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The Defense Department published its strategy Tuesday on how to integrate commercial space technologies into its national security architecture. The strategy, developed and written by the office of John Plumb, the outgoing assistant secretary of defense for space policy, signals the Pentagon's intent to take advantage of private space sector investments rather than rely solely on custom-built government systems. The report outlines four key principles for using commercial space systems and 13 mission areas where commercial capabilities can be used to varying degrees. The Pentagon report, focused on policy issues, is separate from a Space Force report expected soon that will describe its own strategy for the use of commercial technologies and services. [SpaceNews]
AST SpaceMobile shares tumbled Tuesday after the company disclosed another delay in the launch of its first operational satellites. AST SpaceMobile said after the markets closed Monday that its five Block 1 BlueBird satellites will now be ready for launch no earlier than July, blaming the delay on issues with suppliers. The satellites were originally projected to launch last year but have suffered a series of delays that the company said were linked to supply chain problems. Shares in AST SpaceMobile fell more than 23% in trading Tuesday. [SpaceNews]
Russia and China are catching up to the United States in a number of key counterspace capabilities. A report released Tuesday by the Secure World Foundation found that Russia and China have made significant strides in developing space-based electronic warfare tools that can disrupt or disable enemy satellites. They have also caught up in the space domain awareness arena with advanced inspector satellites capable of maneuvering alongside orbiting spacecraft for up-close monitoring or attacks. The report noted that Russia in particular is spending heavily on counterspace systems to regain capabilities lost after the collapse of the Soviet Union. [SpaceNews]
Lockheed Martin is investing in Helicity Space, a startup developing space fusion propulsion technologies. Lockheed Martin Ventures made an investment of undisclosed size in Helicity, the companies announced Tuesday. Helicity is developing technology to propel spacecraft with short bursts of fusion. The funding will allow the startup to continue tests of the technology to see if it is a viable approach for in-space propulsion. Lockheed Martin Ventures usually invests between $1 million and $5 million in early-stage companies developing "disruptive, cutting edge" technologies in the defense giant's current markets or new areas of interest. [SpaceNews]
| | Integrated Deterrence Begins with L3Harris
As missile threats become faster and more elusive, L3Harris is helping the U.S. military build a proliferated constellation of missile warning and defense satellites to stay ahead. Our technology plays a key role on several U.S. missile warning and defense satellite programs, including those for the U.S. Space Force's Space Development Agency and Space Systems Command as well as the Missile Defense Agency. We're answering the call to protect against advanced missiles by rapidly developing and deploying responsive, multilayered solutions that provide near-global and persistent indications, detection, warning, tracking and identification. Learn more. | | Other News
A new White House policy directs NASA to lead the develop of a new lunar time standard. The policy, released Tuesday by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), instructs NASA to provide a strategy by the end of 2026 for the creation of Coordinated Lunar Time, or LTC. That new time standard, OSTP said, is needed because of slight variations between terrestrial and lunar time because of relativistic effects. That can affect navigation, communications and space situational awareness on and around the moon. NASA will also incorporate work on a lunar time standard into its annual cycle of revisions of its Moon to Mars Architecture. [SpaceNews]
China launched a military reconnaissance satellite Tuesday. A Long March 2D rocket lifted off at 6:56 p.m. Eastern from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center and placed the Yaogan-42 01 satellite into orbit. Official Chinese news reports described the satellite as only a remote sensing spacecraft, but the Yaogan series of satellites often have military applications. [SpaceNews]
United Launch Alliance has rescheduled the final Delta 4 Heavy launch for next week. ULA said the launch of the NROL-70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office is now set for Tuesday at 12:53 p.m. Eastern, pending range approval. The launch was scrubbed last week because of problems with a nitrogen gas line used in ground systems. [Florida Today]
The crewed Starliner test flight has slipped a few days. NASA said Tuesday it is now targeting no earlier than May 6 for the Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission, five days later than previously planned. The delay, NASA said, is intended to accommodate activities at the International Space Station later this month, including a Dragon cargo spacecraft undocking and relocation of a Crew Dragon spacecraft from one docking port to another. Two NASA astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, will fly to the ISS on the CFT mission and spend about a week there, testing the Boeing-built Starliner before NASA certifies it for regular crew rotation missions to the station. [NASA]
| | Even Tom Brady Would Be Impressed
"This is what we would call the equivalent of 30 Super Bowls."
– John Jerrit, president and CEO of American Paper Optics, on how the company has massively increased production of eclipse glasses to prepare for next week's total solar eclipse. [NBC News]
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