Department of Defense
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.
How sherpas guide startups through government contracting terrain
U.S. defense and intelligence agencies are eager to tap into commercial innovation, and many startup founders are eager to win government funding. The problem is the two groups often have trouble communicating.
Op-ed | SOS Space: Why cybersecurity and supply chain risk management must go hand in hand
Cybersecurity and supply chain integrity must become integral and elevated concerns for the space community, as well as space consumers and strategic stakeholders.
DoD eager to leverage LEO broadband constellations
The military is hungry for low-latency broadband services from the likes of OneWeb, SpaceX, Telesat and Amazon that promise to connect the world via thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit.
On National Security | In the new space era, a changing role for the U.S. government
The pace of technological innovation in the space business has long been dictated by government-funded programs of record. But as the private sector increasingly drives innovation, government buyers are trying to figure out their role in the new space era.
U.S. military doubles down on GPS despite vulnerabilities
Space weapons meant to target U.S. satellites are a growing concern for the U.S. military. Especially worrisome are electronic jamming devices designed to interfere with GPS signals.
On National Security | Moving data through space a linchpin of DoD’s strategy for winning wars
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin signed off last month on a strategy document that tells the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Space Force to figure out how to share data on the battlefield. Space-based communications will be at the core of this strategy known as Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2).
A race against time to replace aging military weather satellites
The U.S. Defense Department may finally be on track to replace its aging polar-orbiting weather satellites more than a decade after pulling the plug on an ill-fated effort to cram civil and military requirements into a single system.
White House executive order promotes development of space and defense nuclear power systems
Less than a month after issuing a policy directive on space nuclear power, the White House released an executive order Jan. 12 seeking to promote the development of small nuclear reactors for space and defense applications.
Op-ed | Not all space capabilities should reside in Space Force
Opinion: The decision the Joint Chiefs reach in the next year will be as seminal for the future development of military space as any except the actual creation of Space Force.
DoD memo: Suppliers of critical products and services must stay on the job during pandemic
Ellen Lord memo: “If you work in a critical infrastructure industry you have a special responsibility to maintain your normal work schedule."
As it plans LEO constellations, DoD must prepare to deal with congestion
The buzzword in military space these days is “proliferated LEO,” which is Pentagon-speak for large numbers of small satellites in low Earth orbit.
Congress worries authorities it gave DoD might backfire
As is often the case with procurement reforms Congress imposes on DoD, the devil is in the implementation. And lawmakers now worry that DoD may be overusing Section 804 in programs where skipping tests and reviews could be problematic.
DoD weapons tester flags GPS and JMS in annual report
In its new annual report, the Defense Department’s director of operational test and evaluation credits the Air Force for making progress modernizing the Global Positioning System constellation, but warns that the disjointed management of the GPS enterprise of satellites, ground systems and user equipment continues to plague the program.
It’s down to the wire for Space Force legislative proposal
The clock is ticking for Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and a team of senior Pentagon officials to complete a legislative proposal that fulfills President Donald Trump’s orders to establish a military branch for space.
Space Development Agency is priority one for DoD. But what exactly will the SDA do?
Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said he expects a new Space Development Agency to be in place sometime in the first quarter of 2019.
Trump wants a Space Force; will Congress oblige? • DoD: ‘This will be a deliberate process’
The National Space Council meeting at the White House on Monday was supposed to be all about the Trump administration’s new approach to managing space traffic and debris.
HASC takes up defense bill packed with space provisions • New missile-warning satellite contracts go to Lockheed, Northrop
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry has rolled out his mark of the FY-19 National Defense Authorization Act.
Kitay: U.S. leadership in space requires ‘whole of government’ strategy
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy Stephen Kitay says ensuring U.S. leadership in space is a team effort.
Massive review of the defense industry nears completion; Air Force steps up rhetoric on China’s space challenge
A deep-dive analysis of the defense industrial base will be submitted to the White House in mid-April.
