Politico — “[Gaining and maintaing space superiority] requires new personnel, new training concepts, new ranges, a whole host of capabilities. […] I get very little pushback when I acknowledge that we need to grow in a managed way to make sure we can accomplish these new missions.”
Space Force Officials Say It’s Too Early to Pin Down Golden Dome Costs
Space News — While a recent Congressional Budget Office report suggesting Golden Dome could exceed $500 billion, Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations, expressed skepticism about any current estimates. “There’s always sticker shock, because space in these kinds of capabilities are[…] unique, in the sense that there’s not a lot of market that would drive at a cost down.”
Senate Confirms Troy Meink as 27th Secretary of the Air Force
DefenseScoop — Meink will be the top civilian leader for the Department of the Air Force as it undertakes a wide range of modernization efforts. For the Space Force, Meink will oversee satellite programs, such as the Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.
Amid Demand for Satellite Support, Space Force Leans on Commercial
Defense News — Space Systems Command announced a new Joint Antenna Marketplace, aimed at helping it to leverage commercial capacity and relieve the strain on its Satellite Control Network.
1 Astronaut, Many Cameras and 220 Days of Amazing Images From Space
The New York Times — Don Pettit, NASA’s oldest active astronaut, took many photos and videos during his 220 days at the International Space Station. Sometimes he set up five cameras at the same time in the cupola module, which provides a panoramic view of space and Earth.
Space Force Sharpens Focus on Deterring Rivals
SpaceNews — Gen. Stephen Whiting, the new head of U.S. Space Command, put it bluntly: “Without space-based capabilities, the joint force cannot shoot, cannot move, and cannot communicate the way they need to at the speed and scale necessary to win on the modern battlefield.”
Space Launches From Singapore?
The Straits Times — Aerospace’s Richard Lamb said that Singapore’s location, demographics, and economy are all “good arguments for entering the spaceport conversation”. That sentiment echoes a 2023 paper published by Aerospace’s Center for Space Policy and Strategy, which said Singapore has “all the makings of a serious space nation”.
A Failed Soviet-Era Spacecraft Likely Crashed Back to Earth Overnight
CNN — Aerospace’s Marlon Sorge said that Cosmos 482 likely remained intact, because it was designed to reach the surface of Venus, where the atmosphere is 90 times denser than Earth’s. And Aerospace’s Parker Wishik commented: “What you put up in space today might affect us for decades to come.”
Sierra Space Completes Ground Demo of Navigation Satellite for US Space Force Program
Space News — Sierra Space successfully tested satellite hardware and flight software, along with ground communications systems. The company is one of three that the Space Force selected to compete in their R-GPS program, which aims to supplement traditional GPS satellites with smaller, commercially developed systems.
Table of Experts: Colorado’s Aerospace Advantage
Denver Business Journal — Aerospace’s Paul Deaderick participated in a panel that discussed innovation, public policy, workforce challenges, and the potential for Colorado to lead in everything from commercial low-Earth orbit activity to the development of a new “Cape Colorado” launch site.