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Government/Military
ULA Launches Final Planned SBIRS Satellite from Cape Canaveral
The U.S. Space Force on Aug. 4 launched the sixth Lockheed Martin Space Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (SBIRS GEO)-6 satellite, the final planned SBIRS missile warning satellite, from Cape Canaveral […]
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Uncategorized
Space Development Agency Awards L3Harris and Northrop Grumman $1.3B for Tracking Layer Satellites
The Space Development Agency (SDA) said on July 18 that it has awarded L3Harris and Northrop Grumman fixed price Other Transaction Authority contracts worth $1.3 billion for 28 satellites — 14 by […]
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Government/Military
Northrop Grumman Receives Contract for Rapid Deployment of Small Satellites
Northrop Grumman has won a sole source, $22 million cost-plus-fixed-fee undefinitized contract through February 2026 from U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command for the Rapid On-orbit Space Technology Evaluation Ring […]
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Government/Military
Space Acquisition Lead Says Space Force Should Explore Fixed Price Contracts
The Department of the Air Force’s top space acquisition official said that he wants to use the cost and schedule realism injected by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) into its […]
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Government/Military
Department of Air Force to Conduct Further Assessment of Possible US Space Command Locations
On the heels of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report last week that cast doubt on whether credible analysis informed the decision to move U.S. Space Command from its temporary headquarters at […]
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Launch
Ursa Major to Introduce Arroway Rocket Engine for Military and Commercial Use
Colorado-based Ursa Major is developing its reusable Arroway 200,000-pound thrust liquid oxygen and methane staged combustion engine for military and commercial use. The development comes as the Department of the Air Force […]
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Government/Military
US Space Force Starting Tests for Cybersecurity Initiative IA-Pre
In the coming months, the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) is to begin testing cybersecurity qualification of commercial satellite communication offerings (COMSATCOM) under the service’s Infrastructure Asset Pre-Approval […]
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Government/Military
SDA Awards General Dynamics and Iridium Cost-Plus Contract for Tranche 1 NDSA Ground Operations
The Space Development Agency (SDA) resorted to a cost-plus contract, rather than SDA’s normal fixed price arrangement, in awarding General Dynamics $324.5 million on May 26 for the ground Operations and […]
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Government/Military
US Space Force Awards BlueHalo $1.4B to Bolster Communications for GEO Satellites
The U.S. Space Force Space Rapid Capabilities Office in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has awarded BlueHalo a $1.4 billion contract for the Satellite Communications Augmentation Resource (SCAR) program. “SCAR will address the […]
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Government/Military
US Space Force Evaluating Options for Incorporating National Guard Units
The U.S. Space Force is assessing whether to recommend the creation of a Space National Guard or the formation of a combined active duty and Reserve component that has members […]
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Government/Military
SDA Official: ‘We’re Not Going to Pick the Winners. The Winners Are Going To Deliver.’
The Space Development Agency (SDA) wants to use spiral development to field small satellites for military use every two years — a fraction of the time required for large Department […]
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Government/Military
China and Russia Increased Satellites 70 Percent in 2 Years, New DIA Report Finds
Between 2019 and 2021, China doubled its number of satellites in orbit from some 250 to 499, while Russia increased its number of orbiting satellites from about 150 in 2019 […]
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Government/Military
US Space Force Wants to Harness Commercial Industry Ideas on Debris Removal
U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) may hold an industry day to hear from commercial companies about possible technologies for space debris removal, the profit potential for such companies […]
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Government/Military
U.S. Space Force Wants to Avoid GMTI Duplication with Intelligence Community Programs
The Department of the Air Force is to take advantage of efforts led by Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. David ‘DT’ Thompson on future ground moving target indication (GMTI) […]
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Government/Military
US Space Force Validates Design Maturity of Boeing’s Protected Tactical Satcom Prototype
Boeing said on March 16 that U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) recently validated the design maturity of the company’s Protected Tactical Satcom Prototype (PTS-P) satellite in a critical […]
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Government/Military
Space Acquisition Nominee Calvelli Says Discipline, Smaller Satellites Needed
Frank Calvelli, the Biden administration’s nominee as the first assistant secretary of the U.S. Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration, told the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) on Feb. […]
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Launch
ULA Launches US Space Force GSSAP Satellites after Five-Month Delay
The U.S. Space Force’s (USSF) Space Systems Command launched the fifth and sixth Northrop Grumman Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) satellites aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from […]
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Government/Military
NRO Awards Commercial Radar Contracts to Airbus, Capella Space, Iceye, and Others
The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) has awarded five commercial radar contracts to Airbus‘ U.S. division; San Francisco-based Capella Space; Finland-based Iceye’s U.S. division; Florida-based PredaSAR Corp.; and Santa Barbara-based Umbra Lab Inc., the agency said on […]
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Government/Military
Biden Nominates NRO Veteran/Booz Allen Official as Space Acquisition Executive
President Biden on Dec. 15 nominated Booz Allen Hamilton executive Frank Calvelli, who served as principal deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) from 2012 to 2020, as the assistant secretary […]
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Cybersecurity
US Space Force to Launch Project Moonlighter Cybersecurity Satellite
A U.S. Space Force effort to launch a dedicated cybersecurity testing satellite in 2023 will include a design modeled after the common 3U cubesats, which weigh no more than nine […]
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Launch
Rocket Lab to Acquire Space Solar Power Provider SolAero
As California-based Rocket Lab looks to provide its Neutron rocket for future U.S. Space Force launches, the company on Dec. 13 took a step toward alternative power sources when the company […]
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Government/Military
US Space Force Launches STP-3 Mission With NASA Laser Demonstration
The U.S. Space Force’s Space Test Program-3 (STP-3) mission got spaceborne in the early morning hours of Dec. 7 after a 5:19 a.m. launch aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas […]
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Government/Military
Next-Gen OPIR Program Completes System-Level Critical Design Review
The U.S. Space Force and Lockheed Martin completed a system-level Critical Design Review (CDR) of the company’s Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (NGG) Block 0 satellites last […]
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Government/Military
NRO Says It Buys 50K Commercial Images Weekly — Tally Likely to Grow
The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) said on Nov. 3 that it has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the agency’s Electro-Optical Commercial Layer (EOCL), as the agency looks to boost […]
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Government/Military
US Space Force Seeks Better Awareness of GEO
The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command is seeking information from companies able to provide sensors to improve the space domain awareness of objects in Geostationary Orbit (GEO). “The government […]
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Finance
Top Space Executive at Lockheed Martin Rick Ambrose to Retire
Rick Ambrose, the executive vice president for Space at Lockheed Martin, has decided to retire on March 1 next year, the company said on Oct. 7. After joining Lockheed Martin […]
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Government/Military
US Space Force Declares Three GPS III Satellites Available for Launch
In the last three months, the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC), previously known as Space and Missile Systems Center, has declared three Lockheed Martin GPS III satellites “available for launch […]
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Government/Military
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall Plans Space Acquisition Reorganization
U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said on Aug. 24 that he has a “short list” of potential nominees for Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and President Biden to consider as […]
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Government/Military
U.S. Space Force Requests $800M Increase in R&D, $456M More for Acquisition
The U.S. Space Force (USSF), which became an independent military service in December, 2019, is requesting $11.3 billion for research and development in the service’s fiscal 2022 budget — an […]
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Launch
Delays Surface in Planned US Space Force Launches Under NSSL
Delays are surfacing in planned U.S. Space Force (USSF) missions under the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program. USSF has said that its first Falcon Heavy launch is to be […]



























