National security insights for space professionals. Delivered Tuesdays.

Welcome to this week's edition of SpaceNews Military Space, your concise source for the latest developments at the intersection of space and national security. In this issue, we cover:

New satellite industry deals impact military supplier base
Transporter-11 mission expands Earth monitoring constellations
Nominations are open for SpaceNews' 2024 Icon Awards

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Space & defense brief 🛰️

Small-satellite industry deals announced last week could reshape the supplier base for the Space Development Agency's proliferated low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation program.

Lockheed Martin, one of SDA's main contractors, has moved to acquire Terran Orbital, a manufacturer of small satellite hardware.
Terran Orbital has been a key supplier of satellite buses to Lockheed Martin. However, the company has faced financial difficulties in recent years, prompting the defense giant to step in.
By acquiring Terran Orbital, Lockheed Martin secures a major supplier and integrates the company's satellite bus production capabilities directly into its operations. This acquisition comes at a pivotal moment as Lockheed Martin continues to fulfill multiple satellite contracts awarded by SDA in recent years.

The acquisition also coincides with Terran Orbital's recent selection as a prime contractor for SDA.

SDA on Friday announced that Terran Orbital would produce and operate 10 satellites for the agency's Transport Layer of communications satellites. This was Terran Orbital's first prime contract with SDA.
Lockheed Martin said Terran Orbital will remain the prime contractor for the 10-satellite program even after the acquisition is completed. Terran Orbital will then operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin.

Meanwhile, the space infrastructure company Redwire announced plans to acquire Hera Systems, a specialist in advanced spacecraft for aerospace and defense applications. This acquisition is part of Redwire's broader strategy to enhance its presence in defense programs.

Hera Systems last year announced a partnership with LeoStella to jointly bid for SDA satellite contracts. This alliance was aimed at addressing the challenges smaller manufacturers face in scaling up to meet large orders from agencies like the SDA.
For SDA, which is focused on rapidly deploying the military's LEO constellation, these deals could lead to increased efficiency in satellite production.
However, as the Pentagon has warned, the integration of smaller, specialized companies into larger defense contractors may also reduce competition and innovation.

SpaceX's Transporter-11 mission, launched on Friday, successfully deployed 116 small satellites into low Earth orbit, including a large number of Earth imaging satellites operated by commercial and government agencies.

Planet launched 36 SuperDove satellites and its first hyperspectral satellite, Tanager-1, aimed at monitoring greenhouse gas emissions.
Sateliot, a Spanish IoT startup that deployed its first four operational satellites.
Kuva Space, a Finnish company, sent its first hyperspectral satellite, Hyperfield-1, as part of a planned 100-satellite constellation.
The UAE's first Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite was launched in partnership with Iceye.
The European Space Agency launched satellites for improving Arctic weather forecasting and demonstrating AI applications in Earth observation.
Spire Global deployed seven satellites for monitoring soil moisture and weather forecasting.
Umbra launched two SAR satellites for high-resolution Earth imaging, expanding its constellation to eight.
Hydrosat launched its first satellite, VanZyl-1, for high-resolution thermal imagery.
Lemu Nge, launched by the Chilean company Lemu, is dedicated to observing Earth's biodiversity, particularly wetlands in Chile.
Satellogic added three satellites to its Earth imaging constellation.
HawkEye 360 launched its Cluster 10 consisting of three satellites, augmenting the company's constellation to 31 radio frequency monitoring satellites.
Unseenlabs launched its first satellites, BRO-14 and BRO-15, with radio frequency detection technology aimed at monitoring maritime activities.

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In other news 🚀

Amid widespread skepticism about space arms control treaties, a fresh approach is needed to overcome historical obstacles to such agreements, according to a new study by the Aerospace Corporation's Center for Space Policy and Strategy.

The report addresses one of the central challenges in space arms control: the difficulty of monitoring compliance with potential agreements. This issue is compounded by the ambiguity surrounding what constitutes a "space weapon" given the dual-use nature of many space technologies.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched a pair of Maxar Intelligence imaging satellites last week from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.

The mission named Maxar-2 is the second of three launches needed to deliver the company's constellation of six WorldView Legion high-resolution imaging satellites.

These are the first Maxar satellites launched into mid-inclination orbit.

Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics announced a strategic partnership to produce solid rocket motors, aiming to address critical supply chain shortages in the defense industry.

Under the agreement, General Dynamics manufacture rocket motors designed by Lockheed Martin for the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System, a GPS-guided artillery rocket system used by the U.S. military and allies for long-range fire support.

Production is expected to commence in 2025 at General Dynamics' facility in Camden, Arkansas.

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