Pentagon working with Ukraine, SpaceX to prevent Russian exploitation of Starlink

Pentagon working with Ukraine, SpaceX to prevent Russian exploitation of Starlink
Pentagon working with Ukraine, SpaceX to prevent Russian exploitation of Starlink

“Just the idea of this being more available and so people can find it and try to exploit it, that’s something we just have to bake in and understand,” Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy John Plumb said of commercial services like SpaceX’s Starlink constellation.

Ukraine war turns 2: Lessons learned and what comes next

Ukraine war turns 2: Lessons learned and what comes next
Ukraine war turns 2: Lessons learned and what comes next

On the two year anniversary of the war, the Breaking Defense team has assembled a series of pieces on the state of the conflict across multiple domains, what might come in year three, and what lessons the US has learned from the conflict. 

‘Slow transition:’ Commerce may need 5+ years to take over DoD non-military space tracking

‘Slow transition:’ Commerce may need 5+ years to take over DoD non-military space tracking
‘Slow transition:’ Commerce may need 5+ years to take over DoD non-military space tracking

“It’s not going to be like a ‘boom’ milestone delivery where one day there’s nothing and the next day, there’s a finished system,” Richard DalBello, director of the Office of Space Commerce, said of the swap from DoD to Commerce.

US wins protections for Pentagon radar spectrum at WRC-23

US wins protections for Pentagon radar spectrum at WRC-23
US wins protections for Pentagon radar spectrum at WRC-23

The US and its allies managed to block a move by China to open up the 6 GHz band Beijing uses for 5G mobile wireless communications to global use — a move that would have empowered Chinese telecom firms such as Huawei.

Space-BACN sizzling along as DARPA awards Phase 2 contracts in laser link project

Space-BACN sizzling along as DARPA awards Phase 2 contracts in laser link project
Space-BACN sizzling along as DARPA awards Phase 2 contracts in laser link project

Long-range, high-speed optical communications will be critical for the service’s plans for a “hybrid architecture” that would see networks of old and new military satellites, as well as commercial and allied networks, all communicating seamlessly to shift vast quantities of data around the world in near real-time.

ITU rules meeting: Geopolitical ‘fireworks,’ DoD spectrum challenges

ITU rules meeting: Geopolitical ‘fireworks,’ DoD spectrum challenges
ITU rules meeting: Geopolitical ‘fireworks,’ DoD spectrum challenges

Disputes over spectrum use by mega-constellations in low Earth orbit, such as SpaceX’s Starlink, also carry heavy political baggage at the 2023 World Radio Conference that starts tomorrow in Dubai.

Amazon, OneWeb slowly stalk SpaceX for piece of Pentagon SATCOM pie

Amazon, OneWeb slowly stalk SpaceX for piece of Pentagon SATCOM pie
Amazon, OneWeb slowly stalk SpaceX for piece of Pentagon SATCOM pie

Amazon recently launched the first two prototypes for its Project Kuiper; OneWeb now has all 634 satellites it needs to provide global internet access.

Space Force should offer European allies protection from anti-satellite attacks: Saltzman

Space Force should offer European allies protection from anti-satellite attacks: Saltzman
Space Force should offer European allies protection from anti-satellite attacks: Saltzman

“The destruction of a satellite may not have that same public effect as a missile attack into a civilian population, but from a military standpoint, you’ve still definitely created an act of war,” said Gen. Chance Saltzman.

Space Force to reveal draft for commercial satellite ‘reserve’ service soon

Space Force to reveal draft for commercial satellite ‘reserve’ service soon
Space Force to reveal draft for commercial satellite ‘reserve’ service soon

“The capacity needed during times of crisis or conflict will exceed our steady state peacetime demand,” said Col. Rich Kniseley, who leads Space Systems Commands Commercial Space Office.

‘Absolutely critical’ to get DARC space situational system to Australia: Space Forces Indo-Pacific head

‘Absolutely critical’ to get DARC space situational system to Australia: Space Forces Indo-Pacific head
‘Absolutely critical’ to get DARC space situational system to Australia: Space Forces Indo-Pacific head

“So, what worries me most is China’s use of space to complete the kill chain necessary to generate long-range precision strikes against the maritime and air components scheme of maneuver. That’s what concerns me the most,” Brig. Gen. Anthony Mastalir, commander of Space Forces Indo-Pacific, said.

SpaceX didn’t intend that Starlink be ‘weaponized’ by Ukraine: Shotwell

SpaceX didn’t intend that Starlink be ‘weaponized’ by Ukraine: Shotwell
SpaceX didn’t intend that Starlink be ‘weaponized’ by Ukraine: Shotwell

Moscow has charged that Starlink is directly enhancing the ability of Ukrainian forces to target weapons on Russian forces.

At UN meeting, space cooperation picks up momentum, but Moscow and Beijing play spoilers

At UN meeting, space cooperation picks up momentum, but Moscow and Beijing play spoilers
At UN meeting, space cooperation picks up momentum, but Moscow and Beijing play spoilers

American initiatives are seeing more support, while rivals used the opportunity to raise a litany of complaints against Washington.

Ukraine spotlights ‘criticality’ of space in conflict : Saltzman

Ukraine spotlights ‘criticality’ of space in conflict : Saltzman
Ukraine spotlights ‘criticality’ of space in conflict : Saltzman

Learning from Russia’s failures in Ukraine, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said a key focus going forward is “making sure that not only do we have the systems to do the mission, but that our operators have the training the experience, and we have validated tactics that actually enable those capabilities.”

China tops US in defense-related satellites orbited in 2022: Report

China tops US in defense-related satellites orbited in 2022: Report
China tops US in defense-related satellites orbited in 2022: Report

“China is replacing Russia as the No. 2 space power,” Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Harvard and Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass., told Breaking Defense.