Tom Ainsworth Says USSF’s New Acquisition Portfolio Structure Is Close to Activation
Tom Ainsworth, who is performing the duties of assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration, said the Department of the Air Force is continuing to refine the Space Force’s new Portfolio Acquisition Executive structure as officials work to complete one of the service’s most significant acquisition reforms. Ainsworth’s comments come ahead […]
LMI’s Mark Eddings Talks Golden Dome Logistics & Evolving Threat Landscape
Mark Eddings, LMI senior vice president for space, has worked on some of the most technically challenging programs in national security space. Prior to joining LMI, Eddings served as the technical director for the Space Security and Defense Program, a joint Department of Defense and Office of the Director of National Intelligence organization. There he […]
NATO’s Devin Pepper to Keynote 2025 GovCon International and Global Defense Summit
IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to the prolonged government shutdown, the 2025 GovCon International and Global Defense Summit has been cancelled. The Potomac Officers Club is elated to announce Maj. Gen. Devin Pepper, NATO deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and policy, as a keynote speaker for the 2025 GovCon International and Global Defense Summit. The […]
Proof of Capability Seen as Challenge to SDA’s Multi-Contractor Approach on Proliferated Satellite Architecture
A new Aerospace Corp. study indicates that the Space Development Agency’s acquisition model involving multiple suppliers for its proliferated warfighting space architecture unlocks the rapid supply of new capabilities but it still needs to prove the system’s value at scale. Under PWSA, a network of about 500 low Earth orbit satellites will be launched to […]
NASA Completes Commercial Space Station Component Burst Pressure Test
NASA, Blue Origin and Sierra Space have completed a full-scale ultimate burst pressure test for the LIFE habitat structure, a component of the NASA-funded Orbital Reef commercial space station. The test used Marshall Space Flight Center’s capabilities to determine the capabilities of the habitat, a structure made from high-strength webbings and fabric to form a […]
NASA Taps SpaceX for JPSS-4 Satellite Launch
NASA has awarded SpaceX a contract worth approximately $112.7 million for the launch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s JPSS-4 satellite. The satellite is a critical component component of the Joint Polar Satellite System, a collaborative effort between NASA and NOAA to monitor Earth’s environment, NASA said. The JPSS-4 mission is part of a […]
Space Force Officials Discuss Potential Artificial Intelligence Uses in Improving Capabilities
U.S. Space Force officials have agreed that artificial intelligence will play a significant role in current and future military operations. In the opening remarks of a recent forum hosted by the Space Command and Space Systems Command, Gen. Michael Guetlein, vice chief of space operations, said that adding AI and machine learning to the United […]
Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse: Partnerships Hold Key to Maintain US Superiority in Space Domain
Increasing partnerships and enhanced counter-space capabilities are two major trends presenting opportunities and challenges to the U.S. space community, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, Defense Intelligence Agency director and 2024 Wash100 awardee, said at the recent Aspen Security Forum in Colorado. Kruse viewed partnerships, including government-to-government and between public and private entities, as “the only way” […]
SpaceX Unveils Development Plans for US Deorbit Vehicle
SpaceX will build a new Dragon spacecraft version designed to deorbit the International Space Station once the laboratory reaches the end of its life in 2031. Speaking at a recent briefing, Sarah Walker, director of Dragon mission management at SpaceX, said the spacecraft will be an improved version of the existing Dragon vehicle, featuring a […]