DefenceTalkIn a significant step that enhances the U.S. Space Force’s capabilities and development, the Department of the Air Force has identified 23 U.S. Air Force organizations whose space-related missions will soon transfer to the Space Force. Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett, in conjunction with Chief of Space Operations Gen. John “Jay” Raymond and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/space-force-identifies-usaf-missions-for-transfer-to-newest-service-75033/

DefenceTalkConstellations of small satellites orbiting close to Earth may provide faster communications and be less vulnerable than traditional ones, defense officials said Thursday. Larger geosynchronous satellites are very expensive and vulnerable to attack, said Dr. Mark Lewis, director of the Defense Research and Engineering for Modernization Office. He chaired a panel discussion at the Association […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-army-looks-to-leverage-low-earth-orbit-satellites-74784/

DefenceTalkInvoking history and a vivid recent example, Lt. Gen. David D. Thompson, the vice commander of the newly created U.S. Space Force, presented the case Feb. 27 for the new service and how its development as a separate, new force differs from circumstances surrounding the Air Force’s birth in 1947. “Does anybody really believe that […]https://www.defencetalk.com/gen-thompson-makes-case-for-us-space-force-encourages-campaign-to-educate-public-74555/

DefenceTalkSpace systems underpin virtually every weapon system in the Defense Department’s arsenal, a senior DOD official told Congress. But many systems were designed for an era when there were few threats in space, Dr. James H. Anderson, performing the duties of deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, said today at a hearing of the House […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-will-not-let-china-russia-deny-its-space-superiority-74348/

On April 13, 2029, an icy chunk of space rock, wider than the Eiffel Tower is tall, will streak by Earth at 30 kilometers per second, grazing the planet’s sphere of geostationary satellites. It will be the closest approach by one of the largest asteroids crossing Earth’s orbit in the next decade. Observations of the […]

European plane-maker Airbus said Wednesday it planned to cut 2,362 jobs in its Defence and Space division over the next two years. Airbus cited a “flat space market and postponed contracts on the defense side” for the decision to cut 829 jobs in Germany, 630 in Spain, 404 in France, and 357 in Britain. A […]

It takes a lot of fuel to launch something into space. Sending NASA’s Space Shuttle into orbit required more than 3.5 million pounds of fuel, which is about 15 times heavier than a blue whale. But a new type of engine – called a rotating detonation engine – promises to make rockets not only more […]

Last month, SpaceX became the operator of the world’s largest active satellite constellation. As of the end of January, the company had 242 satellites orbiting the planet with plans to launch 42,000 over the next decade. This is part of its ambitious project to provide Internet access across the globe. The race to put satellites […]

Iran’s government on Wednesday rejected US allegations that the Islamic republic’s satellite programme has a military dimension, days after the failed launch of its latest satellite. “The subject of satellite launch vehicles and satellites is a civilian matter,” Defence Minister Amir Hatami was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA. “We could use a […]

Multiple software issues and a poor radio link doomed a test flight of Boeing’s crew capsule late last year, NASA said Friday, revealing for the first time a glitch that could have destroyed the spaceship on its re-entry. The Starliner’s December 20 mission, an uncrewed test flight, was ended early when it failed to engage […]