dormant volcano.
SPACECOM expands allied, industry cooperation: Gen. Dickinson (Breaking Defense) SPACECOM is providing "spaceflight safety data to 680 global organizations flying 7400 spacecraft," SPACECOM head Gen. Jim Dickinson said. "We also track an additional 41,000 pieces of debris."
What US adversaries are learning from the balloon and UFO saga (Atlantic Council) The reactions to these objects among politicians and the public say more about "us" than "them."
SpaceX Shares Details of Higher Bandwidth V2 Mini Starlink Satellites (Via Satellite) SpaceX shared details of mini second-generation Starlink satellites on Feb. 26, calling them “V2 Minis,” saying the new technology will provide more
Cell Phone Manufacturers Honor, Motorola, and Others Sign On for Qualcomm Satellite Chip (Via Satellite) Qualcomm Technologies is teaming up with Honor, Motorola, Nothing, OPPO, vivo and Xiaomi to develop smartphones with satellite communication capabilities
SatixFy to Supply Chips to Astrome for Terrestrial 5G Wireless Backhaul (Via Satellite) SatixFy has landed a deal to supply chips to Astrome, in a move the company says takes its business into the terrestrial 5G market and establishes a
United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket debut pushed to May (C4ISRNet) Vulcan is scheduled to carry its first DoD satellite at the end of this year, but it must first complete two certification flights.
Samsung Jumps upon the Satellite Bandwagon With 5G NTN Modem Technology (Via Satellite) Samsung is the latest big-name electronics manufacturer to look to develop a satellite-based capability. In a major announcement on Feb. 23, the
Omnispace and Ligado Networks to Combine Satellite Spectrum for Direct-to-Device Services (Via Satellite) Omnispace and Ligado Networks have reached an MoU to combine their licensed mobile satellite services (MSS) spectrum in the L- and S-Bands for
Qualcomm chips to power satellite tech in Chinese smartphones (Nikkei Asia) Chipmakers from MediaTek to Samsung bring 'non-terrestrial' messaging to phones
Starlink’s testing a ‘Global Roaming’ internet service for $200 per month (The Verge) It’s supposed to offer internet from “almost anywhere on land.”
Ivanhoe Mines Exec Details How its Mining Operation Benefits from O3b (Via Satellite) Ivanhoe Mines believes that satellite will play a larger part in its overall operations going forward. The company, which recently signed a capacity
BlackSky’s Next-Gen Satellites to Use Addvalue’s Data Relay System (Via Satellite) BlackSky is incorporating the Inmarsat and Addvalue inter-satellite data relay system, IDRS, in its next-generation satellite design, the companies
White House nears plan to assign regulatory authorities for 'new' space activities (Breaking Defense) The ongoing White House-level review of what is often called "mission authorization and supervision" responsibilities has not been simple, according to several government officials involved, with the key agencies with current legal say over space regulations jockeying for a piece of the regulatory pie.
FCC Proposes New Regulations for Satellites Using Terrestrial Spectrum (Via Satellite) The FCC will consider rules that allow satellite operators to operate satellites using terrestrial spectrum, in a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM)
China Says Will Train Foreign Astronauts for Space Station (Military.com) China says it will soon begin training foreign astronauts for trips to its newly completed orbiting space station.
Blinken: China's Balloon Incursion 'Must Never Happen Again' (Military.com) Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. does not seek conflict with China.
CIA director ‘can’t say’ what Chinese leadership knew about spy balloon (The Hill) CIA Director William Burns said in an interview aired Sunday he could not be sure whether Chinese leader Xi Jinping and others in China’s top leadership knew about an intelligence-gathering spy bal…
Chinese balloon over US a reminder time has come to regulate, facilitate espionage from space (ThePrint) Eyeball-to-eyeball in outer space, China, Russia and the United States are engaged in a high-stakes, no-rules struggle for supremacy.
US reaction to balloon ‘absurd and hysterical’, says top Chinese diplomat (the Guardian) Wang Yi also says China is preparing to outline position on Russian war against Ukraine
U.S., China Diplomats See Chance to Clear the Air Over Balloon (Wall Street Journal) The two sides have discussed a possible meeting of Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese diplomat Wang Yi at a security conference in Munich.
China’s balloon blunder shows the shortcomings of its national security apparatus (Atlantic Council) The composition of China's security structures indicates that the military did not want to disrupt a major diplomatic moment and thought the balloon would be undetected.
Fears Joe Biden may have shot down hobbyist club's small balloon (The Telegraph) A group member said they’re 'not angry at all' and would rather lose a $100 balloon than 'have something bad go over' the country
Biden troubled that China did not take Pentagon call over balloon (Stars and Stripes) President Joe Biden said he was troubled that China declined to take a call from Pentagon officials over the alleged spy balloon that crossed the U.S.
Biden Intends to Speak With Xi to Defuse Tensions Over Balloon (Bloomberg) President delivers first extended public remarks on incidents. Both parties have pressured White House to be more transparent.
Biden wants 'sharper rules' on unknown aerial objects (AP NEWS) President Joe Biden said Thursday that the U.S. is developing “sharper rules” to track, monitor and potentially shoot down unknown aerial objects, following three weeks of high-stakes drama sparked by the discovery of a suspected Chinese spy balloon transiting much of the country.
President Biden Delivers Remarks About Objects Shot Down Over U.S., Canada (NewsRadio 1110 KFAB) The United States military has shot down several unidentified objects over U.S. and Canadian airspace.
Biden plans to deliver his most extensive remarks yet about the aerial objects the military shot down (NBC News) Biden will explain how the administration is forming rules to deal with other objects in the future.
Rosenworcel Talks FCC Satellite-to-Cell Regulation in MWC Keynote (Via Satellite) FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel addressed the Commission’s plan to update the regulations related to satellite-to-cell communications at Mobile World
Intelsat Demonstrates Multi-Orbit Antenna in Tests Flights for Airlines (Via Satellite) Intelsat recently demonstrated its new electronically steered array (ESA) antenna on test flights with global airlines on the company’s Bombardier CRJ-700
Dutch Research Organization to Deploy Lasercom Mission on Sidus Space Satellite (Via Satellite) A research organization in the Netherlands reached a deal to deploy its laser communications technology on a future Sidus Space satellite for a tech
SpaceX, NASA astronaut launch to International Space Station called off at last minute (CNN) SpaceX and NASA have called off an astronaut launch to the International Space Station after an issue with the rocket's ground system was detected.
Does the Future of the Internet Depend on Satellite? (Via Satellite) A few short years ago, the question posed by that title would have been laughable. How could the future of the internet – with its 997 terabits per second
Russia launches unmanned rescue ship for NASA astronaut, two cosmonauts after spacecraft leak (The Hill) Russia launched an unmanned rescue ship to aid a NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts who have been stranded at the International Space Station since their spacecraft began having a leak in De…
Russia Launches Rescue Ship to Space Station After Leaks (Manufacturing Business Technology) The new, empty Soyuz capsule should arrive at the orbiting lab on Sunday.
Google Pioneered Stratospheric Loon Balloons. Was China Watching? (WIRED) The search company helped revolutionize balloon technology to beam internet access to global blank spots. Now, China seems to have lofted a similar project.
NATO members line up to join new space-based data collection effort (Defense News) Sixteen governments, plus alliance invitees Sweden and Finland, have so far joined the initiative.
No, the James Webb Space Telescope Hasn’t Broken Cosmology (WIRED) Reports that the JWST killed the reigning cosmological model have been exaggerated. But there’s still much to learn from the distant galaxies it glimpses.
Space telescope uncovers massive galaxies near cosmic dawn (AP NEWS) Astronomers have discovered what appear to be massive galaxies dating back to within 600 million years of the Big Bang, suggesting the early universe may have had a stellar fast-track that produced these “monsters.”
The 5 big worries the Commerce Department has about space traffic management (Breaking Defense) "China is a major space player and will be a major space player. They are not participating in the global dialogue, and in global information sharing on SSA. That's unsustainable," said Richard DalBello, head of the Commerce Department's Office of Space Commerce.
Cybersecurity in the Next-Generation Space Age, Pt. 2: Cybersecurity Threats in the New Space (Security Intelligence) Explore the biggest cybersecurity threats in the New Space era.
Cybersecurity in the Next-Generation Space Age, Pt. 3: Securing the New Space (Security Intelligence) Discover the measures taken to secure systems in the New Space.
How balloon encounters revealed gaps in NORAD's warning system (Task & Purpose) NORAD's North Warning System is made up of 46 radar sites built between 1986 and 1992.
US ends search for objects shot down over Alaska, Lake Huron (Military Times) The U.S. and Canada “conducted systematic searches of each area using a variety of capabilities" but and did not find debris.
Hobby group wonders if F-22 shot down its missing balloon (Stars and Stripes) An Illinois hobby group is wondering if one of the unidentified flying objects shot out of the sky by a jet fighter's sidewinder missile that costs upwards of $450,000 might have been their humble radio-equipped balloon, which could cost as little as $12.
Pentagon Spent At Least $1.5 Million on Missiles to Down Three High-Altitude Objects (Wall Street Journal) Defense officials are still analyzing debris from the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon shot down Feb. 4.
Let’s Put a Pin in the Spy Balloon/UFO Hysteria (Military.com) There is something about the last two weeks of America’s intense focus on the threat posed by balloons that is reminiscent of the “Summer of the Shark” in 2001.
We Have a Real UFO Problem. And It’s Not Balloons. (POLITICO) America’s fixation on the recent objects floating over the country overlooks a much more serious problem with advanced technology aircraft that we can’t explain.
A Final Word on Balloongate (Military.com) Why, people asked, did China float balloons over the U.S. when it (like other major powers) has hundreds of spy satellites in Near Earth Orbit?
Go to edge of space in a balloon under start-up's cut-price offer to tourists (The Telegraph) Japanese firm giving people the chance to see the stars in a two-seater cabin at a fraction of the £45m ticket quoted by SpaceX
What time is it on moon? Europe pushing for lunar time zone (AP NEWS) With more lunar missions than ever on the horizon, the European Space Agency wants to give the moon its own time zone. This week, the agency said space organizations around the world are considering how best to keep time on the moon.
