WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force has tested a new anti-jamming capability that will make the military’s main satellite communications constellation more resilient than ever, the Space and Missile Systems Center announced Aug. 26. On June 18, SMC successfully tested the Mitigation and Anti-Jam Enhancement, or MAJE, capability for Wideband Global SATCOM. WGS provides global satellite communications to American forces. MAJE includes both software and hardware upgrades to the Army’s Global SATCOM Configuration Control Element, the ground system the detects, identifies, locates and mitigates interference with WGS satellites. According to SMC, the test demonstrated MAJE’s ability to detect and suppress interference […]
Nathan Strout
83 posts
WASHINGTON — SRC Inc. has won a $90 million contract to support the U.S. Air Force’s counter-small unmanned aerial system efforts, the service announced Aug. 24. Under the indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract, which is not to exceed the $90 million ceiling, the Air Force will purchase SRC’s C-sUAS and related components. SRC will also provide upgrades, sustainment, installation support, and design and analysis support. Work on the sole-source acquisition is expected to be completed in August 2028. SRC will also provide sustainment for its products within the Multi-Environmental Domain Unmanned Systems Application. MEDUSA is a command-and-control system that ties together […]
WASHINGTON — The U.S. National Reconnaissance Office is set to launch a new intelligence payload into orbit in the early hours of the morning on Aug. 26. The Launch Readiness Review has given the mission — dubbed NROL-44 — the “go,” clearing it for liftoff at 2:16 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. As of the Aug. 24 announcement, the weather forecast is favorable with a 70 percent chance of acceptable conditions. The launch period on Aug. 26 extends from 1:50 to 6:25 a.m. EDT. Charged with developing, procuring and operating America’s intelligence satellites, the NRO does […]
WASHINGTON — Beginning in September, entities across the U.S. Department of Defense will be able to buy small, American-manufactured drones from five select companies, allowing users in the field to quickly and easily gain a bird’s eye view of their environment. A spin-off of U.S. Army efforts to develop a rucksack-packable quadcopter with the Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) program of record, the Defense Innovation Unit’s Blue sUAS effort let’s U.S. government customers purchase trusted small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) that can take off and land vertically. The new drones were developed to comply with Section 848 of the 2020 National Defense […]
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Space Force will begin sharing valuable space situational awareness data with the United Kingdom as part of Operation Olympic Defender, the service announced Aug. 14. Under a recently signed agreement, the Space Force will share it’s Standardized Astrodynamics Algorithm Library with the U.K.‘s Ministry of Defense. SAAL is a collection of the Space Force’s understanding of orbital physics and algorithms that helps the service predict the trajectories of objects on orbit. “Aggressive actions in space must be deterred through a multinational, coordinated effort, allowing for the defense and protection or our collective capabilities,” said Maj. Gen. DeAnna […]
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force hopes its prototype low-Earth orbit weather satellites will entice commercial businesses and allied nations to partner up on the project, reducing the cost of delivering critical weather data to the war fighter. The U.S. Air Force has been trying to replace the aging Defense Meteorological Satellite Program for years, ever since Congress opted to can it in 2015. Two capabilities in particular have proven a challenge for replacement: cloud characterization and theater weather imagery. But now the Space Force thinks it has the answer. By leveraging the increasingly popular low-Earth orbit architecture demonstrated by SpaceX’s […]
In yet another step toward firmly establishing an independent identity from the other services, the U.S. Space Force has published a new document articulating “spacepower” as a separate and distinct form of military power. The Space Capstone Publication is the Space Force’s first official doctrine, and it will serve as a foundation for further doctrines that will delve deeper into the thorny military issues confronting the nascent service. The document lays out when military spacepower should be employed, who makes up military space forces, and the culture those forces should strive for. Key to that culture is organizational agility, innovation, and […]
The Pentagon has cleared 100 megahertz (MHz) of contiguous mid-band spectrum to be used for commercial 5G following a 15-week review, determining that they can share that bandwidth while minimizing impact on military radars. While that 3450-3550 MHz mid-band spectrum is highly desired by commercial 5G developers, it’s been historically used by the military for critical radar operations for purposes including air defense, missile and gunfire control, counter-mortar, bomb scoring, battlefield weapon locations, air traffic control, and range safety. But now, the Department of Defense is saying that it can continue using the spectrum for those purposes while making it available […]
WASHINGTON – It’s hard to hit targets you can’t see. That’s the problem Willie Nelson is trying to solve as director of the Army’s Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing (APNT) Cross-Functional Team. In that role, Nelson is integrating the Army’s efforts to locate beyond-line-of-sight threats and delivering accurate targeting data to weapons systems in a timely manner. In order to do that, his team is leveraging space-based sensors, artificial intelligence and a new scalable ground system that can connect to all of the Army’s weapon systems. Of course, the first part of the problem is finding the threats. For Nelson, the […]
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Air Force has completed critical design review of an experimental navigation satellite, clearing the way for fabrication to begin and keeping the launch on track for 2022. The Air Force Research Laboratory’s Navigation Technology Satellite 3 (NTS-3) is one of the Air Force’s first Vanguard programs—platforms that can delivers remarkable new capabilities to the war fighter. NTS-3 is being developed to demonstrate new positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) technologies that will inform how future GPS satellites work. AFRL plans to operate the satellite in geosynchronous orbit for one year to experiment with new PNT signals and test […]
WASHINGTON — A new wide-area motion imagery sensor could make the R1-21A Blackjack an even more powerful tool for the war fighter, allowing the small UAV to simultaneously monitor 5 square miles. Logos Technologies announced July 28 that it was awarded a $6.7 million contract to deliver two wide-area motion imagery (WAMI) sensor prototypes to U.S. Naval Air Systems Command in September. Dubbed Cardcounter by the Navy, the 28-pound infrared sensor is adapted from the company’s commercial BlackKite product. Blackjacks are used by the Navy to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance coverage day or night. Able to launch without a runway, […]
WASHINGTON – Up and coming U.S. government launch provider Rocket Lab says it has identified the anomaly behind a July 4 in-flight failure of one of its rockets, and the Federal Aviation Administration has cleared the company to resume launches, the company announced July 31. Several minutes after one of the company’s Electron rockets successfully lifted-off from its New Zealand launch pad on July 4, the engine automatically initiated a safe shutdown. It was unable to reach orbit, and—while no one was injured—the incident resulted in the loss of the rocket and the commercial payloads it was carrying. Over the last […]
BAE Systems has completed its $1.9 billion purchase of Collins Aerospace’s military Global Positioning System business from Raytheon Technologies Corporation, the company announced July 31. “Today marks the culmination of a tremendous team effort, and we are extremely proud to welcome the Military GPS employees to our company,” said John Watkins, vice president and general manager of Precision Strike & Sensing Solutions at BAE Systems. “Together, we will build on our rich histories of providing superior, innovative capabilities to help protect our U.S. and allied warfighters.” The acquisition follows the merger of defense contracting giants United Technologies Corp. and Raytheon into […]
WASHINGTON – The Pentagon is trying to move ahead with reforms to how it acquires space systems, even as a report outlining significant legislative changes has gotten held up by the Office of Management and Budget. Released in May, the Department of the Air Force report recommends nine specific proposals to improve contracting under the newly established U.S. Space Force. While most of the changes can be undertaken independently by the Department of Defense, three recommendations would require legislative action by Congress. But according to Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration Shawn Barnes, the report […]
WASHINGTON — More than 120 space specialists, including representatives from the Pentagon, are calling on the United States to develop and promote a “North Star” approach for industrial development to maintain American leadership in space. The push came in a report, “State of the Space Industrial Base 2020,“ following a virtual workshop held in May, which saw leaders from industry, the U.S. government and academia convene virtually to discuss how the United States could maintain long-term economic and military leadership in space. The report includes six recommendations for government action to achieve this goal, as well as four recommendations for industry […]
WASHINGTON – The nominee to lead the nearly year-old U.S. Space Command voiced support for addressing the problem of overclassification in space during a July 28 hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Lt. Gen. James Dickinson, currently serving as deputy commander of SPACECOM, told senators that in his experience, declassification has helped the war fighter on the ground. “In my previous job as commander of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, I saw firsthand how that overclassification, if you will, was actually making it more difficult for us to provide support to the war fighter,” said Dickinson. “We’ve already […]
Hypergiant Industries is working on building a new 36 satellite constellation with the U.S. Air Force—an updatable system that the company hopes will be used as a low Earth orbit test range. The company first pitched the concept of a constellation of satellites that could update “functionality and mission profiles on the fly based on real-time emergent scenarios and information” in January. Since then, Hypergiant has received funding for their Chameleon Constellation in the form of Air Force Small Business Innovation Research grants, the company told C4ISRNET, and in late June they announced the debut of the first prototype node in […]
WASHINGTON — The Defense Innovation Unit has selected Ball Aerospace to develop a new prototype antenna for the U.S. Navy’s new stealth destroyers, the company announced July 21. The low-observable antenna will allow the DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class destroyers to communicate over multiple frequency bands without compromising the ships’ stealth features. Ball will develop the antenna architecture, beamforming approach and the prototype itself. “We are pleased to partner with DIU and the U.S. Navy to explore ways to quickly and cost-effectively increase the capabilities of the DDG 1000,” said Jake Sauer, vice president and general manager of tactical solutions at Ball. “Our […]
U.S. Space Command says that Russia tested an anti-satellite weapon on orbit July 15, continuing a series of aggressive actions that nation has taken in space. According to a July 23 SPACECOM statement, Russian inspector satellite Cosmos 2543 released another object into space in proximity to another Russian satellite, an action inconsistent with its stated purpose. U.S. officials have suggested in the past that such an object could be used as a high-speed projectile weapon to attack other satellites. “The Russian satellite system used to conduct this on-orbit weapons test is the same satellite system that we raised concerns about earlier […]
WASHINGTON – The Department of Defense wants better batteries for its war fighters, and it’s partnering with NanoGraf to develop them. “Just like we civilians are increasingly relying on cell phones and tablets and everything else, the modern soldier is also transitioning towards these really power heavy devices in the field, [like] night vision goggles, weapon optics, all of the communications devices, GPS,” said Chip Breitenkamp, NanoGraf vice president of business development. “All of those things require more and more power. “If you take a look at what the soldier has to bring on the field already, between guns, ammunition, water, […]
WASHINGTON – General Dynamics will continue providing engineering support for the U.S. Navy’s Knifefish, an unmanned undersea mine hunter, as the service looks to increase testing and evaluation before entering full-rate production.. The Navy issued a $13.6 million contract modification to General Dynamics for continued engineering support for Knifefish on July 20, just as the original $9.2 million contract issued last July was set to expire. Work is now expected to be completed in September 2021. The contract extension will support test and evaluation, engineering change proposal development and upgrade initiatives. The Knifefish is a medium-class unmanned undersea vehicle (UUV) designed […]
WASHINGTON – New software developed by BAE Systems could help the Department of Defense build confidence in decisions and intelligence produced by machine learning algorithms, the company claims. BAE Systems said it recently delivered its new MindfuL software program to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in a July 14 announcement. Developed in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, the software is designed to increase transparency in machine learning systems—artificial intelligence algorithms that learn and change over time as they are fed ever more data—by auditing them to provide insights about how it reached […]
Since 1961, the National Reconnaissance Office has been in charge of designing, building, launching and operating the United States’ fleet of intelligence satellites. In 2017, the agency’s role expanded. In addition to all of the above, NRO took over the role of acquiring commercial satellite imagery on behalf of the intelligence community from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Under this new paradigm, NGA serves as the geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) functional manager, determining what imagery the intelligence community needs and writing those requirements, but it’s up to NRO to determine how those requirements are filled. Planet has a new subscriber for its satellite […]
The Defense Innovation Unit has awarded Sierra Nevada Corporation a contract to build an unmanned orbital outpost, the company announced July 14. The unmanned orbital outpost will be placed in low Earth orbit to be used for experiments and demonstrations. The autonomous, free flying vehicle will be able to host payloads and support space assembly and manufacturing, microgravity experimentation, logistics, training, testing and evaluations. Under the contract, Sierra Nevada Corporation will repurpose their Shooting Star transport vehicle into a scalable, autonomous space station that can be used for experiments and demonstrations. The Shooting Star vehicle is a 16-foot attachment to the […]
The National Reconnaissance Office successfully launched four classified payloads into orbit July 15 from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility — the agency’s first dedicated launch from the Virginia facility. NRO is in charge of acquiring, launching and operating the nation’s intelligence satellites, and while the agency does not typically reveal the details or purpose of its classified satellites, the agency’s director noted that the four payloads will demonstrate revolutionary capabilities. “NROL-129 represents a collaboration between the NRO and our industry partners to design, build, launch and operate a system of satellites that will demonstrate revolutionary capabilities of value to the nation and […]
The U.S. Navy wants $464 million for unmanned surface vessels, but Congress is not on the same page. Legislators have so far declined to fully fund the massive investment into research and development for large and medium unmanned surface vessels as they work through the annual defense bill, citing the request as “excessive procurement ahead of satisfactory testing.” Among other things, that budget request would give the Navy $239 million to purchase two Overlord large unmanned surface vehicle (LUSV) prototypes for testing. While the Senate Armed Services Committee has declined to authorize any of the $464 million request, the House Armed […]
The U.S. Space Force squadron charged with operating the military’s most secure communications satellites has received a new advanced terminal that has been in development for years. The new Family of Advanced Beyond-Line-of-Sight Terminal (FAB-T) was installed in late June at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, where the 4th Space Operations Squadron will use it to control protected military communications satellites. “The terminals we were using before couldn’t control some of the more advanced functions on our systems,” Staff Sgt. Edgar Diamond, an officer within the 4th SOPS, said in a press release. “Our old system was not user friendly in […]
Raytheon has selected Orolia to provide a critical time and frequency system to the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor the company is building for the U.S. Army, Orolia announced July 8. The Army awarded Raytheon $384 million in October 2019 to deliver six LTAMDS radar units. LTAMDS is expected to replace the Army’s Patriot radars — a system that has been fielded since the 1980s and is also built by Raytheon — operating on the Army’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense network. While approximately the same size as its predecessor, the LTAMDS has more than twice the power and […]
Four National Reconnaissance Office payloads will be launched into orbit July 15, continuing the agency’s efforts to leverage the small commercial launch market for its missions. The U.S. Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center announced July 11 that it successfully completed its flight readiness review, putting the launch on track for its 9 a.m. ET window at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. For the National Reconnaissance Office Launch-129 (NROL-129) mission, four payloads built and designed by NRO will be placed on orbit. The agency, which is charged with acquiring and managing the nation’s intelligence […]
The U.S. Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office will stick with Rocket Lab for upcoming launches, despite the failure of the company’s most recent rocket launch to reach orbit. An anomaly occurred during the small launch provider’s most recent mission, resulting in the loss of the rocket and the commercial payloads it was carrying. Rocket Lab noted in a statement that the issue occurred approximately four minutes into the July 4 flight, following a successful liftoff from its New Zealand launch pad as well as a successful first-stage burn and stage separation. No one was injured during the event, and […]
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Descartes Labs a contract that will allow them to use the company’s geospatial analytics platform for multisensor data fusion and situational awareness. The Small Business Innovation Research Phase II contract was awarded through AFWERX—an Air Force effort to spark innovation through non-traditional vendors—and the Air Force REsearch Lab’s Space Vehicles Directorate and Information Directorate. Descartes Labs did not reveal the value of the contract. Under the contract, the Air Force will be able to use the company’s platform to fuse multidomain, mutisensor data and produce near-real-time analytics. Data sources will include satellites, shipping pings, aerial […]
The U.S. Space Force’s stopgap Arctic communications system has passed another major milestone, with it’s Control and Planning Segment (CAPS) ground system passing a critical design review. The Space and Missile Systems Center said officials completed a “delta critical design review” of Enhanced Polar System Recapitalization’s (EPS-R) CAPS design June 25. In a press release, SMC noted the assessment included three months of review by the government and contractor teams, covering areas of risk, software and hardware requirement traceability, testing, performance, cost and schedule. Slated to launch in late 2022, the EPS-R payloads will fill a vital gap in providing secure […]
The Joint Artificial Intelligence Center is shifting its focus to enabling joint warfighting operations, developing artificial intelligence tools that will be integrated into the Department of Defense’s Joint All-Domain Command and Control efforts. “As we have matured, we are now devoting special focus on our joint warfighting operation and its mission initiative, which is focused on the priorities of the National Defense Strategy and its goal of preserving America’s military and technological advantages over our strategic competitors,” JAIC Acting Director Nand Mulchandani told reporters July 8. “The AI capabilities JAIC is developing as part of the joint warfighting operations mission initiative […]
The National-Geospatial-Intelligence Agency issued a new Broad Agency Announcement July 6, giving researchers and academics a new pathway to present intelligence solutions to the agency. NGA is responsible for delivering geospatial-intelligence to war fighters, policy makers and the intelligence community. Under this BAA, NGA is looking for outside solutions from industry and academia to help them accomplish that mission. “The release of this BAA will help accelerate our research endeavors and provide NGA with the ability to expand and diversify its research performer base, while giving us better flexibility and agility in research contracting efforts,” said Cindy Daniell, director of research […]
As the U.S. Army’s program executive officer for intelligence, electronic warfare and sensors (IEW&S), Brig. Gen. Rob Collins is responsible for ensuring the soldier can detect, recognize and identify the enemy. Collins’ vast portfolio includes airborne and terrestrial sensors, position, navigation and timing devices, biometric solutions, and the TITAN ground station program, which will take data from aerial, terrestrial and space sensors to distribute essential data to shooters. The officer has a long career working in this arena: He previously served as project manager for the Army’s Distributed Common Ground System and before that as product manager for the Warfighter Information […]
L3Harris has successfully launched a new demonstrator satellite for the U.S. Air Force, the company announced July 6. According to L3Harris, the small satellite is part of a constellation of end-to-end small satellites the company is developing for the Air Force. While the company declined to discuss launch details due to the classified nature of the program, L3Harris noted in a press release that it is the prime contractor for the “responsive constellation contract” and is responsible for designing, developing, building, testing and deploying the satellites. “L3Harris has developed and supported various aspects of satellite missions over the last several decades […]
Less than two weeks after the U.S. Space Force invoked the Defense Production Act to prop up six small launch providers, the awards have been withdrawn. On June 16, the Space and Missile Systems Center announced in a beta.SAM.gov post that it was awarding rideshare contracts to six companies approved by the Industrial Base Council: Aevum, Astra, X-BOW, Rocket Lab USA, Space Vector and VOX Space. Each company was to be awarded two rideshare missions to be conducted over the next 24 months. The value of those contracts was not revealed. But as first reported by SpaceNews, SMC has withdrawn those […]
The U.S. Marine Corps has awarded FLIR Systems a $10 million contract for dozens of SkyRaider drones, the company announced June 30. FLIR Systems says the R80D SkyRaider is the company’s most advanced military small unmanned aerial system, equipped with long-range, high-resolution electro-optical/infrared sensors and able to carry loads of up to 4.4 pounds. The company says the SkyRaider platform was specifically developed for U.S. defense and federal government customers. “The R80D SkyRaider is a superior asset for highly mobile expeditionary and multi-mission combat operations, such as those that put Marines at the tip of the spear,” said David Proulx, vice […]
Delayed from an April launch date in response to the spread of COVID-19, the third GPS III satellite was launched into orbit June 30 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. In addition to being SpaceX’s first launch with the U.S. Space Force and the new service’s third launch since its inception, this launch saw the first successful booster recovery during a National Security Space Launch. Following separation, the booster was able to safely land on SpaceX’s “Just Read the Instructions” droneship, located about 350 nautical miles off the east coast of Florida. “The NSSL program’s number one […]
The Space and Missile Systems Center has issued a $222.5 million contract to continue supporting the Defense Program Support constellation, a legacy system that helps detect ballistic missile launches, nuclear detonations and space launches. Since the first payload was launched in 1970, DSP satellites have contributed to America’s missile warning architecture by using infrared sensors in geosynchronous orbit to detect ballistic missile launches all around the world. The final DSP payload was launched in 2007. Northrop Grumman was the prime contractor for all DSP satellites. While the constellation has been superseded by the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS), DSP satellites continue […]
Following a U.S. Army-led assessment, the Department of Defense will be narrowing the number of different Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft System solutions being deployed by the joint forces from close to 40 to just eight. The Secretary of Defense delegated the Army to lead an effort to reduce redundancy in the development and fielding of various Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft System (C-sUAS) solutions by the services back in November. The Army subsequently set up the Joint C-sUAS Office (JCO) to conduct that assessment, and over the last few months the office has worked to narrow down the dozens of counter drone systems currently […]
Later this year, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is expected to launch a series of risk reduction payloads into orbit to help pave the way for an experimental program known as Project Blackjack. With Blackjack, DARPA wants to demonstrate the military utility of a large constellation of small satellites operating in low earth orbit. These satellites will connect with each other on orbit over optical intersatellite links, forming a mesh network in space. That network will be able to deliver sensor data collected on orbit to terrestrial war fighters in near-real time. And while Blackjack won’t transition to a program […]
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency will have access to new synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data thanks to a new research agreement with Capella Space Under the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), NGA researchers will be able to access the company’s SAR data and analytics, while Capella will be able to work with NGA researchers “for deeper insight into problems,” according to the company’s June 25 press release. SAR creates imagery using radar, giving it different capabilities than traditional electro-optical satellite imagery. In addition to being able to produce images regardless of inclement weather or poor lighting conditions, SAR can provide data […]
The Navy has purchased its first two MQ-9A Reaper drones, awarding General Atomics Aeronautical Systems nearly $27 million on June 22 for the unmanned air systems and associated ground control equipment. The MQ-9A Reaper is a multimission, medium-altitude, long-endurance aircraft that is remotely piloted. According to the June 22 contract announcement, the Reapers will be used for intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance missions as well as persistent strike efforts. The contract procures two MQ-9A Reapers, one dual-control mobile ground control station, one modular data center and one mobile ground control station. This is the first time the Navy has purchased Reapers, but […]
The Senate’s annual defense bill would put an additional $120 million toward a space-based sensor layer capable of tracking hypersonic weapons, despite the fact the Department of Defense did not seek more funding for the project in its fiscal 2021 budget requests. The Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor is DoD’s answer to the growing threat posed by hypersonic weapons being developed by China and Russia. Hypersonic weapons are a major challenge to the United States’ current missile warning architecture. Not only can these weapons maneuver around ground based sensors, they’re too dim to be picked up and tracked by space-based […]
Peraton will provide commercial satellite communications services for U.S. Central Command after receiving a new $56 million contract, the company announced June 18. Under the contract, which was awarded by the Space Force’s Future Commercial SATCOM Acquisition program, Peraton will provide mission support for mobile platforms It will also provide bandwidth for mission operations, survivability, and diversification within the area of responsibility. “Peraton has served as a trusted solution partner to U.S. Central Command for over 10 years and is proud to continue providing satellite-based services tailored to their specific mission requirements,” said David Myers, president, Peraton Communications sector. “As a […]
The future chain of command for the Missile Defense Agency is up in the air, as legislators express their frustration with how leadership has handled a number of missile defense priorities, including a space-based sensor layer that could track hypersonic weapons. The House Armed Services’ strategic forces subcommittee is threatening to move the agency away from Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Michael Griffin and place it within the portfolio of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, reflecting a growing rift between Griffin and lawmakers. The subcommittee’s markup of the draft National Defense Authorization Act notes […]
The Space Force’s next missile warning satellite has successfully completed two months of testing to ensure it will survive in the harsh environment of space, according to prime contractor Lockheed Martin. The company said that the fifth geosynchronous Space Based Infrared System satellite completed its Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) testing June 9, bringing it one step closer to being launched into orbit. During TVAC testing, the satellite was exposed to heat and cold in a depressurized atmosphere that mimics the environmental effects of space. The SBIRS constellation provides missile warning capabilities to the U.S. military, detecting missile launches all around the globe […]
The Space and Missile Systems Center will award rideshare contracts to six small launch providers under the Defense Production Act, providing support to a market the Pentagon has repeatedly said is vulnerable to COVID-19-related financial restraints. The six companies approved by the Industrial Base Council are Aevum, Astra, X-BOW, Rocket Lab USA, Space Vector and VOX Space. Each company will be awarded sole source contracts for two rideshare missions to be conducted over the next 24 months. The value of the contracts was not included in the announcement originally posted on SAM.gov June 16. Funding for the 12 rideshare missions will […]
The National Reconnaissance Office is sticking with Rocket Lab for two back-to-back launches from New Zealand in 2021, the company announced June 18 following the completion of its second successful mission for the agency earlier this month. Slated for spring 2021, the missions will take place on Electron rockets from two separate launch pads at Rocket Lab’s New Zealand complex. According to the company, this will allow them to launch the missions within weeks of each other in spring 2021, providing a more responsive launch capability. “Given the threat to space capabilities posed by potential adversaries, there simply cannot be a […]
The Pentagon has put forward a new Defense Space Strategy designed to maintain U.S. military superiority in space amid growing counter-space efforts in Russia and China. “China and Russia have weaponized space and turned it into a war-fighting domain,” Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy Stephen Kitay said during a June 17 press call. “Their actions pose the greatest strategic threat with ongoing development, testing and deployment of counter-space systems and the associated military doctrine designed to hold allied and U.S. space systems at risk.” The strategy reflects the Defense Department’s shift to approaching space as a war-fighting domain, […]
Two contractors have revealed new details about demonstration satellites that will be launched later this year to reduce risk for Pit Boss, an autonomous mission system that will power the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Project Blackjack. Project Blackjack is DARPA’s effort to demonstrate the value of a proliferated constellation of low Earth orbit satellites for the Department of Defense. Beginning in late 2021, the agency will launch up to 2020 Blackjack satellites that will form a mesh network on orbit incorporating Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) sensors, processing power in space, and artificial intelligence capabilities. But before the agency begins launching […]
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded Raytheon $37 million to develop sensors for Project Blackjack, according to a June 12 contract announcement. Project Blackjack is a demonstration constellation being developed and fielded by DARPA to show the military utility of an on-orbit mesh network made up of satellites operating in low Earth orbit. The agency expects to launch flight demonstration satellites this fall before beginning to launch the full constellation of about 20 Blackjack satellites in 2021. As part of the June 12 contract, Raytheon will research, develop and demonstrate Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) sensors that will be integrated […]
Rocket Lab successfully launched three U.S. intelligence satellites into orbit from New Zealand June 13 after the mission was delayed for months due to COVID-19 restrictions. In addition to the three National Reconnaissance Office payloads, the “Don’t Stop Me Now” rideshare mission also delivered payloads for NASA and the University of New South Wales Canberra Space. According to Rocket Lab, the company has now deployed 53 satellites to orbit with its Electron rocket. “It was a privilege to once again provide access to space for the NRO and NASA, and to welcome UNSW Canberra Space to orbit for the first time,” […]
Special Operations Command wants to bring the internet of things to the war fighter at the edge with their future war fighting concept—the Hyper Enabled Operator. And while it’s easy to imagine SOCOM trying to invent a new super soldier a la Steve Rogers or a tech-enabled warrior in the vein of Iron Man — an idea the command has attempted in the not so distant past —the Hyper Enabled Operator has nothing to do with making the war fighter more physically adept. It’s about feeding data to the operator to help them make better decisions. “You can hyper enable the […]
The Senate wants more information before taking action on a host of U.S. Space Force-related actions, and an early version of the chamber’s annual defense legislation calls for a number of relevant reports according to a summary released June 11. For instance, before deciding which space-related missions are moved into the Space Force, the legislation would require a report from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the service chiefs. While the Space Force currently includes the Space and Missile Systems Center—which is in charge of most space-related acquisition—the other services have their own space efforts. The legislation would […]
An early version of the Senate’s annual defense bill would provide additional funding for space-based sensors capable of detecting and tracking hypersonic weapons, according to a summary released June 11. However, details on the proposal are scant. Congress has become increasingly concerned over the threat posed by hypersonic weapons under development by China and Russia. Too dim to be reliably picked up by current space-based sensors and able to maneuver around terrestrial sensors, hypersonic weapons make much of the current missile warning system obsolete, as it was designed for ballistic missile threats. To counter this threat, the Defense Department has proposed […]
Field evaluations of the Mobile User Objective System show that the next generation satellite communications system is performing beyond expectations, according to the U.S. Marine Corps. Built by Lockheed Martin, MUOS will replace the legacy UHF Follow-On (UFO) system to provide narrowband communications. Consisting of four satellites and an on orbit spare in geosynchronous orbit, MUOS can provide more than 10 times the bandwidth capacity of UFO. The fifth and final MUOS satellite was launched back in 2016, and in October 2019 the U.S. Navy said the system was ready for full operational use. “MUOS gives us a 3G capability using […]
Leaders from Air Force Special Operations Command wanted an airborne-mounted laser weapon by the end of 2019. Now, they expect a demonstration in fiscal year 2022. The 60-kilowatt high energy laser will be mounted on an AC-130J Ghostrider, a massively armed workhorse for the Air Force. The laser weapon will be a cherry on top to the gunship, which already boasts a 30mm side-firing chain gun, a 105mm cannon, AGM-176A Griffin laser guided missiles, wing-mounted GBU-39/B GPS-guided and GBU-39B/B laser-guided Small Diameter Bombs. Unlike those kinetic weapons, the offensive high energy laser would be able to disable enemy systems stealthily. As […]
For a little more than one year, Brig. Gen. Rob Collins served as the program executive officer for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors (IEW&S), where he was responsible for ensuring the soldier can detect, recognize and identify the enemy. Collins’ vast portfolio included airborne and terrestrial sensors, position, navigation and timing devices, biometric solutions, and the TITAN ground station program, which will take data from aerial, terrestrial and space sensors to distribute essential data to shooters. The officer has a long career working in this arena: he previously served as project manager for the Army’s Distributed Common Ground System and before […]
The need for U.S. Special Operations Command to rely on existing space-based capabilities while developing its own has increased in recent years, especially as SOCOM expands its focus from the counter-terrorist fight to a near-peer competition, an organization leader said recently. “We’ll be learning a lot over the next couple years with how we are going to partner with the Space Force, Air Force and other services who are doing things in space,” Special Reconnaissance Program Executive Officer David Breede said at the virtual Special Operations Forces Industry Conference May 12. “We are now delving into space-based capabilities.” SOCOM’s space efforts […]
As he departs, the Defense Department’s top artificial intelligence official says the foundation is set for the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center — but now it must deliver. “The foundational elements are now in place. What we have to do in the course of the next one to two years is deliver. This is about delivery first and foremost,” Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan said during a virtual Mitchell Institute event June 4. “What we have to do is show that we’re making a difference.” The Department of Defense announced in January that Shanahan would be depart this summer. He took over the […]
The company, which until now has focused on space debris removal, has acquired an Israeli company to jump-start its move into offering satellite life-extension services. Source link
28 companies will compete for task orders under the new indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts to develop the Advanced Battle Management System. Source link
DARPA’s Sea Train concept looks to enable a convoy of medium-sized unmanned vessels to travel across the ocean without refueling, before splitting up to conduct independent operations. Source link
Special Operations Command is launching a new program, Mission Command, that will present all the data needed for a mission in a single visualization. Source link
The decisions to open up testing at Nellis comes as the National Spectrum Consortium wraps up solicitations for 5G testing at four other military bases. Source link
The launch window for three National Reconnaissance Office satellites has been rescheduled now that New Zealand COVID-19 restrictions have eased up. Source link
Space Development Agency Director Derek Tournear says the industrial base will be able to support the rapid launch cadence needed to build its proliferated constellation of hundreds of satellites in… Source link
The two payloads will be integrated into the first two geosynchronous Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared satellites, with the first expected to be launched in 2025. Source link
The two five-year contracts will provide Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio System terminals for the Air Force, Navy and NATO partners. Source link
Labelbox has already won a contract to study how their machine learning training data platform can be integrated with U.S. Air Force efforts. Source link
The Weather System Follow-On – Microwave will provide critical space-based weather data for the U.S. military. Source link
The award provides for two Next Generation OPIR polar space vehicles, which in addition to three geosynchronous space vehicles being developed by Lockheed Martin will be a crucial part of the… Source link
DARPA wants to use artificial intelligence and unmanned platforms to revolutionize aerial combat. Source link
A draft Request for Proposals from the Space Development Agency outlines what it needs from missile-tracking satellites it plans to launch in FY2022. Source link
Although its first launch keeps getting pushed back, Capella Space has secured another deal with the Department of Defense for its synthetic aperture radar imagery. Source link
U.S. Northern Command wants to explore using commercial proliferated low-Earth orbit constellations to fill their Arctic communications gap. Source link
The technology demonstration satellites will pave the way for the Space Development Agency to build an on orbit mesh network. Source link
VOX Space’s first Guam-based launch will place several technology demonstrator cubesats on orbit for multiple government agencies. Source link
One experiment will take solar energy, convert it to radio frequency, and then beam it to earth where it can power U.S. military platforms. Source link
Intended to be demonstrated at an ABMS test in April, the Air Force has begun deploying unclassified personal devices that allow operators to access classified information. Source link
Once in place, the Space Development Agency’s space-based mesh network will facilitate near-real time connections between sensors and shooters, regardless of domain. Source link