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.

As DoD readies new commercial space strategies, industry frets funding gap

As DoD readies new commercial space strategies, industry frets funding gap
As DoD readies new commercial space strategies, industry frets funding gap

When it comes to leveraging commercial space tech, one analyst said, “The old adage holds — show me your budget and I’ll show you your priorities.”

DARPA contracts 4 firms for DRIFT radar imagery experiments

DARPA contracts 4 firms for DRIFT radar imagery experiments
DARPA contracts 4 firms for DRIFT radar imagery experiments

Todd Master, Umbra’s chief operating officer and a former DARPA official, told Breaking Defense on May 22 that DRIFT “is a legitimately great example of how government can actually advance capability using commercial investments instead of just saying ‘leverage commercial’ over and over.”

International meeting could imperil Pentagon’s radar, intel-gathering systems

International meeting could imperil Pentagon’s radar, intel-gathering systems
International meeting could imperil Pentagon’s radar, intel-gathering systems

The month-long World Radiocommunications Conference in Dubai will decide whether to change how spectrum use is allocate among various users – including spectrum needed by DoD planes and ships operating abroad.

Maxar contracts startup Umbra to supply SAR satellite data

Maxar contracts startup Umbra to supply SAR satellite data
Maxar contracts startup Umbra to supply SAR satellite data

Under the deal, Maxar will be able to expand its SAR data offerings to international customers, and Umbra will get global eyes on its products, company officials told Breaking Defense.

SAR-satellite startup Capella Space creates ‘federal’ unit for US government sales

SAR-satellite startup Capella Space creates ‘federal’ unit for US government sales
SAR-satellite startup Capella Space creates ‘federal’ unit for US government sales

“There is significant value in unclassified, shareable SAR imagery. And we’ve seen that in Ukraine. And so I think that has changed people’s minds quite a bit which has given a lot of momentum to … how government thinks about future procurements,” Capella CEO Payam Banazadeh told Breaking Defense.

Sapphire in the sky: Space domain awareness is Canadian space commander’s top priority

Sapphire in the sky: Space domain awareness is Canadian space commander’s top priority
Sapphire in the sky: Space domain awareness is Canadian space commander’s top priority

“Sapphire has done yeoman’s service for us. It is beyond end of life, but keeps chugging away like the Energizer Bunny. And, and every day that it has a hiccup, I go, ‘Not today, not today,'” said Brig. Gen. Mike Adamson.

Lockheed Martin invests $100M in SAR-satellite maker Terran Orbital

Lockheed Martin invests $100M in SAR-satellite maker Terran Orbital
Lockheed Martin invests $100M in SAR-satellite maker Terran Orbital

Marc Bell, Terran Orbital’s CEO, told Breaking Defense that despite the decision to abandon plans for its PredaSAR subsidiary to operate a SAR-sat constellation, the company intends to fully uphold its obligations under a pair of contracts with NRO.

ICEYE to supply Ukraine with SAR satellite imagery via Ukrainian foundation

ICEYE to supply Ukraine with SAR satellite imagery via Ukrainian foundation
ICEYE to supply Ukraine with SAR satellite imagery via Ukrainian foundation

“This agreement is a significant step in responding to the Government of Ukraine’s urgent request for critical earth observation data and it will greatly benefit our Armed Forces,” said Serhiy Prytula, whose eponymous foundation crowdsources kit for the Ukrainian military.

Canada’s new Space Division: Evolution not revolution

Canada’s new Space Division: Evolution not revolution
Canada’s new Space Division: Evolution not revolution

Even as Canada acknowledges growing importance of space in defense, Jessica West of Canada’s Project Ploughshares said, “The creation of a division within the military [structure] rather than a standalone force points to the integration of space across military functions rather than a ‘warfighting’ orientation.”

Eyes wide open: Airbus eyes growing US market for space-related optical systems

Eyes wide open: Airbus eyes growing US market for space-related optical systems
Eyes wide open: Airbus eyes growing US market for space-related optical systems

“I’m focusing on laser communication terminals because I think that’s the strongest candidate to build in the US,” Rob Geckle, CEO of Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, told Breaking Defense.

House lawmakers urge spy satellite agency to beef up commercial SAR acquisition

House lawmakers urge spy satellite agency to beef up commercial SAR acquisition
House lawmakers urge spy satellite agency to beef up commercial SAR acquisition

The markup also calls for a comprehensive report on how DoD plans to leverage ISR data from commercial radio frequency (RF) satellites, noting that lawmakers have been “encouraged” by the successful use of RF geolocation in exercises, including by European Command.

Eyeing DoD and IC work, ICEYE boosts ‘parallel’ US-only radar-sat constellation

Eyeing DoD and IC work, ICEYE boosts ‘parallel’ US-only radar-sat constellation
Eyeing DoD and IC work, ICEYE boosts ‘parallel’ US-only radar-sat constellation

ICEYE currently is planning to launch another five satellites this year, Jerry Welsh, CEO of the Finnish firm’s US arm, told Breaking Defense. But he did not provide a breakout of those to be built in Finland vice the US.  

After Ukraine success, NRO says electro-optical imagery contracts due this summer

After Ukraine success, NRO says electro-optical imagery contracts due this summer
After Ukraine success, NRO says electro-optical imagery contracts due this summer

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.