The lack of existing standards for components and interfaces hampers collaboration between the United States and its allies in advancing space technologies. In a Defense Innovation Board meeting on Wednesday, Chief Master Sergeant Ron Lerch, senior enlisted leader for Space Systems Command’s Intelligence Directorate, said that based on conversations with international partners, the lack of […]
NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate is soliciting inputs from the U.S. aerospace sector on almost 190 space technology shortfalls or gaps that it has identified as vital for future space missions and scientific endeavors. STMD is gathering feedback via the Space Tech Priorities website until May 13. Consultations through virtual meetings with key space technology […]
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has demonstrated a fully virtualized satellite communications ground system for the U.S. Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command in partnership with SES. The event showcased Kratos’ software-defined OpenSpace vStar satellite ground system, which enabled connecting a terminal in Port St. Lucie in the United States and a gateway in Lima, Peru, […]
NASA has announced that its Dragonfly rotorcraft mission to Saturn’s moon Titan will be launched in July 2028, with President Joe Biden’s fiscal year 2025 budget request allocating $3.35 billion for the total lifecycle cost of the project. The agency’s confirmation of the mission launch will enable the completion of the rotorcraft’s final design, which […]
Bill Nelson, NASA administrator and a past Wash100 awardee, has unveiled plans to accelerate the Mars Sample Return program, inviting innovative designs from the industry to retrieve crucial samples from the red planet, NASA said. The samples, Nelson said, will give insights into solar system formation, support future human exploration and aid in the search […]
The Department of Defense is partnering with a contractor to improve the production of space-qualified materials for solar cells. On Tuesday, the Pentagon announced that it tapped the expertise of semiconductor manufacturer 5N Plus to produce the solar cell materials under the Defense Production Act investment program. The contractor will produce germanium wafers and semiconductor […]
The United States Space Force hosted military space leaders from 17 other countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom, at the fourth annual Space Chiefs Forum in Colorado Springs on Thursday to discuss international collaboration and global space security. Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations, a 2024 Wash100 awardee and […]
NASA has promoted three space professionals to its Jet Propulsion Laboratory, ensuring the facility has leaders capable of ensuring its success. JPL Deputy Associate Director Howard Eisen is taking on another role at the facility as its chief engineer, contributing his experience to ensure the success of missions and projects within the laboratory. Eisen has […]
The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command has awarded True Anomaly a $30 million contract for the Victus Haze Tactically Responsive Space mission. The contract, awarded through the Emergent Need Small Business Innovation Research program and in collaboration with SpaceWERX, aims to develop innovative solutions for future TacRS operations, True Anomaly said. With True Anomaly […]
The Space Development Agency has welcomed a new partner to fulfill the data recording needs of the Tranche 2 Tracking Layer in support of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. On Wednesday, Mercury Systems received a $31 million contract to supply solid-state data recorders for L3Harris Technologies’ satellites that will form part of the program. L3Harris […]
