Who Controls The Military's New Surveillance Satellites? - SNTW

Top stories of the week from SpaceNews

A weekly roundup of the top SpaceNews stories from this week, every Friday Welcome to our weekly roundup! This week, argument over whether the military or intelligence community will control new target tracking satellites, Starlink on track for billions in revenue, Chang'e-6 enters lunar orbit and more. Our Top Story Military surveillance constellation fuels debate over who calls the shots By Sandra Erwin, May 8 2024 KISSIMMEE, Fla. — A debate is unfolding over who should control and task an ambitious new constellation of satellites designed to track moving targets on the ground being developed by the U.S. military and the intelligence community. Lt. Gen. David Miller, who leads the U.S. Space Force's Space Operations Command, said the new program known as Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) will be essential in future battles, as troops engaged in frontline combat need direct and unfiltered access to targeting data provided by these space-based sensors. And he insisted that military commanders, rather than intelligence officials, should be in charge of controlling and tasking the sensors. Other News From the Week COMMERCIAL Starlink soars: SpaceX's satellite internet surprises analysts with $6.6 billion revenue projection SpaceX's ambitious Starlink satellite network is exceeding expectations at a blistering pace, according to a new report by Quilty Space, a market research and consulting firm. Redwire announces second VLEO satellite platform Redwire Space is doubling down on interest in the emerging market for very low Earth orbit (VLEO) satellites by offering a second spacecraft platform from its European subsidiary. SabreSat: Redwire's vehicle to dart through very low Earth orbit SabreSat, Redwire Space's satellite for very low Earth orbit, looks more like a dart than a traditional spacecraft. Rocket Lab pushes back Neutron debut to 2025 As Rocket Lab prepares to begin tests of the first Archimedes engine for its Neutron launch vehicle, the company says that the rocket won't be ready for its first flight before the middle of 2025. CIVIL Chang'e-6 enters lunar orbit ahead of far side landing attempt China's Chang'e-6 lunar far side sample return spacecraft entered orbit around the moon late Tuesday, in another step towards collecting lunar samples. Livermore Lab to provide optical payload for U.S. Space Force mission A space imaging payload developed by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory was selected for a U.S. Space Force mission intended to test military capabilities to rapidly deploy satellites in response to threats in orbit, the lab announced May 8. China launches its first medium Earth orbit broadband satellites China launched the first satellites for a medium Earth orbit broadband constellation late Wednesday. OPINION Space Economics 101: Why the Math on Refueling Just Doesn't Add Up By Charles Beames, May 9 2024 The chief of space operations of the U.S. Space Force Gen. Chance Saltzman, told lawmakers at a recent hearing that the service is struggling with the math on satellite refueling. And we can't blame him. Congress has been advised many times of the national security imperatives for launching constellations to low Earth orbit (LEO) as quickly as the Space Force can, with the rising existential threat of China looming. A practical approach to the Mars Sample Return mission By Robert Zubrin The stakes of Space Race 2.0 could not be higher By Michelle Hanlon SpaceNews is committed to publishing our community's diverse perspectives. Whether you're an academic, executive, engineer or even just a concerned citizen of the cosmos, send your arguments and viewpoints to opinion@spacenews.com to be considered for publication online or in our next magazine. 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 USA Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe