Last week Blue Origin announced plans for its own satellite constellation TeraWave — a high throughput, optically linked constellation in LEO and MEO. The defense angle has slipped under the radar amid the surprise announcement. While defense wasn’t mentioned in the press release, it's clearly outlined as a key vertical in the company’s FCC filings — which cites government users in terms of civil, defense, and national security. 

The constellation would pose interesting competition for SpaceX’s Starshield, the government business line of Starlink. At the same time, Amazon Leo is also targeting government as a key vertical. 

More in this edition, satellite ground tech startup Northwood Space received a $49.8 million award from the Space Force to support Satellite Control Network (SCN). And the Space Development Agency (SDA) ordered a satellite deorbiting mission from Starfish Space.

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The second edition of GovMilSpace opens with a U.S. Space Force S2 Threat Brief and keynote from CMSgt Ron Lerch, grounding the week in today’s operational and intelligence priorities. That is followed by a Strategic SATCOM session as part of Space Systems Command’s Reverse Industry Day, where leaders from SSC Delta 88, Space Delta 8, and OUSD(A&S) explain how the U.S. plans to partner with industry to build, acquire, and sustain next-generation SATCOM architectures through 2035 and beyond.