Policy & Politics
DoD working on Space Force rollout plan pending congressional approval
White House officials have asked DoD to prepare a detailed public communications plan for the new branch.
Former SDA boss Fred Kennedy answers the questions we’ve waited months to ask
Fred Kennedy spoke with SpaceNews about leaving the Space Development Agency, his public clash with Air Force leaders at the 2019 Space Symposium and his future plans.
Senator pushes for FCC, not satellite operators, to run C-band auction
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said the FCC should be able to clear the spectrum just as fast as the C-Band Alliance, if not faster, by holding a public auction.
ESA to request $13.9 billion budget from member states
The European Space Agency will ask its 22 member states to commit to a budget of 12.5 billion euros ($13.9 billion) to fund the next three years of the agency's work.
Key House appropriator remains skeptical about Artemis
The chairman of the House appropriations subcommittee that funds NASA said he remains unconvinced of the need to accelerate NASA’s plans to return humans to the moon because of its uncertain cost.
Op-ed | How to increase the intelligence community’s geospatial innovation
Until the intelligence community defines cost and value by measuring geospatial information, it has to rely on one measurement—six inches. The length of an American dollar.
Former FAA official calls for national spaceport policy
The former head of the Federal Aviation Administration’s commercial space office says the government should create a policy that promotes the development of spaceports as not just launch sites but also as hubs for economic development.
Pentagon presses case for Space Force amid political uncertainty
There are lingering concerns about the potential cost of a new military branch.
Op-ed | Priority-one for space policy should be to protect U.S. satellites
Should dominance be our immediate space security priority? The short answer is no.
Space Development Agency lays out five-year plan in $11 billion proposed budget
SDA's top priority is to deploy a 250-satellite or larger communications constellation.
Air Force paints a digital future where data from satellites play central role
In a few months the Air Force will start a series of experiments to try to connect fighter aircraft and other weapon systems into a single network so they can all share critical data and intelligence, much of which is collected by satellites in space.
Traction building to add C-band to next World Radiocommunication Conference agenda
Spectrum regulators around the world want to see more C-band spectrum purposed for 5G cellular services instead of satellite communications, and could make it a topic of a future World Radiocommunication Conference, regulators said Sept. 25.
FCC commissioner defends C-Band Alliance but renews call for more 5G spectrum
The Federal Communications Commission’s most vocal official on C-band spectrum rebuffed critics of a satellite industry proposal to repurpose some of the spectrum for cellular 5G through a private auction.
Space Development Agency looks for political boost after early stumbles
Despite strong backing within the Pentagon, the SDA is still trying to win over skeptics on Capitol Hill and secure funding for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.
30 Years in Space: a look at SpaceNews’ legacy
On July 20, 1989, the 20th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, U.S. President George Herbert Walker Bush, stood on the steps of the National Air and Space Museum and announced his administration’s intent to return humans to the moon and eventually send crews to Mars. At about the same time Bush was announcing his Space Exploration Initiative, what was then known as the Times Journal Company was making plans for a new weekly newspaper that would cover the growing space field.
Blue Origin steps up call for change in Air Force launch procurement plan
Blue Origin is further pressing its case for the Air Force to open up the Phase 2 launch procurement to more competitors.
