Highlights from the 2024 Spacepower Conference
 | | This week, SpaceNews journalists are reporting from the Space Force Association's Spacepower Conference, held in Orlando, Florida. We'll be bringing highlights to your inbox — for full coverage, go to SpaceNews.com. | | | | | By Sandra Erwin, Dec. 12, 2024 | | | | | The U.S. military is increasingly turning to commercial satellite companies to gain critical intelligence about potential threats in space, reflecting the growing role of the private sector in national security operations.
Speaking Dec. 11 at the Spacepower Conference, Gen. Stephen Whiting, head of U.S. Space Command, highlighted the recent expansion of the Commercial Integration Cell (CIC), a collaborative platform that has become a key mechanism for sharing sensitive information about space-based disruptions.
Established in 2015 as a pilot program, the CIC has grown from a small initiative to a more robust network now comprising 15 companies. These firms represent a mix of communications satellite operators and remote-sensing companies that operate Earth observation satellites. Read More | | | | | | More News From Spacepower | | | | | Space Force to test modular satellite technology in upcoming mission By Sandra Erwin
The U.S. Space Force plans to use a "plug and play" satellite interface developed by The Aerospace Corporation for an upcoming mission under its Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) program. The program seeks to validate technologies and tactics to shorten the timeline for launching payloads, such as surveillance sensors, into orbit. Read More
L3Harris ramps up satellite production in response to military demand By Sandra Erwin Defense contractor L3Harris, one of the primary contractors for the U.S. military's missile-tracking satellite constellation, is scaling up satellite manufacturing and is moving to automate the production of infrared sensor payloads, a senior company executive said. L3Harris, has secured orders for 38 satellites from the Space Development Agency (SDA) Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) program. The agency aims to deploy a Tracking Layer of hundreds of satellites in low Earth orbit to enhance missile detection and tracking capabilities. Read More
U.S. Space Force unit in Europe navigates critical satellite operations By Sandra Erwin A U.S. Space Force unit based at Ramstein Air Base in Germany serves as a pivotal coordinator of space-based intelligence and protection amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, highlighting the increasingly critical role of commercial and military satellite technologies in modern warfare. Brig. Gen. Jacob Middleton, commander of U.S. Space Forces Europe and Space Forces Africa, said that the U.S. has dramatically accelerated intelligence sharing, now delivering critical data to users within just 90 minutes. This rapid information flow comes with a significant caveat: adversaries are simultaneously working to disrupt communication networks. Read More
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