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SpaceX Secures US Space Data Network Backbone Contract
space1 hour ago

SpaceX Secures US Space Data Network Backbone Contract

The Space Force awarded SpaceX a $2.29 billion fixed-price contract to build the Space Data Network Backbone in low-Earth orbit, leveraging Starlink/Starshield tech to create a global, secure sensor-to-shooter communications layer that links space-based sensing with targeting data; the initiative aims to accelerate a resilient, high-speed space communications backbone, with plans to expand participation, and a fully operational prototype due by the end of 2027.

via Ars Technica|
#space#space-data-network#space-development-agency
Mitchell Institute urges Moon-ready Space Force to deter China
technology6 hours ago

Mitchell Institute urges Moon-ready Space Force to deter China

A Mitchell Institute paper argues the U.S. should develop a military human spaceflight program and eventually station active‑duty Space Force personnel on the Moon and in orbital stations to deter China’s lunar ambitions, leveraging Title 10 authorities to defend space assets and establish norms, despite the Outer Space Treaty’s bans on militarization. The report cites China’s rapid progress with the Tiangong program and a projected crewed lunar landing by 2030, urging the U.S. to prepare for hard power in space and secure a durable LEO‑to‑lunar infrastructure.

via Gizmodo|
#defense#lunar-habitat#moon
SpaceX to Build Global Military Data Backbone in Space
technology15 hours ago

SpaceX to Build Global Military Data Backbone in Space

The Space Force awarded SpaceX a $2.29B OTA contract to develop the Space Data Network Backbone, a network of optically interconnected low Earth orbit satellites (Starshield) that will transport military data in space and serve as the backhaul for the SDN architecture, integrating with the Space Development Agency’s Transport Layer; the system aims for near-real-time sensor-to-shooter data across global networks and a fully operational prototype by the end of 2027, with an SDN consortium coordinating interoperability, though concerns have been raised about concentrating future satellite procurement with SpaceX.

via SpaceNews|
#leo-satellites#sdn-backbone#space-force
Space Force awards $437M to Viasat, SES for swarm-based military satellites
military4 days ago

Space Force awards $437M to Viasat, SES for swarm-based military satellites

The U.S. Space Force awarded contracts totaling about $437.6 million to Viasat and SES to build four small geostationary satellites for the Protected Tactical Satcom-Global (PTS-G) network designed to resist jamming and cyberattacks. The four satellites (Swarm 1) will be split evenly between Viasat and SES and delivered by March 2029 to enable X-band and Ka-band military communications in a swarm architecture to improve resilience. A second procurement of four additional satellites is planned for 2028, with deployment targeted for 2031; other contractors in the program include Astranis, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman.

via SpaceNews|
#military#pts-g#satcom
Rocket Lab clinches Space Force's inaugural GEO satellite program
military4 days ago

Rocket Lab clinches Space Force's inaugural GEO satellite program

Rocket Lab has won a $90 million U.S. Space Force contract to design, build, and operate two geostationary satellites using its Lightning bus to monitor objects in GEO. The program marks its first GEO satellite production effort and includes spacecraft manufacturing, launch integration, and up to five years of on-orbit operations. The satellites will carry Heimdall electro-optical payloads for space-domain awareness as part of a broader Space Force push to deploy distributed, commercially derived surveillance in geostationary orbit.

via SpaceNews|
#geostationary-orbit#heimdall-payloads#military
Ex-NASA Chief Bridenstine Heads Quantum Space’s Ranger for Military Space Mobility
technology20 days ago

Ex-NASA Chief Bridenstine Heads Quantum Space’s Ranger for Military Space Mobility

Jim Bridenstine, NASA’s former administrator, has been named CEO of Quantum Space, which is building Ranger—a compact, high-energy spacecraft designed for rapid, in-space maneuvering and refueling, capable of being refueled and refueling others to operate from low Earth orbit to cislunar space and carrying 4,000 kg of hydrazine. Quantum Space has acquired Phase Four and participates in DARPA’s LASSO, AFRL’s Oracle-P, and the Andromeda surveillance program, with Ranger’s first flight planned for July 2027. Bridenstine says national security space is a priority and aims to scale commercial space for the Space Force, while Quantum Space, with about 75 employees and $80 million in Series A funding, seeks additional capital.

via Ars Technica|
#artemis#bridenstine#quantum-space
Trump taps Lt. Gen. Schiess to lead the Space Force as CSO
defense25 days ago

Trump taps Lt. Gen. Schiess to lead the Space Force as CSO

President Trump nominated Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Schiess to be the Space Force’s next Chief of Space Operations. If confirmed by the Senate, he would become the service’s highest-ranking officer, succeeding Gen. Chance Saltzman, who is slated to retire. Schiess currently serves as Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Operations and brings extensive Air Force/Space Force leadership, with command experience at multiple levels and combat deployments. He says he would focus on sharpening lethality and accelerating delivery of space capabilities to the warfighter.

via spaceforce.mil|
#defense#leadership#nomination
Oval Office nod to Artemis 2: Trump meets lunar crew
space27 days ago

Oval Office nod to Artemis 2: Trump meets lunar crew

President Trump hosted Artemis 2 astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Jeremy Hansen, along with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, in the White House Oval Office for a livestreamed greeting, praising their historic Moon flyby and joking about joining a future flight; Artemis 2’s lunar loop—launched April 1 and returned April 10—marked the first time humans left Earth orbit since Apollo 17 and the farthest distance from Earth to date, as reporters pressed on UFO declassification and NASA’s broader moon program and budget context.

via Space|
#artemis-2#jared-isaacman#nasa
Golden Dome's Orbital Interceptors: Meet the Contractors Building the Sky Shield
defense1 month ago

Golden Dome's Orbital Interceptors: Meet the Contractors Building the Sky Shield

The Space Force disclosed a list of about a dozen contractors (including SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Anduril, Booz Allen, General Dynamics, Quindar, GITAI USA, Sci-Tec, Turion Space, and True Anomaly) tapped under OTA agreements to develop Space-Based Interceptors for Golden Dome. The awards, totaling up to $3.2 billion, fund early-stage demos with the aim of demonstrating initial SBI capability in low Earth orbit by 2028, while integrating lower-altitude and ground-based defenses. Officials emphasize affordability and redundancy; full-scale production would cost far more, and some analysts question timelines and budgets. The 2027 funding request includes a significant Golden Dome package, though political hurdles and secrecy around the system’s architecture complicate projections.

via Ars Technica|
#defense#defense-contractors#golden-dome
Space Force taps 12 firms to field orbital interceptors for Golden Dome by 2028
defense1 month ago

Space Force taps 12 firms to field orbital interceptors for Golden Dome by 2028

The Space Force awarded 20 contracts worth up to $3.2 billion to 12 firms to develop a proliferated constellation of space-based interceptors (SBIs) capable of boosting, midcourse, and glide-phase engagements to counter missiles (including hypersonic glide vehicles), with an initial capability demonstration targeted for 2028 as part of President Trump’s Golden Dome plan. The roster includes Anduril, Booz Allen, General Dynamics Mission Systems, GITAI USA, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Quindar, Raytheon, Sci-Tec, SpaceX, True Anomaly and Turion, though specific contract values and roles are undisclosed; affordability concerns loom given the program’s estimated $185 billion potential cost.

via Breaking Defense|
#defense#defense-contractors#golden-dome
Pentagon cancels GPS OCX after 16-year, multibillion-dollar struggle
defense1 month ago

Pentagon cancels GPS OCX after 16-year, multibillion-dollar struggle

The Pentagon terminated the Global Positioning System Next-Generation Operational Control System (OCX) after years of delays and cost overruns, saying continuing was no longer the best path for GPS capabilities. The Space Force will instead upgrade the legacy GPS ground control system to support newer features like the M-code signals, while RTX (Raytheon) delivered OCX in 2025 but will shift to post-delivery support. The move accompanies ongoing GPS III/IIIF satellite operations and a recent $105 million contract to Lockheed Martin for ground-system upgrades, signaling a pivot toward incremental improvements rather than a single all-encompassing system.

via Ars Technica|
#defense#gps#gps-iii
Space Force Creates Cislunar Acquisition Office to Back NASA Moon-Base Plans
technology1 month ago

Space Force Creates Cislunar Acquisition Office to Back NASA Moon-Base Plans

The U.S. Space Force is standing up a Cislunar Coordination Office within its acquisition arm to map government players, develop roadmaps, and coordinate technology and partnerships for a NASA-backed lunar outpost by 2030, led by Jamie Stearns, aiming to enable secure, continuous comms and scalable launch infrastructure as it works with NASA, DARPA, AFRL and DNI; AFRL’s Oracle Prime cislunar monitoring satellite is planned for launch near L1 to enhance space situational awareness, alongside ongoing CAPSTONE and Artemis II efforts.

via Breaking Defense|
#cislunar-space#moon-base#nasa
Space Force eyes Vulcan flights without solid boosters to keep missions moving
space1 month ago

Space Force eyes Vulcan flights without solid boosters to keep missions moving

The U.S. Space Force is evaluating whether United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket can fly without solid boosters by reworking the launch manifest to prioritize lower-energy missions (such as SDA satellite batches into LEO). This could allow some launches to proceed while the solid-booster anomaly investigation continues, though higher-energy missions would still require boosters. The move would reduce dependence on solids and impact how the Space Force structures future National Security Space Launch contracts, as SpaceX remains a key provider and Blue Origin’s New Glenn timeline remains uncertain; investigators continue with ULA and Northrop Grumman to determine the root cause and timing for any return to full Vulcan flight.

via SpaceNews|
#launch-manifest#national-security-launches#solid-boosters