Theresa Hitchens is the Senior reporter, Space at Breaking Defense. The former Defense News editor was a senior research associate at the University of Maryland’s Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland (CISSM). Before that, she spent six years in Geneva, Switzerland as director of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR).
A sci-fi geek, voracious reader, enthusiastic cook, dabbler in poetry, Theresa is also the proud mom of a wonderful young man by the name of Nicholas.
Payam Banazadeh, CEO of Capella Space, told Breaking Defense that the Ukraine war has been a "critical place for the industry to show itself," but NRO says it isn't accelerating the SAR acquisition process.
Pete Muend, director of the NRO Commercial Systems Program Office, told the USGIF GEOINT 2022 conference that RF tracking for Ukraine has been "great benefit," and spy agency wants to expand the capability.
Breaking Defense Europe will launch May 4 with Tim Martin and Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo as co-editors.
A study by the Space Warfighting Analysis Center that determined a multi-layered network of satellites in Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO), highly-elliptical polar orbit, Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) is necessary to provide comprehensive ballistic and hypersonic missile warning and tracking.
"The flood of new imagery capabilities is overwhelming. Data driven technologies like artificial intelligence are essential," Gen. Richard Clarke, head of Special Operations Command, told the annual GEOINT conference today.
How many satellites Capella eventually launches depends on customer demand for faster and faster revisit rates, Capella CEO Payam Banazadeh told Breaking Defense.
"We recognize our ASAT commitment doesn't cover all ASAT threats, including space based ASAT systems. But we think it is important to take a first step to address the most pressing threats," said Eric Desautels, a senior State Department official involved in negotiating international accords.
Do more with less: streamline workflows, reduce duplication, invest upfront to save long-term.
Space Force has established the new 19th Space Defense Squadron to monitor what officials now refer to as "xGEO" space.
"We have designed our next generation ‘Pelican’ fleet to meet the evolving needs of customers who want real-time information about global events as they unfold – from floods and wildfires to political conflicts and threats to human rights," said company CEO Will Marshall.
Space Force's 18th Space Control Squadron was "re-designated" on April 13 as the "18th Space Defense Squadron," but will remain SPACECOM's key provider of space domain awareness.
"The services today are working more what I call 'service all domain command and control' — and don't blame me for the acronym, it sounds like SADC2," said Scott Stapp, CTO of Northrop Grumman Corp.
Government can’t stop to update systems, so modernization has to happen without interruptions.
Until now, no US administration was willing to do anything formal, even if only making a public pledge, that would tie the military's hands in any way regarding the use of ASATs.
The Army, in particular, is looking for a "magic bullet" — one antenna that can receive SATCOM signals from constellations in LEO, MEO and GEO. But it may be disappointed due to the laws of physics, says Rick Lober, VP of defense and intelligence systems at Hughes.
Space Force can't simply "carve out a piece of real estate" on orbit for live testing and training, explains STARCOM head Maj. Gen. Shawn Bratton.
The findings of both a GAO and Pentagon IG review of the Defense Department's decision to locate SPACECOM's headquarters in Alabama are expected to be made public within days.