Top Stories of the Week From SpaceNews
View in Browser | Welcome to our weekly roundup of the top SpaceNews stories of the week, brought to you every Friday! This week, the National Space Council assures a smooth transition in new space export reforms, Viasat and Rocket Lab both announce initiatives to better compete with SpaceX, the military expands both civil and commercial partnerships in space, and more. | | |
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By Sandra Erwin, Nov. 7, 2024 |
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Recently announced export control reforms affecting space systems and space technologies are moving into the next phase of discussion and implementation, and a change in administration should not impact the process, said Chirag Parikh, executive secretary of the National Space Council.
Speaking on Nov. 6 at a meeting hosted by the Commerce Department to discuss the new space export control reforms, Parikh said these rules aim to modernize export regulations, reduce controls on less sensitive space-related items, boost the competitiveness of the U.S. space industrial base and international space partnerships.
One of the priorities of the Biden administration, he said, has been to "enable a competitive and burgeoning U.S. commercial space sector, and provide clarity on regulatory matters as well as export control matters." Read More |
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Viasat seeking Telesat LEO capacity as Starlink competition mounts Geostationary operator Viasat is in advanced talks to buy broadband capacity from Telesat's future low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites as competition from Starlink is set to intensify in the incoming Trump Administration. Mark Dankberg, Viasat's CEO and chair, disclosed the negotiations during a Nov. 6 earnings call with analysts, where he also said the company is exploring strategic alternatives for parts of its business. Read More
Vast signs agreement with Czech government
Vast announced Nov. 8 that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Czech Ministry of Transport to explore potential partnerships on future flights by the company as well as support for the Czech space industry. The agreement could enable a flight to the ISS by Aleš Svoboda, one of 12 reserve astronauts selected by the European Space Agency in November 2022. Read More
Anuvu looks to HEO to upgrade inflight Wi-Fi The U.S. mobile connectivity specialist announced a partnership last week with D-Orbit USA to explore plans for 16 spacecraft in highly elliptical orbit (HEO), which would turbocharge broadband speeds for airlines using polar routes to shorten flight times. Read More
Virgin Galactic seeks to raise $300M to accelerate growth of spaceplane fleet In a Nov. 6 earnings call to discuss the suborbital spaceflight company's third quarter financial results, Virgin Galactic executives said that while work on the first two Delta-class spaceplanes remains on budget and schedule, they see an opportunity to raise money to add vehicles to the fleet sooner than previously planned. Read More | | |
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| | Rocket Lab confirms plan to bid for Pentagon launch contracts with new medium rocket Despite ongoing questions about Neutron's readiness and the state of its launch infrastructure, Rocket Lab is aiming to chip away at SpaceX's dominance in military space launch, confirming its bid to compete for Pentagon contracts with its new medium-lift rocket Neutron. Rocket Lab would enter the NSSL competition at a time when the military is eager for fresh launch providers to address growing national security demands. Read More
SpaceX plans next Starship flight for mid-November The company announced Nov. 6 that it was planning the sixth integrated Starship/Super Heavy flight from its Starbase facility at Boca Chica, Texas, for the afternoon of Nov. 18. The announcement coincided with the release of airspace restrictions for the flight attempt by the Federal Aviation Administration. Read More | | |
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 | MILITARY |
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| Japan, Poland to join U.S. military satellite network Japan and Poland are set to gain access to the U.S. military's Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) satellite network, marking a strategic expansion of the system that currently supports the United States and several other partner nations. The WGS satellites, built by Boeing and operated by the U.S. Space Force, provide high-capacity communication services for military operations. Read More
U.S. Space Command expands intelligence-sharing program with commercial firms U.S. Space Command announced Nov. 6 it is expanding its commercial intelligence-sharing initiative, adding five new companies to The Commercial Integration Cell (CIC), which helps coordinate responses to space threats and satellite anomalies. They are Earth observation company Blacksky, space intelligence contractor Kratos, space tracking firm LeoLabs, radar satellite operator Iceye and satellite communications provider Telesat. Read More
Australia abandons $5 billion geostationary satellite program to explore 'multi-orbit' options The Australian Department of Defence announced the cancellation of its JP9102 military satellite program, an estimated $5 billion project awarded to Lockheed Martin just 18 months ago, citing shifts in satellite technology and the market's pivot toward multi-orbit space communications. Read More | | |
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| | OPINION |
|  | By Kendall Marston, Nov. 7, 2024
| Imagine strolling down the streets on a peaceful night in Honolulu and breathing in the fresh salt sea air. Feel the tiny detonation of air pressure as an orange glow lights up the cloud cover far out over the ocean. What could it be? As you wonder, the closest streetlight winks out.
Months before the Cuban Missile Crisis, the United States lit up the skies of the Pacific with its first nuclear test in outer space: Starfish Prime. Its electromagnetic pulse and radiation damaged multiple satellites in orbit and knocked out electrical appliances in Honolulu (some 900 miles from the detonation point), clearly demonstrating the catastrophic potential of nuclear weapons in outer space. A year later, the U.S. and the Soviet Union signed the Partial Test Ban Treaty, formally making nuclear weapons in outer space taboo.
Earlier this year, reports of Russia developing a nuclear-armed anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons system raised alarms. Such an act could begin a new nuclear arms race and bring outer space to the brink of catastrophe. To prevent this, the U.S. should initiate the development of a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) with clauses that explicitly outline a nuclear weapon-free outer space and ban nuclear-armed ASAT weapons. Read More Restoring NASA's original mission By David Steitz Five years of the Space Force's strategic progress By Joshua C. Huminski
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