Tag: National Security Space
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SpaceX Set to Launch Classified USSF-481 Mission From Vandenberg
The mission will deliver undisclosed payloads to an undisclosed location in orbit. SpaceX is not expected to provide additional details during its webcast, which is anticipated to begin about 10 minutes before launch and likely end shortly after the first stage lands. The Falcon 9 is scheduled to lift off during a four-hour window that…
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US Space Force Operating On-Orbit Space Control Weapons, Air Force Secretary Says
The U.S. Space Force is operating on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending American and allied forces from hostile action, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said September 14 during the Air & Space Forces Association’s 2026 Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. The disclosure is the Pentagon’s most explicit public acknowledgment that…
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SpaceX Sets USSF-259 Launch, Second Classified Space Force Mission in Six Days
SpaceX is preparing to launch the classified USSF-259 mission for the U.S. Space Force from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on September 16, marking the company’s second national security flight from the base in six days. A Falcon 9 is scheduled to lift off from Space Launch Complex 4 East during a four-hour window…
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Trump Orders Study of NASA-Led U.S. Space Academy as Civilian-Military Questions Emerge
President Donald Trump signed an executive order at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on August 28, 2026, directing a federal commission to assess the feasibility of creating a United States Space Academy. The proposed NASA-led institution would train engineers, scientists, spacecraft operators and other professionals for civilian, commercial and national-security space activities, but its…
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Antares Wins $161 Million Space Force Award to Advance Orbital Nuclear Reactor
Antares has received a $161 million Strategic Breakthrough award to conduct a ground demonstration of its R1-S nuclear reactor and integrate the system with a spacecraft for flight certification, the company announced September 11. The award, issued through the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration, moves Antares…
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SpaceX Launches Classified USSF-153 Mission for U.S. Space Force
SpaceX launched the classified USSF-153 mission for the U.S. Space Force aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, at 8:42 a.m. Pacific time on September 10. The mission carried an undisclosed number of national-security spacecraft toward an unannounced orbit. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4 East and…
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Intuitive Machines Expands Satellite Manufacturing Business with Order for Two IM-300 Spacecraft
Intuitive Machines has secured a contract to build two IM-300 satellite platforms for an undisclosed customer, marking another step in the company’s effort to expand beyond lunar exploration and establish itself as a broader spacecraft manufacturer and space infrastructure provider. The Houston-based company announced Sept. 1 that the order covers two satellites based on its…
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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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MDA Space to Acquire Blue Canyon Technologies for $620 Million
MDA Space has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Blue Canyon Technologies (BCT) from RTX’s Raytheon business in an all-cash transaction valued at $620 million, or approximately C$874 million. The acquisition is expected to strengthen MDA Space’s position in the growing U.S. government and defense space market while expanding its spacecraft manufacturing capabilities and operational…
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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…