The interest in new space from the defense and intelligence sectors seems to be rapidly accelerating. This trend has been underway for some time but has seemingly recently accelerated due to the declining state of the world and likelihood that it will get much worse before it gets better. I expect demand to grow exponentially as capabilities like responsive launch and rapid satellite production increasingly become the new norm - just another industrial sector with persistent production. I haven’t been active here lately (also due to the declining state of the world) so here’s a roundup of a some of the defense related space stories I have been tracking:
Space Force sees SATCOM awards surging to $20 billion this fiscal year
As the Space Force looks to modernize its military satellite communications and positioning, navigation and timing capabilities, its acquisition command is preparing to award contracts for programs in fiscal 2024 worth some $20 billion. The total value of the contracts to be solicited this fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, is an exponential increase from the $1.6 billion awarded across the SATCOM and PNT portfolios in fiscal 2023, according to Cordell DeLaPena, the Space Systems Command program executive officer who oversees those programs.
Divergent Views Emerge on Way Forward, with Some Seeking Political Commitments to Avert Danger, Others, Legally Binding Accords
DoD developing strategy to tap commercial space market
Seeking to capitalize on commercial space capabilities, the Pentagon’s space policy office is crafting a strategy to harness emerging technologies for national security purposes. An area of particular interest is in-space logistics services such as satellite refueling. “This strategy will outline the department’s priorities and approach as it relates to integrating commercial capabilities into DoD’s architecture,” said John Plumb, assistant secretary of defense for space policy. DoD’s commercial space integration strategy is “for the whole department,” and is a separate effort from the one being developed by the U.S. Space Force
In annual report to Congress, Pentagon highlights China’s ‘refusal to engage’
With regard to space, the report notes that China is closing once-wide gaps with U.S. space capabilities, increasing the possibility it could gain the advantage in a future conflict through attacks on American satellites. The Pentagon sees this as a major challenge. Among China’s anti-satellite weapons that DoD worries about are ground-based missiles and high-power lasers, satellites with robotic arms able to grab other satellites, cyber-attack capabilities and other systems that could jam, blind, or disable U.S. satellites.
Navy charts massive transformation in shipboard IT as commercial 5G, satellite links join the fleet
In “blue water” environments far from shore, most of the potential for better connectivity to DoD’s networks and the public Internet lies in P-LEO constellations. Although Starlink is the best-known, other commercial providers are developing their own large fleets with global coverage, and the Space Development Agency is contracting for a DoD-specific “transport layer” for global communications. The difference in throughput is huge: Right now, military SATCOM capabilities provide perhaps one or two megabits of bandwidth to each ship — a tiny fraction of what most residential Internet customers get at home. P-LEO networks can deliver hundreds of megabits at a time to each ship.
Spaceplane Vs Satellite Duel In First Space Force Painting Is Telling
The artwork depicts a futuristic U.S. Space vehicle intercepting an adversary satellite, who in turn is positioning to disable a friendly satellite," according to the Space Force. “The bay doors of the intercept vehicle are opening as the space plane moves into position and prepares to defend the friendly satellite.
Space Force planning $8 billion satellite architecture for nuclear command and control
The Space Force is gearing up for a major procurement of strategic communications satellites that provide nuclear-survivable communications for the U.S. military and national command authorities. The Space Systems Command expects to issue a request for proposals in early 2024 for the Evolved Strategic Satellite Communications System (ESS) constellation, a program estimated to be worth $8 billion.
Space Force sets sights on small geostationary communications satellites
The U.S. Space Force is exploring the use of small geosynchronous satellites to enhance military communications networks — either through purchased commercial services or government-owned constellations. “We’re trying to leverage new capabilities from the commercial industry,” Clare Hopper, chief of the Space Force’s Commercial Satellite Communications Office, said Oct. 19 at the annual MilSat Symposium in Mountain View, California.
Rocket Lab sees rapid demand for its HASTE hypersonic test vehicle
Brian Rogers, senior director of global launch services, told C4ISRNET that because of the Pentagon’s hypersonic flight testing push, he expects demand for HASTE to continue to grow as the company logs more flights. “Leadership across DoD has talked about this as a problem that needs solving,” he said in a Sept. 28 interview. “I don’t see the threat environment changing much and so I think from a demand signal, it is only increasing.
Terran Orbital Awarded $7.7 Million Lockheed Martin Contract
Last year, Terran Orbital delivered 10 satellite buses to Lockheed Martin in support of their Tranche 0 Transport Layer contract with SDA. Terran Orbital is currently building 42 buses for Lockheed Martin to help the company fulfill its $700 million contract for the SDA’s Tranche 1 Transport Layer (T1TL), currently scheduled for a late 2024 launch, and, as previously announced this week, Terran Orbital was just awarded 36 buses to help the company fulfill its $816 million contract for the SDA’s Tranche 2 Transport Layer (T2TL), currently scheduled for late 2026.
Chinese firm sold satellites for intelligence to Russia’s Wagner
According to a contract, written in English and Russian and signed on Nov. 15, 2022, the company, Beijing Yunze Technology Co. Ltd., sold two high-resolution observation satellites belonging to the Chinese space giant Chang Guang Satellite Technology (CGST) to Nika-Frut, a company then part of Prigozhin’s commercial empire. The over $30 million (235 million yuan) price was for the satellites themselves and additional services. The contract also provides for the provision of images on demand, which allowed Wagner to obtain satellite pictures both of Ukraine and areas in Africa where its mercenaries were active, including Libya, Sudan, Central African Republic and Mali, the European security source said, asking not to be named.
