Oracle’s vision: Understanding cislunar satellite images poses AFRL’s ‘biggest’ challenge

Oracle’s vision: Understanding cislunar satellite images poses AFRL’s ‘biggest’ challenge
Oracle’s vision: Understanding cislunar satellite images poses AFRL’s ‘biggest’ challenge

Oracle has to be able not just to detect space objects, but also discriminate targets of interest from what is currently an unfamiliar background for space imagery analysts filled with myriad stars and a growing number of spacecraft, AFRL’s Lt. Col. David Johnson explained.

‘Critically important’: New White House strategy for cislunar research echoes Space Force

‘Critically important’: New White House strategy for cislunar research echoes Space Force
‘Critically important’: New White House strategy for cislunar research echoes Space Force

The new strategy represents a first US effort to build a whole-of-government strategy for “advancing scientific, exploration, and economic development activities” in cislunar space.

SPACECOM deputy says ‘maneuver and logistics’ key to future operations

SPACECOM deputy says ‘maneuver and logistics’ key to future operations
SPACECOM deputy says ‘maneuver and logistics’ key to future operations

“We’re kind of restricted right now, by the tyranny of the rocket equation. I’ve got to have mass to eject in order to move myself around within the Earth-Moon gravity well and beyond. How do we get past that?” asked SPACECOM deputy commander Lt. Gen. John Shaw.

Lockheed Martin eyes potential national security customers for lunar communications services

Lockheed Martin eyes potential national security customers for lunar communications services
Lockheed Martin eyes potential national security customers for lunar communications services

The new satellite, set to launch in 2024, could provide comms links with astronauts and rovers on the far side of the Moon, as well as to scientists at the South Pole.

Space Force Wants Extra $$ To Speed Deep Space Ops

Space Force Wants Extra $$ To Speed Deep Space Ops
Space Force Wants Extra $$ To Speed Deep Space Ops

The largest of the four categories is called “Develop A Warfighter Punch” and includes $279 million for classified programs.

Solar Power Sats Help Drive DoD Deep Space Push

Solar Power Sats Help Drive DoD Deep Space Push
Solar Power Sats Help Drive DoD Deep Space Push

“[W]e don’t have a military reason to go to the Moon today, but we do have long term-objectives that include the expansion out to the Moon and beyond,” Space Force Chief Scientist Joel Mozer says. 

DARPA Nuke Sat To Target Cislunar Monitoring Mission

DARPA Nuke Sat To Target Cislunar Monitoring Mission
DARPA Nuke Sat To Target Cislunar Monitoring Mission

AFRL last Thursday held a classified stakeholder meeting to discuss R&D to underpin future military operations beyond the traditional near-Earth orbits used today.

DARPA Space Manufacturing Project Sparks Controversy

DARPA Space Manufacturing Project Sparks Controversy
DARPA Space Manufacturing Project Sparks Controversy

“As you surely know, there is a lot of emotion in this on both sides of the argument, making it as much political as it is legal,” said attorney Henry Hertzfeld of the DARPA plans.

Biden Admin Expected To Rein In ‘Space Power’ Push

Biden Admin Expected To Rein In ‘Space Power’ Push
Biden Admin Expected To Rein In ‘Space Power’ Push

Instead of focusing on the pressing need to shore up vulnerabilities in current and near-term space capabilities, says one critic, Space Force and SPACECOM are “all off trying to train for how they’re going to go fight a space war.”

Space Force, AFRL To Demo Mobile Lunar Spy Sat

Space Force, AFRL To Demo Mobile Lunar Spy Sat
Space Force, AFRL To Demo Mobile Lunar Spy Sat

The highly mobile D2S2 satellite will carry a 20cm camera to test the sensor performance needed for lunar imaging.

AFRL Ponders Solar Power Beaming For Lunar Patrol Sat

AFRL Ponders Solar Power Beaming For Lunar Patrol Sat
AFRL Ponders Solar Power Beaming For Lunar Patrol Sat

Satellites and facilities in cislunar space could very well become the first customers of beamed power as it gradually comes on line, an Aerospace study finds.

AFRL’s Big Ambitions For Lunar Patrol Satellites

AFRL’s Big Ambitions For Lunar Patrol Satellites
AFRL’s Big Ambitions For Lunar Patrol Satellites

“We are interested in technologies to support wide area search, narrow field tracking, and autonomous space domain awareness,” says CHPS program manager Capt. David Buehler.

AFRL Satellite To Track Up To The Moon; Space Force-NASA Tout Cooperation

“If you look at the orbits of the stuff that’s going around the Moon, It looks like a drunken sailor wandering around as compared to the orbits that we’re used to describing closer to the Earth,” AFRL’s Col. Eric Felt says.