Policy & Politics
Concerns grow about Space Force diverting funds from other military priorities
Retired Air Force officer Wesley Hallman: “We all want this to work. But does it have to be a separate service?"
NASA deputy administrator nominee seeks focus on managerial and acquisition issues
The space industry outsider nominated to become NASA deputy administrator said he would focus on acquisition reform and adapting NASA to a “new role” with commercial partners if confirmed by the Senate.
Defense inspector general finds key Air Force space programs vulnerable to cyber attacks, sabotage
An audit by the Defense Department’s inspector general office found security cracks in the supply chain of four critical military space programs.
Space Force talk drawing attention to the need for international norms
International mistrust in space could become a bigger problem as the commercial space industry continues to grow and demand a peaceful environment to do business.
Ariane 6 is nearing completion, but Europe’s work is far from over
ESA is pushing European industry to continue innovating and finding efficiencies even after Vega C’s introduction in 2019 and Ariane 6’s debut in 2020.
SN Military.Space | Space Force a political football • The next big thing in space missile defense • How to make satellites ‘defendable’
The Pentagon's Joint Oversight Requirements Council will be briefed this fall on potential solutions to a major national security vulnerability: hypersonic weapons that fly into space at supersonic speeds and descend back down to Earth directly on top of targets.
As the Pentagon moves to stand up a Space Force, budget fight looms
Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan: “It's going to take some time to work this through the Congress."
“No encryption, no fly” rule proposed for smallsats
Small satellites that have propulsion systems, but don’t have encrypted commanding systems, pose a small but real threat of being hacked and endangering other satellites, according to a new study.
A key White House demand in DoD’s Space Force plan: An “accountable civilian” to oversee the process
Why was the DoD space reorganization report more than a week late? The White House ordered a few tweaks.
Vice President Pence announces first steps towards creating a new military branch for space
The debate is over. The United States will have a Space Force as a separate branch of the military.
NOAA rejects one-size-fits-all solution for data protection
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs office plans to roll out a tiered approach to evaluating company data-protection plans.
U.S. would need a mega-constellation to counter China’s hypersonic weapons
Griffin: Hypersonic defense is not a mission that can be done realistically from the ground or the oceans.
Vega’s long-awaited (small) successes
Although the mostly Italian Vega rocket was added to the Arianespace family in 2012, it’s only recently achieved tangible success in wooing the smallest spacecraft operators.
Op-ed | Satellite Data and Cheeseburgers
The U.S. government is evaluating how it can engage with a series of new commercial remote-sensing companies, but one of the biggest challenges in these partnerships is determining how widely the data can be shared after it is purchased from the government.
Space Force: Pentagon moving closer to Trump’s vision
Mattis: “We are in complete alignment with the president's concern about protecting our assets in space that contribute to our security, to our economy.”
SN Military.Space | Space reorganization: Reform fatigue already? • SMD Symposium underway in Huntsville • DARPA soon to announce Blackjack winners
These are uncertain times for many of the agencies and offices in the military-space-industrial landscape.
