| |  | National security insights for space professionals. Delivered Tuesdays. | | In this week's edition: • Why AI is a big deal in national security • Outgoing DoD space policy chief offers parting thoughts • Saltzman speaks at Australia's Air & Space forum
If this newsletter was forwarded to you, sign up for free here | |  | | Today's highlights: |  | United Launch Alliance (ULA) could launch a mass simulator on its next Vulcan Centaur rocket flight if its planned payload, Sierra Space's Dream Chaser, is not ready by year's end.
A defense official in off-the-record comments said DoD would consider certifying the Vulcan rocket if it can perform a second successful launch using a mass simulator — a stand-in for the actual payload. ULA, meanwhile, remains confident that it will launch Sierra Space's Dream Chaser space plane by October. "While ULA will be ready to fly in mid-2024 our customer Sierra Space has requested a launch period in the beginning of September," said ULA spokesperson Jessica Rye. "It is important for us to fly our Cert-2 mission soon since that is part of our certification program with the Space Force to fly its missions. We expect to fly Cert-2 before October 1," she said. "If our customer is not ready to fly, we have backup plans."
| | Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool that is transforming national security.
At the heart of AI's prowess is the ability to analyze vast troves of data at speeds unfathomable to human analysts. The technology empowers decision-makers to stay one step ahead of emerging threats, the director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Vice Adm. Frank Whitworth told SpaceNews. NGA is betting big on artificial intelligence, injecting machine learning and computer vision across its operations, from the battlefield to high-level geopolitical analysis Mark Munsell, the agency's director of data and digital innovation, said NGA plans to tap the newest AI models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Microsoft, and "fine tune and train those models with NGA data and reporting." The goal is to empower analysts to identify adversaries' activities that could warrant alerting the White House or Pentagon. "I think you'll see a new era of doing analytics with these big computer vision models or these big large language models, and in this new era, there needs to be a lot more human-machine teaming," Munsell said. NGA is looking at "big breakthroughs in the way we produce intelligence" in the coming years thanks to the accelerating pace of AI innovation.
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|  | Webinar tomorrow May 15 on opportunities and challenges for space-based AI with experts from the Aerospace Corporation, Stanford University's Center for AEroSpace Autonomy Research, Magnestar, and Redwire Space. REGISTER HERE | | Parting thoughts from Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy John Plumb:
In an interview with SpaceNews last week, Plumb said DoD and the intelligence community need to resolve the tug-of-war between the military's demand for rapid access to raw satellite data and the IC's processes for vetting and analyzing information. "Information has to flow at an operationally relevant speed," Plumb said. A debate over how the Pentagon and intelligence community should share space data on the battlefield is heating up as the U.S. develops new satellite systems like the Ground Moving Target Indicator constellation to track moving targets. There's tension over who tasks those sensors amid the military's desire for direct data access versus the IC's role analyzing first before sharing. The military also wants faster access to commercial imagery for the battlefield rather than going through IC agencies procuring it. Plumb questioned why the Air Force's old GMTI aircraft mission should shift to IC "just because it happens to fly from space. That's old-think," he said, partially blaming outdated policies.
|  | Plumb also commented on Russia's pursuit of a nuclear weapon for use in space, calling it a deeply troubling threat that stands apart from other anti-satellite capabilities.
While the U.S. has long strategized against anti-satellite weapons, Russia's reported space nuke development is "a thing apart" due to its indiscriminate effects. "The weaker a state is in its conventional military force, the more it will rely on nuclear weapons," he said of Moscow's motivations, despite denials. While unable to match U.S. or Chinese satellite capabilities, "Russia is once again playing the nuclear card. The U.S. government's goal is to dissuade Russia from pursuing space nukes — even as DoD has to brace for all scenarios. As DoD's first senate-confirmed space policy assistant secretary, Plumb said the office's creation underscores the rising prominence of space. The Ukraine war and commercial space's role thrust it into the spotlight, making obvious DoD needed dedicated space oversight.
| | In other news 🚀 | A space imaging payload developed by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory was selected for the U.S. Space Force mission known as Victus Haze, projected to launch in 2025.
Two spacecraft — one from Rocket Lab and another from True Anomaly — will perform maneuvers in close proximity. The Livermore payload will be integrated in Rocket Lab's vehicle.
Victus Haze is a "tactically responsive" mission that requires contractors to be ready to launch on short notice, and the Space Force expects the satellites to be operational within hours after launch. | |  | Positioned as the perfect mid-year meeting place, MILSATCOM USA is your opportunity to forge meaningful connections efficiently with top-tier experts, all gathered in one place at one time.
Engage with every facet of US MILSATCOM, covering technical development, acquisition, and operations. Connect with key players from units and organizations such as Space Systems Command, Space Operations Command, and more.
Facilitate collaboration and information exchange with representatives from Space Delta 8, US Army, Naval Network Warfare Command, AFRL, and other crucial entities.
It's taking place on June 10-12 in Arlington VA, USA. Find out more. | |  | U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman in a speech last week in Australia highlighted the importance of cooperation with allies on space capabilities,
China's recent developments in space have created unacceptable risks, Saltzman said, creating a rise in competition and orbital congestion.
"Now more than ever, joint and coalition force operations depend on space capabilities and protection from space-enabled attacks — our space forces are an integral part of the joint coalition team," Saltzman said at the Royal Australian Air Force's 2024 Air and Space Power Conference in Canberra. | | Rocket Lab selected several suppliers to support the production of 18 satellites the company is manufacturing for the Space Development Agency under a $515 million contract.
These subcontractors include CesiumAstro (communications payloads), Mynaric (optical communications), SEAKR Engineering (software defined radio), Collins Aerospace (software), Redwire Space (antennas), and Parsons (ground system). | | Thanks for reading ! Please send comments, suggestions and tips to serwin@spacenews.com | | | |  | | |
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