Space Force has enough intelligence but more is better • DoD space policy chief to step down

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View this email in your browser National security insights for space professionals. Delivered Tuesdays. In this week's edition: • Delta 4 Heavy remains grounded after NROL-70 scrub • Space Force has enough intelligence but more is better • DoD chief of space policy to step down If this newsletter was forwarded to you, sign up for free here Today's highlights: United Launch Alliance had planned to bid farewell to the Delta 4 Heavy on March 28 with the launch of a classified mission, called NROL-70, for the National Reconnaissance Office. But the launch was scrubbed as ULA engineers headed into the final four minutes of the countdown. ULA said the launch at Cape Canaveral, Florida's Space Launch Complex 37 was halted due to a faulty gaseous nitrogen pipeline which provides pneumatic pressure to the launch vehicle. "More time is needed to instill confidence in the system," the company said. No new launch date has yet been announced for NROL-70. This will be the last Delta 4 Heavy rocket as ULA prepares to transition to its new Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle. Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations, said the U.S. Space Force is well aware of what foreign adversaries are doing in outer space, but there's no such thing as too much intelligence. "You can never have too much space domain awareness," Saltzman said last week at the Mitchell Institute's Spacepower Security Forum. In remarks at the conference, Saltzman highlighted various threats in orbit that target U.S. satellites, particularly China's development of ground-based lasers to disrupt and degrade satellite sensors, electronic warfare jammers targeting GPS and communications satellites, and anti-satellite missiles.  Saltzman said space domain awareness is not just about taking pictures of objects but also being able to "maintain custody" of objects of interest.  Maintaining custody of a target goes beyond simply knowing where something is in space. It refers to the ability to continuously track and monitor a specific object with a high degree of accuracy and for an extended period. The Pentagon's proposed budget for fiscal year 2025 includes $134 million for "commercial satcom integration" — an increase from $71 million enacted in the 2024 budget.  The industry views this as a positive sign of DoD's interest in using commercial satcom, said Rebecca Cowen-Hirsch, senior vice president for government strategy and policy at Viasat.  Satellite companies would like to see the funding spent on establishing a dedicated working capital fund under the Space Force's Commercial Space Office.  A working capital fund is essentially a pot of money set aside for the operational needs of military satcom users. That would streamline the ability for combatant commands and others to take advantage of commercial services, Cowen-Hirsch said.  Meanwhile, Boeing is setting its sights on two upcoming big-ticket satellite procurements from the U.S. Space Force. The Space Force is expected to seek bids this coming year for highly specialized, jam-resistant satellite systems: PTS (Protected Tactical Satcom) and ESS (Evolved Strategic Satcom). "The government is looking for mature and low-risk technologies," said Michelle Parker, vice president for space mission systems at Boeing Defense, Space & Security.  The company is positioning to compete for these procurements by leveraging technologies it developed for the Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) program and for commercial satellites, Parker told SpaceNews. In other news 🚀 Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy John Plumb will be stepping down in May. Plumb is leaving his post two years after being confirmed as the first assistant secretary of defense for space policy, a position that Congress established in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. In a statement, a spokesperson confirmed that Plumb "announced to his team his intent to depart in early May," but did not elaborate further. The U.S. Space Force announced last week it activated a new component under U.S. Central Command.  Lt. Col. Deane Lake assumed command of U.S. Space Forces Central Combat Detachment 3-1. The unit supports Central Command's space-based capabilities such as missile warning detection, ensuring reliable communications and GPS. Orbit Aerospace won a $1.8 million AFWERX contract to develop a novel method of spacecraft docking in partnership with the University of Colorado in Boulder. The electrostatic adhesion technology being developed under the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract will enable vehicles to dock with one another, Ishaan Patel, In Orbit chief technology officer, told SpaceNews. In addition, the technology has applications for satellites seeking to rendezvous and dock with cooperative or uncooperative targets for refueling, debris removal or other services. 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 Fillmore 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