Robert Wall, Aviation Week – Maj. Gen. Paul Tedman, head of the UK Space Command, says the armed forces are raising the bar, with the ambition “to become a competitive space power.” The UK will likely include commercial services in its architecture.
U.S. Faces Stiff Competition From China in Satellite Remote Sensing
Sandra Erwin, SpaceNews – A new report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Taylor Geospatial Institute, Taylor Geospatial Engine, and the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation sheds light on the rapidly evolving global commercial remote sensing industry.
DoD Seeks Innovations in Small-Satellite Propulsion
Sandra Erwin, SpaceNews – The DoD’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) issued a solicitation for proposals on advanced spacecraft propulsion technology — particularly electrospray thrusters. The deadline is October 11 at midnight ET.
NASA’s Webb Telescope Detects Traces of Carbon Dioxide on the Surface of Pluto’s Largest Moon
Adithi Ramakrishnan, AP – Scientists think carbon dioxide may have sprung from radiation pinging off water molecules on Charon’s surface.
Commerce Begins Beta Tests of Space Traffic Coordination System
Jeff Foust, SpaceNews – The Office of Space Commerce has started beta tests of its new space traffic coordination system, providing conjunction notices to a handful of operators. The Aerospace Corporation is one of nine organizations involved in this initial phase of TraCSS.
DoD Leaders Discuss the Future of Air Force Nuclear Deterrent Systems
During the Air, Space and Cyber Conference, Under Secretary of the Air Force, Melissa Dalton, and other DoD leaders discussed the unique challenge of modernizing the Air Force’s nuclear deterrence fleet: replacing Minuteman III with Sentinel ICBMs.
U.S. Space Command Chief Sees Directed Energy Threats Growing
Robert Wall, Aviation Week – At the Defense Space 24 Conference, Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command, said directed energy systems — high-energy lasers or high-power microwave weapons — are a growing threat.
Russia Threatens Space Strikes On Western Satellites At UN Peace Forum
Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes – At the Outer Space Security Conference in Geneva, Russian foreign ministry official Sergey Belousko issued a veiled threat to commercial space outfits that he accused of interfering in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Increasing Diversity of Satellites Will Test Launch Service Providers
Thierry Dubois and Robert Wall, Aviation Week – Satellite operators and launch providers may rely on increasingly complex arrangements, like having a heavy launcher send relatively small spacecraft to geostationary Earth orbit or outer space.
U.S. Eyes Geostationary Orbit for Next-Gen GPS
Sandra Erwin, SpaceNews – The Navigation Technology Satellite-3 (NTS-3), developed by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, aims to test advanced technologies for future GPS systems. Its launch, potentially before year’s end, hinges on the certification of ULA’s Vulcan rocket.