Growing military appetite for satellite internet • SSC welcomes new commander

National security insights for space professionals.

View this email in your browser National security insights for space professionals. Delivered Tuesdays. In this week's edition: • The military's growing appetite for space internet services • Boeing, Lockheed Martin win contracts to design narrowband sats • Airbus takes sole ownership of satellite factory in Florida If this newsletter was forwarded to you, sign up for free here Top stories SpaceX's Starlink is in high demand across the military, the head of the Space Force's Commercial Satellite Communications Office Clare Hopper tells SpaceNews. Low Earth orbit satellite internet is among the new space services that CSCO is buying to supplement traditional geostationary satellite communications. Hopper said CSCO is also interested in small geostationary satellites and direct satellite-to-device links. CSCO manages satcom contracts worth about $7 billion Hopper shared that about 50 different military units are now using Starlink. GEO satellites have served the military effectively for decades, with established protocols and equipment in place. Transitioning to new systems presents logistical and budgetary challenges. CSCO is now exploring different business models to acquire hybrid satcom services. The Space Force also is buying new government-owned communications satellites. Last week, Space Force awarded $66 million contracts each to Lockheed Martin and Boeing to design a new narrowband communications satellite.  The contracts are part of a competition to eventually build two satellites that will expand the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS), a network of satellites used by the U.S. military to transmit voice and data communications. Over the next 15 months, the companies will create prototype satellites. The Space Force is expected to select one of the companies in 2025 to manufacture two flight-ready spacecraft. Airbus U.S. Space & Defense announced Monday it is now the sole owner of the Florida-based satellite manufacturing facility that it co-owned 50/50 with Eutelsat OneWeb. Airbus purchased OneWeb's 50% share of the joint venture, which was established in 2016 and built more than 600 satellites at the rate of two per day for the OneWeb first generation constellation. The Airbus OneWeb factory also won deals to produce satellite buses for Northrop Grumman, under Space Development Agency contracts.  "The new structure is expected to provide maximum efficiency and increased competitiveness for commercial, institutional and national security space customers," said Robert Geckle, Chairman and CEO of Airbus U.S. Space & Defense.  In other news The new head of Space Systems Command, Lt. Gen. Phillip Garrant, will assume command Feb. 1 at a ceremony at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California. SSC's previous commander Gen. Michael Guetlein is now the vice chief of space operations of the U.S. Space Force.  Guetlein was the first commander of SSC, established as a U.S. Space Force field command in August 2021, replacing the previous Space and Missile Systems Center.  At Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Douglas Schiess on Wednesday assumes command of U.S. Space Forces-Space. This is a new organization created to support U.S. Space Command. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency last week opened a new 24/7 operations center at its headquarters in Springfield, Virginia. NGA will deliver "distinct visual products and geospatial information to military and national-level decision makers in an expanded and continuous mission-focused watch center," the agency said, including "indicators and warning and global situational awareness." Experience unmatched safety and efficiency with Safe-T-Cable® – the ultimate solution for securing critical components in extreme environments. 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More from SpaceNews 🚀 Firefly Aerospace has been cleared to compete for launch services contracts from the National Reconnaissance Office under a new program set up by the agency to procure rides for its small satellites.  The NRO created the contract vehicle known as SLIC, short for Streamlined Launch Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity Contract, to procure commercial launch services for its more risk-tolerant missions.  The SLIC program is projected to award about $700 million in task orders over 10 years. The Space Force's Space Systems Command selected additional vendors for the Sounding Rocket Program-4. This is a multiyear contract where companies compete for orders to launch small rockets used to carry scientific instruments and experiments into suborbital space. Kratos Space & Missile Defense Systems, L3Harris' Aerojet Rocketdyne Coleman Aerospace, and Corvid Technologies were awarded indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts for Sounding Rocket Program-4.  Sounding rockets are small test vehicles that carry scientific payloads that are put into space for short periods of time. Thanks for reading ! Please send comments, suggestions and tips to serwin@spacenews.com Copyright (C) 2024 Multiverse Media Inc.. All rights reserved. You signed up to receive this newsletter on Spacenews.com. At times you may receive marketing material. Our mailing address is: Multiverse Media Inc. 100 Filmore St. 5th Floor Denver, CO 80206 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe