Lt. Gen. Philip A. Garrant became the second ever leader of Space Systems Command on Feb. 1, pledging to align the Space Force’s main acquisition arm with the visions of Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman and Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall.
For decades, the Space Force and the Air Force before it have had a tried-and-true method: massive, costly satellites are sent into orbit by launches that have been planned for months. Once there, those satellites mostly stay put in their orbits, preserving as much fuel ...
The Space Force’s main acquisition arm, Space Systems Command, announced Nov. 27 it has completed the critical design review for six satellites built by Millennium Space Systems that will go in medium-Earth orbit (MEO), clearing the way to start production ahead of a first scheduled ...
Up-to-date information on the weather is important for many people’s jobs. For the Air Force and the broader U.S. military, it can be absolutely critical. Key to formulating that weather information are a small number of satellites from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP)—which dates ...
The Space Force aims to boost its National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program from 12 launches in fiscal 2023 to 21 missions in 2024, with United Launch Alliance (ULA) responsible for 11 missions and SpaceX handling 10.
A month after revealing plans for prototype “Integrated Mission Deltas” to put operations and sustainment under one roof, Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman announced the creation of corresponding acquisition units called “System Deltas.” The new organizations are part of Saltzman’s push to align ...
Last month, more than five years of collaboration between National Reconnaissance Office and the U.S. Space Force culminated in the launch of their SILENTBARKER satellites, which will track objects and monitor activity in geosynchronous orbit. Now, the two organizations hope to use that same template of ...
The Space Force is bolstering its satellite network—and its ties to SpaceX—with a $70 million contract for the company’s new Starshield service. Starshield, often described as a government equivalent to SpaceX’s Starlink network, is made up of satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO) and will provide ...
The Space Force set a scorching new record Sept. 14 when it launched a satellite into orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., just 27 hours after receiving launch orders.
The Space Force is launching two prototype “integrated mission deltas” to bridge the gap between operations and sustainment, Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman announced Sept. 12.
The Space Force is expanding its effort to be able to launch a satellite into orbit on a moment’s notice, with help from the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit. The two organizations put out a solicitation to industry Aug. 24 for its next “tactically responsive space” mission, ...
The Space Force declared “mission complete” for one of its space surveillance satellites and took it off operational status last month, ahead of another satellite joining the constellation next year. The Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program provides the Space Force with the ability to track and ...