JPL chief Laurie Leshin on science, Mars and budget infighting

Leshin spoke with SpaceNews about JPL's path forward and steps to retain and bolster the revered laboratory's capabilities.

Vast to use Starlink for space station broadband communications

Commercial space station developer Vast will use SpaceX's Starlink constellation to provide broadband connectivity for its Haven-1 station launching next year. Vast announced April 9 that it will install laser intersatellite link terminals on its Haven-1 station to enable communications with Starlink satellites.

Rocket Lab, True Anomaly selected for Space Force 'tactically responsive' mission

The space services company Rocket Lab and startup True Anomaly announced April 11 they have secured contracts to launch a "tactically responsive space" mission for the U.S. Space Force.

Space investors question the merits of vertical integration

The benefits of buying space companies to pursue vertical integration are becoming less apparent in the current economic climate. Buying out suppliers can give a company more control over prices and capabilities, enabling it to scale faster than others relying on a network of partners.

Banding together for direct-to-smartphone satellite services

Viasat is considering investing in spacecraft with other Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) operators as the promise of direct-to-smartphone technology drives unprecedented cooperation among historically isolated networks.

SpaceX launches U.S. military weather monitoring satellite

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on April 11 launched a U.S. Space Force weather monitoring satellite. The vehicle lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, at 7:25 a.m. Pacific. The USSF-62 mission flew to orbit the U.S. military's first Weather System Follow-on Microwave (WSF-M) satellite.

Sponsored: Battling Without Borders: Cross-Domain Capability is the Future of Warfighting

Boeing

To triumph over their adversaries, warfighters in the 21st century must be just as prescient and adaptable as Proteus. Because they are neither telepaths nor shapeshifters, however, they must derive their clairvoyance and versatility through multi-domain integration: sharing functionality and data seamlessly across platforms that are on the ground, at sea, in the air and—increasingly important—up in space.