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Tuesday, September 14, 2021

NATIONAL SECURITY INSIGHTS FOR  SPACE PROFESSIONALS

ICYMI: Catch up on the news from last week's SATELLITE 2021 conference

IN TODAY'S MILITARY SPACE BRIEF

  • U.S. Space Force to provide security for commercial activities 
  • Former NRO principal deputy director Frank Cavelli joins Booz Allen
  • Why top aerospace firms are investing in satellite servicing startup

THE CHIEF OF THE U.S. SPACE FORCE  Gen. John “Jay” Raymond admits that one of the questions he is asked a lot is whether Space Force guardians will one day be going to outer space to fight aliens.

There are still people who think that even though “that clearly is not our mission,” Raymond said on Monday at a New America virtual conference. 

For now the Space Force is focused on defending satellites from missiles, jammers, lasers and other weapons the Pentagon predicts will be aimed at U.S. constellations in a future conflict. But as the space economy progresses and more humans begin to venture into deep space, the military’s mission is likely to evolve and grow, Raymond said. 

“There's going to be more of a human presence in space,” he said. “Which then brings up the question of what is the role of the military in securing that domain to allow economic development, to allow exploration, and to allow stability.”

Raymond envisions a future when the Space Force will be in a role similar to what the Navy does in the maritime domain securing sea lanes. The Space Force would be patrolling orbits to ensure they are safe for passage. 

That future is likely decades away. But Raymond suggested that the next generation of Space Force leaders has to start thinking and preparing for these scenarios. 

Space Force professionals “will have to have a broader and deeper understanding of all the different sectors of space, whether it be national security space, international space, commercial space and civil space,” he said. “We all operate in the same domain. And the challenge that we see is that space is becoming way more congested … with pretty much every aspect of space having a commercially viable path.”

During a Q&A with New America's Peter Singer, Raymond also talked about space technology. He identified small satellites and space data analytics as the most transformational technology trends he sees today in the space industry.

 
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BOOZ ALLEN HAMILTON hired former National Reconnaissance Office official Frank Calvelli as senior vice president of the company’s intelligence and space business.

The cybersecurity of space systems will be a major focus for Calvelli, he tells SpaceNews

Calvelli shared a few thoughts on space and cybersecurity:

  • DoD and the intelligence community are going to increasingly rely on commercial space systems for intelligence, navigation and communications. The government has to ensure hybrid networks — that connect military and commercial satellites — have adequate cyber defenses. 
  • Artificial technology and machine learning are going to be key tools to protect space networks from hackers. AI/ML enabled software helps identify unauthorized users of networks. 
  • The challenge for the government is how to integrate the capabilities provided by commercial systems, and “safely and securely provide actionable insights.”
  • The government needs to consider all segments as an integrated architecture, especially when it comes to space protection. “When we start to look across segments as an integrated architecture, we will begin to achieve the innovation we need to stay ahead of our adversaries.”

LOCKHEED MARTIN and NORTHROP GRUMMAN are raising their bets on satellite servicing technology. Both firms announced they're making investments in the commercial space venture Orbit Fab that is developing “gas stations in space."

Orbit Fab’s first product is a fueling port to allow satellites to be refueled in orbit. The company’s planned architecture includes a system of tankers and fuel tenders in low Earth orbit, geostationary orbit and cislunar space.

Paul Pelley, of Lockheed Martin Space, said the ability to refuel a satellite on orbit is a “critical component for our customers’ missions because it allows them greater maneuverability and can extend the life of a mission.”

The investment in Orbit Fab is another sign of Lockheed's growing interest in satellite servicing. It announced in August it will launch a demonstration called Lockheed Martin In-space Upgrade Satellite System, designed to show how cubesats could be deployed to upgrade satellites.

Lockheed recently introduced a docking adapter — called Augmentation System Port Interface — to be used in the LM 2100 satellite bus that the company supplies to the Defense Department for the Global Positioning System program. The adapter would make it easier to update sensors or retrofit components after launch. 

Northrop Grumman, meanwhile, has two Mission Extension Vehicles in orbit providing station-keeping services for two Intelsat satellites that were running low on fuel. 

SPACEX TO LAUNCH ALL-CIVILIAN CREW

A SpaceX Falcon 9 is scheduled to launch on Wednesday a Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying four civilians who have never been to space. On the Inspiration4 mission are (clockwise) Jared Isaacman, Hayley Arceneaux, Chris Sembroski, and Sian Proctor. They will spend three days in orbit. The mission is intended to raise funds for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Credit: Inspiration4/John Kraus

 
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WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

THE DEFENSE INNOVATION UNIT issued a call for bids for small nuclear-powered engines for space missions beyond Earth orbit. DoD wants “lightweight, portable and long-duration power sources that can support propulsion and on-station power for sensing and communication on small- and medium-sized spacecraft,” says the solicitation. DIU says electric and solar-based propulsion systems are too bulky for use on modern commercial spacecraft. Submissions are due Sept. 23. 

GEOSPATIAL DATA PROVIDER BLACKSKY on Friday began trading on the New York Stock Exchange. A merger with a special purpose acquisition company unleashed $283 million in capital that the company plans to spend to hire people, build and launch satellites, and develop more advanced data analytics software. BlackSky projects to earn $40 million this year and is forecasting to more than double that amount next year.

LAUNCH INDUSTRY EXECUTIVES PREDICT a surge of demand, primarily from satellite megaconstellations. “There is a wave coming from ’24 to ’28. There is another wave of constellation deployment that is coming. We’re going to see a huge rush for launch capacity in that time period,” said Clay Mowry, vice president of global sales at Blue Origin. ULA’s CEO Tory Bruno said there’s room in the market for three large launch providers, two small ones and one air-launch.

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SN Military.Space is published Tuesdays by SpaceNews Staff Writer Sandra Erwin and Editor-in-Chief Brian Berger.

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