Aviation Week — The SDA awarded a contract to Tukwila, Washington-based startup Starfish Space to deorbit at least one of the agency’s satellites in a mission targeted for 2027. The goal is to validate a commercial “deorbit-as-a-service” model for managing end-of-life disposal in LEO.

T-Minus Podcast — Satlyt is integrating its edge-computing framework with Aerospace’s DiskSat platform. “It has always been our plan for DiskSat to be transitioned to industry as quickly as possible,” said Deb Salvaggio, Aerospace’s Director of Technology Transfer. “DiskSat provides the kind of power and scalability that makes real-time computing in orbit possible, said Satlyt CEO Rama Afullo.

DefenseScoop — The Department of the Air Force has established seven new portfolio acquisition executive (PAE) offices that will oversee capability development moving forward.

DefenseNews — Space Launch Delta 30 issued a request for information, seeking to establish infrastructure for heavy and super-heavy vertical launch vehicles to address critical gaps in launch capabilities at Vandenberg. If developed, SLC-14 would become the first dedicated super-heavy launch complex on the West Coast.

Air and Space Forces Magazine — United Launch Alliance’s new Vulcan Centaur rocket is slated to fly its second national security mission in February—nearly six months after its first operational launch and almost a year after it was certified to launch military payloads for the Space Force.

SpaceNews — The overhaul aims to provide resilient, high-throughput connectivity across all 14 U.S. Space Force bases. “This modernization effort will upgrade both classified and unclassified network infrastructure,” the Air Force said, including the use of zero trust security architectures and support for cloud-based applications.

Air and Space Forces Magazine — Space Systems Command has been working with CFC and Space Training and Readiness Command to expand its cyber digital operational environment. The U.S. Spacer Force is also getting closer to building a physical range, the National Space Test and Training Complex.

Via Satellite — Joe Touch, principal scientist in Aerospace’s Information Systems and Cyber Division, participated in a panel to discuss what quantum computing could accomplish in space, if these powerful systems are able to survive the harsh environment.

Via Satellite — During the recent Spacepower event, Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Schiess, Deputy Chief of Space Operations, described a new threat environment where the U.S. Space Force has to consider threats like hypersonics, fractional orbital vehicles, and direct ascent anti-satellite weapons. This evolved threat environment requires more resilient defenses.

SpaceNews — New NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said he wants the agency to move faster on key programs such as Artemis but acknowledged he needs time to get up to speed on NASA’s activities.