National security insights for space professionals. Delivered Tuesdays.

In this week's edition:

• Chinese rocket breakup puts debris back in spotlight

• Army prepares for space-based warfare

• Arctic broadband mission finally in orbit

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Today's highlights:

China's latest satellite deployment has sparked fresh worries about the space debris problem in low Earth orbit.

China earlier this month launched 18 G60 satellites as part of an ambitious mega-constellation of thousands of spacecraft planned by Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology. But an issue with the Long March 6A rocket's upper stage resulted in a significant debris-generating event.
Shortly after the deployment of the satellites, the upper stage disintegrated at an altitude of approximately 810 kilometers.
LeoLabs, a leading space tracking company, reported that radar data showed at least 700 debris fragments from this single event, with the potential for over 900 pieces.
Slingshot Aerospace, another space monitoring firm, has identified more than 50 debris fragments that pose a substantial threat to LEO satellite constellations operating below 800 km altitude.
The launch marks the first deployment for the Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology. The Thousand Sails constellation is expected to initially consist of 1,296 satellites, with plans to expand to approximately 14,000 to rival SpaceX's Starlink network.

Audrey Schaffer, vice president of strategy and policy at Slingshot Aerospace, warned, "If even a fraction of the launches needed to field this Chinese mega-constellation generate as much debris as this first launch, the result would be a notable addition to the space debris population in LEO."

This isn't the first time China's Long March 6 rocket has been associated with debris generation in LEO. A similar incident occurred in November 2022, resulting in hundreds of debris objects.

The U.S. Army is taking steps to prepare for a new era of space-based warfare, drawing valuable lessons from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Col. Princeton Wright, who manages space and high-altitude capabilities at the Army's Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC), put it succinctly: "The war in Ukraine has given us a stark warning: the character of war is changing."
The conflict has highlighted the effectiveness of modern electronic warfare, especially with Russia using jamming systems and other disruptive technologies. U.S. military planners are now gearing up for situations where American forces might find themselves in environments where reliable satellite communications and navigation are no longer guaranteed.

To tackle these challenges, the Army is adopting a two-pronged strategy.

First, it plans to work closely with other military branches to develop tactics and technologies that can protect U.S. satellite signals from potential disruptions.
Second, the Army is exploring offensive capabilities that could deny adversaries access to their own satellite networks during conflicts. This includes looking into tactical lasers to disrupt enemy imaging satellites and considering high-altitude platforms, like drones or balloons, equipped with jammers to interfere with navigation signals.

Additionally, the Army is contemplating the creation of a dedicated space career field for enlisted soldiers. This move would allow soldiers to specialize in space operations, rather than rotating back to their original career paths after a single tour.

Lt. Gen. Sean Gainey, commander of the Army's Space and Missile Defense Command, is a strong advocate for this initiative, as it could significantly expand the Army's pool of space experts.

SpaceX on Sunday night launched two satellites for the Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission (ASBM), which aims to improve communications in the northern latitudes.

The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, deploying the satellites built by Northrop Grumman into a highly elliptical orbit designed to provide coverage over the North Pole and other high-latitude regions.

The ASBM satellites carry the Enhanced Polar System-Recapitalization (EPS-R) payload, billed as the first operational U.S. military payload hosted on a commercial satellite operated by an international partner.

Troy Brashear, Northrop Grumman's vice president of satellite missions, said there is a rising demand for reliable communications in areas that traditional geostationary satellites cannot effectively serve, especially as the Arctic gaining geopolitical clout for its natural resources and shipping routes.

In the new episode of the SpaceNews Leading Women in Space series, correspondent Debra Werner speaks with Gabrielle Carlisle, Vice President, Manufacturing, Supply Chain & Logistics, Millennium Space Systems, a Boeing company.

In other news 🚀

Viasat, a provider of satellite communications services, raised annual revenue expectations amid strong government and aviation broadband business growth.

The improved outlook comes after revenues were boosted by a 37% increase in sales from Viasat's Defense and Advanced Technologies business unit.

Firefly Aerospace has won a contract from L3Harris for as many as 20 launches of its Alpha rocket over five years.

The contract is for between two and four launches annually from 2027 through 2031 — in addition to an earlier deal between the companies for three Alpha launches in 2026.

The companies did not disclose the satellites that L3Harris would be launching on Alpha. The rocket, currently operating from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, can place up to one metric ton into low Earth orbit.

BAE Systems secured a $48 million contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to further develop an existing data analytics platform used by military intelligence analysts.

The contract is to add new features and enhancements to a data analytics platform called Insight. AFRL wants to improve the system's capabilities to integrate and analyze data from multiple sources, including sensors, satellites, drones, and human intelligence.

The tools are aimed at simplifying the work of intelligence analysts who previously processed massive volumes of complex data manually.

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