Irene Klotz, Aviation Week – NASA and Boeing plan to add at least four days to the ongoing CST-100 Starliner Crew Flight Test (CFT), with departure from the International Space Station (ISS) now targeted for no earlier than June 22.
Space Force Turning to Commercial Sats to Enhance In-Space Monitoring
Theresa Hitchens, Breaking Defense – Following its success at using hundreds of ground-based commercial sensors, the Space Force wants to replicate that model for space-to-space imagery, according to Maj. Gen. Gregory Gagnon, the service’s head of intelligence.
AI Transforming Satellite Imaging Industry ‘But It’s Not Magic’
Sandra Erwin, SpaceNews – Planet Labs, which creates Earth photos with their smallsat constellation, has aggressively expored AI. At a recent event, executives said it works best when there is also deep expertise and knowledge about specific customer applications.
SpaceX’s Mega Rocket Completes Its Fourth Test Flight From Texas Without Exploding
Marcia Dunn, AP – SpaceX’s Starship rocket completed its first full test flight on June 6. The three previous flight demos ended in explosions. This time, the rocket and the spacecraft splashed down in a controlled fashion, making the hourlong flight the longest and most successful yet.
LIFTOFF! NASA Astronauts Pilot First Starliner Crewed Test to Station
On June 5, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams lifted off at 10:52 a.m. EDT Wednesday on a ULA (United Launch Alliance) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on an end-to-end test of the Starliner system.
Report: Space Force Transitioning to New Model For the Defense of Space
Sandra Erwin, SpaceNews – The service’s latest budget request aims to create more resilient space systems able to withstand and rapidly recover from potential attacks in orbit, writes Sam Wilson, systems director at Aerospace’s Center for Space Policy and Strategy.
Space Force Urges Certain Air Force Reservists to Become Full-Time Guardians
Thomas Novelly, Military.com – The Space Force is now taking applications from Air Force reservists in certain career fields to become full-time, active-duty Guardians, the latest effort to draw more service members from its sister service.
Aerospace Develops New Capability to Deorbit Small Spacecraft
A team at Aerospace developed a prototype deorbit motor that could enable space operators to safely retire their spacecraft on demand. The deorbit motor is designed to be integrated into a spacecraft using a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solid-propellant rocket.
Space-Based Monitoring of Electronic Signals is Now a Commercial Battleground
Sandra Erwin, SpaceNews – As space-based RF sensing transitions from being a closely guarded capability of government and military programs to the commercial industry, U.S. firms like HawkEye 360 face growing international competition from emerging players, notably in Europe.
Harris Calls on Air Force Academy Graduates to Extend U.S. Air, Space Power
U.S. Department of Defense – In this year’s U.S. Air Force Academy graduation ceremony, Vice President Kamala Harris called on the cadets to continue the legacy of innovation that has served as the foundation for the nation’s dominance in the skies.