Two Republican House lawmakers have introduced a bill that would spin off the Office of Space Commerce as its own entity within the Department of Commerce. The office currently serves as a unit within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a bureau of the Commerce Department. The Commercial Space Act of 2023, authored by House […]
Massachusetts-based startup SpaceRake has won a two-year, $1.8 million direct-to-Phase II Small Business Innovation Research contract from the Space Development Agency to develop small laser communications terminals for satellites. The terminals would allow cube satellites and other satellites to transfer data using the SDA’s Transport Layer global communications network. Weston Marlow, president and CEO of […]
The U.S. Space Force has opened a new laboratory that would serve as an accelerator for space domain awareness technology prototypes designed to protect space assets in geosynchronous Earth orbit from anti-satellite weapons. The Space Domain Awareness Technology, Applications and Process laboratory aims to increase collaboration between the industry, government and academia to speed up […]
The U.S. Space Systems Command has allocated 11 launch service missions to United Launch Alliance and 10 more such missions to SpaceX under the fiscal year 2024 National Security Space Launch Phase 2 Launch Service Procurement contract. According to the SSC, the ULA launch contracts include several missions for the U.S. Space Force and the […]
Northrop Grumman announced that it has secured a potential $732 million contract from the Space Development Agency to design and build Tranche 2 Transport Layer-Alpha satellites. Northrop will provide 38 data transport satellites, as well as ground elements and five years of operations and sustainment, slated for launch in December 2026. The Transport Layer, a […]
The International Telecommunication Union has approved the Space Development Agency’s data transmission demonstration using Link 16 signals from the Tranche 0 Transport Layer satellites provided by York Space Systems. Link 16 is an encrypted network used by military ground vehicles, ships and aircraft to exchange data. In an email, SDA Director Derek Tournear told Breaking […]
A technology safeguards agreement signed by the U.S. and Australian governments could see the United States launch rockets from Australian spaceports, the U.S. Department of State announced Oct. 26. The deal allows spaceport projects in Australia to sign deals to host launches by U.S. companies. Jeremy Hallett, executive chairman of the Space Industry Association of […]
The U.S. Space Force has entered into cooperative research and development agreements on space capabilities with two Indian startups. The CRADAs are the United States’ first with foreign businesses and are part of White House efforts to collaborate with India on technology development, SpaceNews reported Thursday. The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory said the two […]
The U.S. Space Force has indicated that three programs will only be completed in 2024 instead of by the end of 2023. The announcement comes after Frank Calvelli, assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration, vowed in January to bring long-delayed Space Force efforts to completion within the year, DefenseNews reported. […]
Terran Orbital said it will deliver 36 additional satellite buses to Lockheed Martin, which the Space Development Agency selected to build satellites for the Tranche 2 Transport Layer Beta constellation. The SDA recently awarded Lockheed an $816 million contract to develop the satellites for the T2TL segment of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture the SDA […]
