Policy & Politics
Pentagon sees quantum computing as key weapon for war in space
The military wants to apply quantum computing to secure communications and inertial navigation in GPS denied environments.
Bridenstine visits Israel on first foreign trip
On his first foreign trip since taking office nearly three months ago, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine traveled to Israel this week to meet with the country’s prime minister and other officials.
FCC votes to open C-band for 5G
“We are going to need a bigger boat,” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said July 12, quoting the 1975 movie Jaws as a metaphor for the challenge of handling 5G needs. “Or in our case, more spectrum.”
China Satcom’s LEO, HTS projects driven by desire not to fall behind foreign counterparts
China’s state-owned fleet operator is making forward-leaning investments in high-throughput satellites and low-Earth-orbit constellations without worrying, at least initially, about whether these projects are backed by sound business plans.
Commercial crew delays threaten access to ISS, GAO warns
Amid growing concerns about commercial crew delays, a GAO report recommended NASA share more schedule information with Congress and develop contingency plans to maintain access to the International Space Station.
SN Military.Space | AI race moves to space • China’s heavy rockets a concern for U.S. • Soldiers learn to operate satellites
Using free data from the European Space Agency, a startup in Finland created a geospatial information service that is entirely enabled by artificial intelligence.
Satellite industry wants higher profile on Capitol Hill
Congressional committee staffs turn over quickly so the industry needs to be continuously engaging officials on the Hill.
Op-ed | We’ll need more than Trump’s Space Policy Directive to fix commercial remote-sensing regulations
At the rate the commercial sector is innovating, regulatory practices will need to be agile, evolving quickly while still providing needed order and protections.
Kavandi still waiting on potential NASA deputy administrator nomination
A NASA center director who nearly a month ago was endorsed by the agency’s new administrator to be the deputy administrator said she hasn’t heard more about being nominated to the post.
Indonesia seeking industry partner for 150 Gbps national HTS project
The government of Indonesia aims to team up with a satellite operator to build, launch and operate a high-throughput satellite to bring internet access to unreached parts of the island nation.
Trump wants NASA out of the ISS operations business. Easier said than done.
For clues on the space station’s current status and the transition ahead, SpaceNews spoke with Sam Scimemi, ISS director at NASA headquarters.
Wall Street Journal editorial shoots down Space Force
The president continues to bring up the Space Force at military events and political rallies, where every mention draws applause and cheers from crowds.
Op-ed | Regulatory reform is not a one-off event
The American Space Commerce Free Enterprise Act takes a number of important steps to provide regulatory certainty for emerging commercial space applications; and to implement the United States’ international obligation to provide authorization and supervision for its private sector actors.
Canada’s LEO constellation fund draws interest from Telesat, MDA
Telesat and MDA will be requesting money from the Canadian government’s new special fund to finance low-Earth-orbit satellite systems, officials from both companies say.
House passes two space bills
The House of Representatives passed two non-controversial space bills June 27 addressing leadership in rocket propulsion research and licensing of commercial space support vehicles.
To predict the future of military satellite communications, ‘follow the terminals’
There are about 150 program managers who oversee satcom terminals across the Defense Department. It could take decades to upgrade up to 17,000 systems.
