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 […]
The Space Development Agency has awarded SpaceX, Kuiper Government Solutions and Aalyria Technologies contracts worth $1.6 million in total to conduct 90-day studies that would inform the SDA on existing or planned commercial technologies for low-Earth orbit backhaul services. According to the SDA, the studies involve connecting LEO satellite systems to the Proliferated Warfighter Space […]
Rocket Lab has signed a contract with NASA for the Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment mission. Under the agreement, Rocket Lab will use its Electron rocket to deliver to low Earth orbit two PREFIRE satellites from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand in 2024. The agreement will involve two launches to be carried […]
RTX, formerly known as Raytheon Technologies, said its space sensor has moved to the development and testing phase following the completion of NASA’s critical design review. The Geostationary Littoral Imaging and Monitoring Radiometer is being built to operate in geostationary orbit where it would serve as NASA’s hyperspectral imager, RTX said. GLIMR will gather data, […]
The National Reconnaissance Office is looking for infrared, multispectral, nighttime, non-Earth and other electro-optical imaging capabilities from commercial remote-sensing companies. The agency explained in a broad agency announcement that it wants emerging types of imaging not provided by ongoing Electro-Optical Commercial Layer contracts with BlackSky, Maxar Technologies and Planet Labs. Maxar’s deal is worth $3.24 […]
Four guardians from the Space Systems Command’s Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Tracking unit participated in a 10-day multinational training exercise in South America featuring real-life operations. The SRT guardians and their counterparts from the United Kingdom and South America tested their ability to deliver operational planning products to unified combatant command users. OPPs can be used […]
The U.S. Space Force’s Space Rapid Capabilities Office is leading the development of operating tools for maneuverable satellites. The office set up Rapid Resilient Command and Control after acquisition head Frank Calvelli shifted tasks away from the Enterprise Ground Services program, which is intended to consolidate the Space Force’s ground systems. Col. Greg Hoffman, the […]
NASA will launch an experiment to determine whether laser communications can support deep space missions. A system, called Deep Space Optical Communications, will share a ride with the space agency’s Psyche asteroid explorer set for launch on board a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on Oct. 5 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Both spacecraft will […]
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory has awarded Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, a $36 million contract to develop and demonstrate a platform-agnostic satellite communications pod for beyond-line-of-sight capabilities. The communications pod will work to enable resilient, high-bandwidth, low-latency and multi-satellite communications and data transportation capabilities for warfighters. The communications pod must accommodate satellites in […]
