SpaceWatch Global
• Joshua Faleti
AST SpaceMobile plans to build its own launch vehicle, described in coverage as a 20-ton rocket and named Blackbird or Blacklift, to deploy its direct-to-device satellite constellation. Firefly Aerospace will supply the engines under a reported $1.3 billion deal, as AST seeks greater control over access to orbit amid a constrained launch market.
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The U.S. Space Force selected Viasat under an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to design, field and scale a Mission Operations Center for the Space Data Network Backbone. The award has a maximum value of $450 million and covers operations for the emerging satellite communications network.
An opinion piece argues that Russia’s recent rendezvous and proximity operation (RPO) involving X36 may have let it characterize ICEYE’s radar in enough detail to develop a ground-based jammer or spoofer for use in Ukraine next year. The article presents that potential capability as the likely reason for the maneuver.
Ukrainian military intelligence says Russia is already using its Rassvet satellite network for military communications over Ukraine. The system, described as a domestic alternative to Starlink, is intended to improve the accuracy of Russian strike drones and make their communications harder to jam. Separate reporting on India’s satcom market is unrelated to this development.
NASA has selected three companies to advance to the next phase of an effort to develop a commercial replacement for its aging Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System constellation. The selection marks a step toward shifting a critical space communications service to commercial providers.
Trump officials said Elon Musk’s company donated Starlink satellite internet service. Records show the company also received nearly $1.2 million in Pentagon awards, complicating the characterization of the service as a gift and raising questions about the relationship between the donation and federal payments.
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AST SpaceMobile plans to build its own launch vehicle, described in coverage as a 20-ton rocket and named Blackbird or Blacklift, to deploy its direct-to-device satellite constellation. Firefly Aerospace will supply the engines under a reported $1.3 billion deal, as AST seeks greater control over access to orbit amid a constrained launch market.
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