From the Magazine
On National Security | Drawing lessons from the first ‘commercial space war’
Throughout Russia’s invasion and offensive in Ukraine, some of the most compelling images of the war have come from satellites in space operated by private companies.
Ice giants and icy moons: The planetary science decadal survey looks beyond Mars to the outer solar system
What the latest decadal survey portends for NASA's planetary science program.
Proposed constellations would enhance Arctic weather observations
With Arctic aviation and maritime activity on the rise, Europe and Canada are taking the lead in developing weather satellites to gather global data and improve observation of Earth’s northernmost latitudes.
Foust Forward | Building a space industry in Steel City
John Thornton and others want to ensure that Astrobotic isn’t the only space company in Pittsburgh or the wider region.
Satellites key to Canada’s Arctic surveillance strategy
Citing a changing security climate, Canada is bolstering its defense and surveillance capabilities in the Arctic with a focus on using space assets and new technology.
Arctic connectivity competition is heating up
Satellite operators are venturing north to improve connectivity as the changing climate drives demand for more bandwidth in one of Earth’s last remaining frontiers.
Melting Arctic ice opens new front in strategic power competition
Warming seas and thinning polar ice caps promise to turn the Arctic into a hub of greater economic activity — and a new hotspot for military competition.
Op-ed | Herding rockets: Improved Space Traffic Management will accelerate industry growth
A market ecosystem that incentivizes the rapid development and fielding of advanced Space Traffic Management (STM) technologies will be a key enabler to the sustainable growth of the space economy.
Connecting the Dots | Freeing speech from space: Satellite operators under pressure to squelch propaganda
As Elon Musk’s plan to take over Twitter ignites free speech debates on and off the social media hub, satellite operators face similar editorial questions amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Eyes on the Arctic: Satellites reveal changing conditions at northern latitudes
As Arctic sea ice dips to new lows, economic activity in the region is picking up. To track the changes, companies and academic researchers often turn to satellite-based data products.
Op-ed | A comprehensive triad for space resilience – more than just numbers
To meet the threat to U.S. space systems, DoD needs to broaden its approach to resilience to fully embrace reconstitution.
Seeking growth in unpredictable times: A conversation with SES CEO Steve Collar
SpaceNews spoke with SES CEO Steve Collar about how the industry is weathering shifting schedules as geopolitical issues add more complexities for the year ahead.
On National Security | The moon emerging as the next frontier for military operations
As NASA pushes forward to get humans back on the moon, questions have emerged on what this means for the Space Force and what role it might play in lunar activities.
Foust Forward | Don’t mess with Texas space startups
At South by Southwest in Austin, space had a surprisingly large presence, with parallel conference sessions and other events on a wide range of topics. That included panel sessions where companies argued that both Austin and Houston were growing hubs of the space economy.
Space domain awareness: A secret weapon against shadowy threats in orbit
KBR, a Defense Department and NASA contractor with $6 billion in annual sales, paid $800 million in 2020 to acquire Centauri, a company focused on space sensors and satellite tracking. The acquisition gave KBR an entry into the business of “space domain awareness,” a military term for the capability to track objects in space and predict potential threats.
Op-ed | How Russia’s war with Ukraine jams NASA
Three decades ago, NASA embraced international cooperation as a rationale for the International Space Station. Now, the same argument that saved the station at the end of the last Cold War may produce its demise at the start of a new one.
