Tag: national security
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Space Force considers Vulcan flights minus solid boosters
Can Vulcan launch military payloads without its solid rocket boosters? The U.S. Space Force is evaluating whether United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur can fly lower-energy national security missions without solid rocket motors (SRMs) as the investigation into a recent solid booster anomaly continues to ground the rocket’s full-performance configuration. This contingency planning reflects the military’s…
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France Blocks Eutelsat Antenna Sale to EQT Over Strategic Concerns
France has blocked satellite operator Eutelsat from selling its ground-based antenna business to private equity firm EQT, citing concerns that the deal would undermine Europe’s ability to compete with Starlink, Bloomberg reported. The proposed transaction, valued at about €550 million (£550 million), would have seen EQT Infrastructure acquire a majority stake in Eutelsat’s Ground Station…
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U.S. Space Force Updates Command Plan, Sets 2026 Commitments to Speed Capability Delivery
The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) has updated its command plan and outlined key commitments for 2026, aiming to accelerate the delivery of resilient and combat-ready space capabilities as threats in orbit continue to grow. Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, head of SSC, presented the revised plan during a keynote address at AFCEA’s Space…
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U.S. Space Force Urged to Expand Planning for Cislunar Operations, Vice Chief Says
The U.S. Space Force needs to think more seriously about its future role in operations on and around the moon, even as its small size and near-term priorities have constrained long-term planning, Vice Chief of Space Operations Shawn Bratton said this week. Speaking on Jan. 21 at an event hosted by Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg…
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Washington Harbour Launches Outpost Mission Services to Support U.S. Space Ground Infrastructure
Washington Harbour Partners LP said it has launched Outpost Mission Services, a new company focused on providing specialised field, engineering and mission services for satellite ground stations, radars and other high-consequence national security infrastructure underpinning U.S. space operations. The launch comes as the satellite ground segment enters a period of sustained growth, driven by the…
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SpaceX Launches NRO Intelligence Satellites on Falcon 9 From California
SpaceX late on Friday launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying an undisclosed number of intelligence-gathering satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office, continuing the agency’s push to expand its space-based surveillance network. The mission, designated NROL-105, lifted off at 8:39:51 p.m. PST from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base. The payload was…
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U.S. Senate Boosts Funding for NASA, NOAA, NSF in Rejection of Trump Budget Cuts
The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to provide billions of dollars more in funding for major federal science agencies than requested by the Trump administration, rejecting proposed deep cuts to research, space science and weather programs. In an 82–15 vote, the Senate approved a so-called minibus spending package funding agencies including the National Aeronautics…
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Firefly Aerospace Unveils Block II Upgrade for Alpha Rocket Ahead of Flight 7
Firefly Aerospace said it has introduced a Block II configuration upgrade for its Alpha launch vehicle, aiming to improve reliability, streamline production and enhance launch operations as demand grows across commercial, civil and national security missions. The U.S.-based space and defense company said Alpha Flight 7, targeted for launch in the coming weeks, will be…
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Orbion Delivers 33 Electric Propulsion Units to York for Military Satellite Constellation
Orbion Space Technology said on Tuesday it has delivered 33 Aurora Hall-effect electric propulsion modules to York Space Systems, supplying flight-ready hardware for spacecraft that will operate within an upcoming U.S. military satellite constellation. The delivery reflects the growing emphasis on high-volume, standardized production of critical satellite components as the Pentagon accelerates deployment of proliferated…
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SpaceX Wins $739 Million in U.S. Military Launch Contracts for Missile Tracking Missions
SpaceX has secured $739 million in new U.S. military launch contracts to support missile warning and tracking missions, reinforcing the company’s role in America’s national security space architecture. The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) said on Friday that the contracts were awarded under National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 task…