The U.S. Space Force has introduced the Tactically Responsive Space Challenge, an initiative designed to solicit ideas for rapid satellite deployment during emergencies or conflicts. Under the challenge, companies can submit bids through the Department of Defense’s Small Business Innovation Research portal. Proposals should cover any of the following six areas: upfront coordination processes; logistics; […]
Six small businesses have received a total of $20 million in funding from NASA to build prototypes of technologies for deorbiting or repurposing space debris and protecting rovers, landers and other spacecraft from highly adhesive and abrasive dust on the surface of other planetary bodies. Busek, CU Aerospace, Flight Works and Vestigo Aerospace will focus […]
The Space Development Agency has chosen Germany-based Mynaric to build an optical ground station for a laser communications test in 2025. The agency plans to demonstrate a connection between the station and space-based optical communications terminals. The program’s objective is to record findings from the laser communications test to reduce risks for follow-on demonstrations, which […]
The U.S. Space Force has named OneWeb Technologies as a prime contractor for the 10-year, $900 million Proliferated Low-Earth Orbit Commercial Satellite Communications contract. The p-LEO contract is part of a Department of Defense acquisition plan that requires the Space Force’s Commercial Satellite Communications Office to procure COMSATCOM bandwidth and services to meet military needs, […]
Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman will each develop and deliver 36 beta satellites for the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture’s Tranche 2 Transport Layer. The Space Development Agency awarded Lockheed an $816 million contract and Northrop a $733 million contract to build the satellites, which are expected to launch beginning September 2026. PWSA’s T2TL segment will […]
Col. Donald Brooks, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Center of Excellence commandant, said at the recently-concluded Functional Area 40 Training Forum at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado that training and integration requirements for denied, degraded and disrupted space operating environments were identified during the event. The forum, which took place from Aug. 15 […]
U.S. intelligence agencies have warned space companies to look out for attacks from foreign adversaries. According to a joint bulletin published Friday, foreign intelligence entities know that the commercial space industry is essential for the U.S. economy and national security and consider innovations in the sector as threats and opportunities they can take advantage of. […]
A group whose members belong to five Italian cyber research teams won the recent Hack-A-Sat competition held from Aug. 11 to 14 at Def Con 31 in Las Vegas. The group, called mHACKeroni, beat four other teams in hacking Moonlighter, a 3U cubesat launched to the International Space Station on June 5 aboard a SpaceX […]
The U.S. Space Force has decommissioned a space surveillance satellite under its Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program and plans to launch two satellites for the program’s constellation in 2024 and 2027. The satellite, called GSSAP Space Vehicle 2, has been in orbit since 2014 and now transferred from Space Operations Command to Space Systems Command. […]
A small satellite Lockheed Martin Space is building for a NASA lunar exploration mission is now in its final assembly and testing phase following the integration of the Lunar Thermal Mapper. As part of the Lunar Trailblazer satellite, the LTM will gather moon temperature data at different times to identify the lunar surface’s thermal properties […]
