All articles tagged with #communications
Poland was blindsided by the U.S. decision to suspend a planned rotation of more than 4,000 troops, after a warning reportedly reached Gen. Wiesław Kukuła days earlier but was stuck in a classified email; Polish leaders learned of the change from media reports, while the Pentagon framed the move as a careful, non-permanent adjustment and not a reduction of overall U.S. forces in Poland.
Ukraine plans to deploy 25,000 unmanned ground robots by early 2026, but their battlefield effectiveness depends on robust and resilient communications. A brief loss of the control link can halt or destabilize a robot, especially in urban terrain and under electronic warfare, so developers are pursuing signal relays, multi-channel links, and autonomous modes to keep frontline robots operating.
NASA has not declared MAVEN lost after losing contact with the Mars orbiter on Dec. 6, 2025, and recovery attempts have yielded no signal since a solar conjunction ended Jan. 16. Officials say MAVEN may have rotated unexpectedly as it emerged from behind Mars, so recovery efforts continue while other orbiters take on relay duties; NASA has deployed assets like Green Bank Observatory and even tried to image MAVEN with the Curiosity rover, but no trace has been found. If the spacecraft is declared lost, NASA is weighing replacements for Mars’ relay network, aided by a $700 million budget line for a high-performance Mars telecom orbiter and proposals such as Blue Origin’s Mars relay concept. MAVEN launched in 2013 and spent over a decade studying Mars’ atmosphere.
SpaceX's Feb. 4 verification move cut off unregistered Starlink terminals in Russian-occupied Ukraine, knocking out real-time satellite communications and crippling drone ops and artillery coordination for Russian forces. Ukrainian intercepts and battlefield footage show Russian firepower thinning, aiding Ukrainian gains of about 77 square miles in the southeast before shelling resumed. Russians are scrambling for alternatives—relying more on radios and slower, less reliable gear—while Western support could become a lever as Moscow falls further behind in rapid tech-enabled warfare.
Facing a Starlink outage that disrupted battlefield communications, Russia is rushing satellite internet terminals to front-line units. For years Moscow reportedly relied on contraband Starlink terminals smuggled into Russia to coordinate troop movements and drone operations; authorities have since implemented a whitelist to restrict connections, causing outages on both sides and raising concerns about longer-term impact on operations. The situation drew criticism from pro-war milbloggers of the Russian internet, who questioned leadership and suggested fixes or alternative methods, while Ukrainian officials had noted earlier that Starlink failures were hampering Russian command and control.
Amid the AI boom, tech firms are hiring more comms pros—storytellers, editors, and chief communications officers—at high pay to shape credible narratives; roles like Netflix’s director of product and technology communications can reach up to $775,000, while the median pay for senior comms leaders hovers around $400,000–$450,000, signaling a shift from pure coding to high-value storytelling in tech hiring.
NASA will attempt to re-contact MAVEN after a month of radio silence caused by the sun’s conjunction between Earth and Mars. MAVEN, launched in 2013 to study Mars’ upper atmosphere and to relay data for rovers, went silent after Dec. 6 as it emerged from behind Mars; the solar conjunction ended Jan. 16 and NASA’s Deep Space Network is attempting to resume communications. Recovery remains uncertain, though MAVEN has enough fuel to stay in orbit until about 2030 and the outcome would impact Mars science and related missions such as Mars Sample Return.
NASA’s MAVEN orbiter went offline in December and appears to be spinning after coming out from behind Mars, making recovery unlikely; a solar conjunction through January 16 could still offer a last chance to recontact, while NASA analyzes tracking data and attempts to reestablish contact. Other Mars assets can relay signals, and a revived Mars Telecommunications Orbiter is in development but has no launch date.
OpenAI's Chief Communications Officer Hannah Wong is leaving the company in January after leading the communications team through significant growth and challenges, including the PR crisis involving CEO Sam Altman. Her departure marks a transition as the company continues to expand its communication efforts, with her successor yet to be announced.
Tom Cunningham, IPG's global head of communications for over 20 years, is leaving following Omnicom's $9 billion acquisition of IPG, which resulted in restructuring and layoffs. Cunningham expressed pride in fostering a collaborative communications culture at IPG, and will pursue consulting and creative projects. Omnicom's leadership will continue to oversee the integrated company's communications, with some key roles remaining unchanged. The merger aims to create the world's largest marketing services holding company, with minimal disruption expected in the PR sector.
Afghanistan remains largely disconnected from the outside world as the internet blackout continues into its second day, affecting flights and businesses after the Taliban's announcement to ban fiber-optic internet.
Will Boyington has been appointed as the new associate administrator for NASA’s Office of Communications, bringing over 15 years of experience in strategic communications, to enhance NASA's storytelling and communication efforts across its various mission areas, including the Moon to Mars exploration.
Blake Lively's attempt to keep her private chats with Taylor Swift out of a legal case involving Justin Baldoni has been denied by a judge, allowing her communications to be examined as relevant to the harassment and retaliation claims in the high-profile lawsuit.
The article suggests that Elon Musk's influence may have led to the reduction of NASA's Office of Communications, with a focus on cutting costs by eliminating activities like scientific research and public affairs, allegedly to prioritize technical work and reduce waste, which has contributed to rising costs of projects like Orion, SLS, and ISS.
Democrats have requested that members of Trump's cabinet provide communications involving Boris Epshteyn, a former advisor to Trump. This move is part of ongoing investigations into the former administration's activities and connections.