Space Force effort to replace aging space tracking software lagging: DOT&E

Space Force effort to replace aging space tracking software lagging: DOT&E
Space Force effort to replace aging space tracking software lagging: DOT&E

“[P]roduct development has been slower than anticipated, and the projected date to decommission SPADOC continues to extend further to late FY24, a delay of more than two years from the original timeline,” according to the 2023 Annual Report of the Pentagon’s Director of Operational Test & Evaluation.

US leads world in 2023 launches, sats on orbit: study

US leads world in 2023 launches, sats on orbit: study
US leads world in 2023 launches, sats on orbit: study

SpaceX alone was responsible for 98 of the 109 launch attempts made by the US in 2023, and 1,937 of the 2,234 US satellites successfully orbited.

LeoLabs: Russia, China time suspicious space activity for some US holidays

LeoLabs: Russia, China time suspicious space activity for some US holidays
LeoLabs: Russia, China time suspicious space activity for some US holidays

The company said that on Thanksgiving, for instance, a Russian satellite’s sub-satellite — in a Matryoshka-style — released yet another satellite, in what a LeoLabs analysis said could’ve been timed for fewer American eyes on the sky.

Second Russian Luch/Olymp satellite now trailing Western systems in orbit

Second Russian Luch/Olymp satellite now trailing Western systems in orbit
Second Russian Luch/Olymp satellite now trailing Western systems in orbit

While the new Russian satellite didn’t get super close to any others, its behavior “could be considered unfriendly,” said Slingshot’s Audrey Schaffer, who until recently served as the director of space policy at the National Security Council.

Pentagon plans to transfer ‘high accuracy’ space tracking data to Commerce

Pentagon plans to transfer ‘high accuracy’ space tracking data to Commerce
Pentagon plans to transfer ‘high accuracy’ space tracking data to Commerce

“Commercial data, commercial processing is not classified. It does not matter that the DoD wishes it were,” said Barbara Golf, special advisor to Space Systems Command.

Space moves: Trackers losing maneuvering sats, increasing heavenly danger, study says

Space moves: Trackers losing maneuvering sats, increasing heavenly danger, study says
Space moves: Trackers losing maneuvering sats, increasing heavenly danger, study says

The COMSPOC study included a look at risks from unannounced rendezvous and proximity operations — such as those being routinely performed by the Russian “inspector” satellite Luch/Olymp that have raised hackles at the Defense Department — and the risks to US military satellites cause by mis-plotting the trajectories of adversary birds.

Commerce study highlights benefits, challenges for allied space surveillance cooperation

Commerce study highlights benefits, challenges for allied space surveillance cooperation
Commerce study highlights benefits, challenges for allied space surveillance cooperation

There is growing concern about what happens when different countries’ predictions of an on-orbit collision do not match, said Matt Hejduk, of The Aerospace Corporation. “A man with two watches never knows what time it is,” he quipped.

Joint Commerce, STRATCOM commercial SSA pilot planned for December

Joint Commerce, STRATCOM commercial SSA pilot planned for December
Joint Commerce, STRATCOM commercial SSA pilot planned for December

That pilot project will use SPACECOM’s Unified Data Library (UDL) as a data base, DalBello said, because Commerce is still in the early stages of creating its own cloud-based data storage capability, called the Open Architecture Data Repository (OADR).

New Aussie deal forwards SPACECOM commander’s goal of ‘persistent awareness’ of the heavens

New Aussie deal forwards SPACECOM commander’s goal of ‘persistent awareness’ of the heavens
New Aussie deal forwards SPACECOM commander’s goal of ‘persistent awareness’ of the heavens

Speaking with Breaking Defense and Defense One on Tuesday, SPACECOM head Gen. Jim Dickinson noted the importance of space “governance,” including “norms of responsible behavior,” and the “need to better preserve” the space environment. 

Space Command, Commerce to stage commercial space tracking pilot this fall

Space Command, Commerce to stage commercial space tracking pilot this fall
Space Command, Commerce to stage commercial space tracking pilot this fall

The Commerce Department doesn’t simply want to replicate what DoD does now in providing space situational awareness data to industry, but go beyond to provide “a technologically superior product,” said Richard DalBello, head of DoC’s Commercial Space Office.

To infinity and beyond: New Space Force unit to monitor ‘xGEO’ beyond Earth’s orbit

To infinity and beyond: New Space Force unit to monitor ‘xGEO’ beyond Earth’s orbit
To infinity and beyond: New Space Force unit to monitor ‘xGEO’ beyond Earth’s orbit

Space Force has established the new 19th Space Defense Squadron to monitor what officials now refer to as “xGEO” space.

Space Force top priority for monitoring heavens: Seeing better the data it has

Space Force top priority for monitoring heavens: Seeing better the data it has
Space Force top priority for monitoring heavens: Seeing better the data it has

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.