Tag: military space
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Ukraine Presses for Starlink Access to Enable Drone Strikes Inside Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has awarded Elon Musk the Order of Freedom, one of Ukraine’s highest state honors, recognizing the SpaceX founder’s role in supporting the country through the deployment of Starlink satellite communications services following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. The award comes at a moment when Starlink has evolved far beyond its original…
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White House Strategy Elevates Space to Top Tier of U.S. Military Technology Priorities
The White House has elevated space, alongside undersea warfare and artificial intelligence, to the highest tier of U.S. military science and technology priorities, signaling a sharper focus on maintaining technological superiority in orbit and extending that advantage from very low Earth orbit to the cislunar environment. Released this week, the 24-page National Security Science and…
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U.S. Space Force Extends Aging Weather Satellites Through 2028 as New Military Weather Architecture Takes Shape
The U.S. Space Force will keep its aging Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) spacecraft operating until at least 2028, extending the life of a satellite fleet that was originally designed for much shorter missions but remains important to military weather forecasting. The decision highlights a transitional period in U.S. military space weather: the Space Force…
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Space Force-backed mission does its best impression of Top Gun in orbit
An ongoing military exercise happening hundreds of miles above Earth has—for the first time in an unclassified setting—demonstrated how future satellites might evade and pursue one another in a future conflict. That was the announcement Wednesday from True Anomaly, one of the companies involved in the exercise. True Anomaly’s Jackal satellite, also known as Panther,…
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This is the world’s most advanced robotic servicing satellite—that we know about
A spacecraft fitted with two flexible robotic arms is on the way to geosynchronous orbit after launching earlier this week on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, kicking off a planned decade-long mission to open new frontiers in satellite servicing. The Mission Robotic Vehicle, owned and built by Northrop Grumman, rocketed into orbit from Cape Canaveral…
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Boeing Wins $2 Billion Space Force Contract for Next MUOS Military Communications Satellites
The U.S. Space Force has awarded Boeing a $2 billion contract to develop the next generation of Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) communications satellites as part of an effort to extend the operational life of the military’s narrowband satellite communications network. The contract supports Phase II of the MUOS Service Life Extension program and includes…
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Rocket Lab Launches U.S. Space Force Mission in Under 17 Hours After Call-Up
Rocket Lab has successfully launched a responsive space mission for the U.S. Space Force, deploying a spacecraft less than 17 hours after receiving a launch order as part of the Victus Haze mission. The mission, conducted under the U.S. Space Force’s Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) program, lifted off aboard a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from…
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PiLogic Expands AI Satellite Monitoring Technology Through AFRL Partnership
PiLogic is advancing its artificial intelligence-powered satellite monitoring technology through a new partnership with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), aiming to enhance the resilience and operational reliability of military spacecraft. The Los Angeles-based space technology company is working with AFRL under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), which allows the two organizations…
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Sea Launch Revival Targets Range Bottlenecks and Defense Needs
Why Are Launch Companies Turning Back to the Ocean? Launch range congestion is driving renewed investment in sea-based platforms, with proponents citing two critical advantages: unlimited launch azimuths and enhanced military resilience against targeted strikes. Unlike fixed spaceports constrained by geography and air traffic, ocean platforms can position anywhere for optimal orbital insertions while avoiding…
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Observable Space Raises $90 Million Series A to Expand Space Tracking and Optical Systems
Observable Space has secured $90 million in Series A funding to expand production of its optical and laser-based space systems, while also supporting international growth beyond the United States. The funding round was led by Lux Capital and co-led by Upfront Ventures, Detroit Venture Partners, Island Green Capital and RTX Ventures. BRV Capital Management and…