Military Space USA

SMi Group, organizers of Global MilSatcom, are proud to present the Military Space USA conference and exhibition; convening in Los Angeles on June 11th and 12th 2019.

Featuring high level briefings from senior leadership across industry, g…

Air Force unmanned aircraft developer Mike Leahy tapped to replace Fred Kennedy at DARPA

Leahy is best known in defense technology circles as the “father of the X-45."

Three companies selected for DARPA Launch Challenge

Three launch vehicle developers, one of which is still in stealth mode, have qualified to compete in a DARPA competition in early 2020 to demonstrate responsive launch capabilities.

Rocket Lab launches DARPA satellite

Rocket Lab successfully launched an experimental satellite for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency March 28 as the company looks to move to a monthly cadence of launches.

DARPA continues work on satellite servicing program as it seeks new ride

Nearly two months after Maxar dropped out of a DARPA program to demonstrate satellite servicing, the agency is continuing to develop the servicing technology as it examines options to get it into space.

Rocket Lab launch of DARPA satellite slips

Rocket Lab’s first launch of the year, which was scheduled for late February, has been pushed back to the second half of March because of the delayed arrival of its payload, an experimental military satellite.

Maxar’s exit from DARPA satellite servicing program a cautionary tale

James Vedda, analyst at Aerospace Corp., said the RSGS setback should not be read “as an indictment of satellite servicing.”

SSL cancels DARPA satellite servicer agreement

The company said it backed out the servicer program in order to focus on "other capital priorities, such as WorldView Legion.”

DARPA assembling team of Blackjack players

Commercial space companies regard Blackjack as a huge opportunity to break into the military market, and have urged DARPA to not allow Blackjack to turn into a typical plodding Pentagon procurement program.

Rocket Lab to launch DARPA satellite

Small launch vehicle developer Rocket Lab will launch an experimental satellite for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in February, the first of a planned dozen launches in 2019.

DARPA’s next project: Design a Space Development Agency

A DARPA team will “inventory the DoD space-based command-and-control capabilities, identify critical gaps, deficiencies and inefficiencies in our existing architectures."

Telesat wins study contract for DARPA’s experimental constellation

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded satellite operator Telesat a contract to study the use of commercial buses in the agency’s experimental low-Earth-orbit constellation program known as Blackjack.

DARPA selects spaceports for responsive launch competition

DARPA has identified eight sites in the United States that it plans to use for a commercial launch competition, a selection that addresses one of the major concerns of potential competitors.

At small satellite conference, frustration about lagging efforts to deal with space junk

“Clearing all the debris out of LEO is expensive,” said DARPA's Fred Kennedy. “That’s what I fear. That this takes us to a place where I don’t know if it’s affordable.”

Space Force reorganization could raise profile of DARPA’s space missions

The Pentagon wants to stand up a Space Development Agency that presumably would take over space projects like Blackjack.

Blue Canyon Technologies wins constellation contract

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded BCT a contract to define bus and payload requirements for Blackjack, a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit to offer persistent global communications and Earth observation.