Reuters
• Lucy Craymer
New Zealand’s security agency said it disrupted an attempt by a Chinese state-linked observatory to establish satellite-tracking infrastructure in the country. The case, highlighted in the agency’s annual assessment, underscores growing concern over foreign espionage activity and the strategic value of space-monitoring sites.
Space Defense & Militarization
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New Zealand’s security agency said it disrupted an attempt by a Chinese state-linked observatory to establish satellite-tracking infrastructure in the country. The case, highlighted in the agency’s annual assessment, underscores growing concern over foreign espionage activity and the strategic value of space-monitoring sites.
The U.S. Space Force awarded Impulse Space a $28 million SBIR Phase III contract extension for VICTUS SALO 2 and 3. The two missions will expand demonstrations of tactically responsive space operations, in-space maneuvering and space-domain awareness for military operators.
U.S. Space Command has identified offensive space capabilities and systems to counter proliferated low Earth orbit constellations as its two highest-priority capability needs for fiscal years 2029 through 2033. The ranking highlights perceived gaps in preparing for future conflict in space, according to Gen. Stephen Whiting.
DARPA is soliciting radical concepts for a next-generation hypersonic cruise missile, emphasizing affordable, scalable production and the ability to penetrate adversary air defenses. In parallel, Boeing unveiled an IFPC Increment 2 interceptor design, while Lockheed Martin introduced shared sensor technologies and a modular payload system for future missile bodies.
Lt. Col. Rick Zellman, deputy commander of US Space Command, identified directed-energy weapons, cyberattacks and strikes on communications hubs as potential means of disabling large satellite constellations. His remarks underscore both the vulnerability of space-based networks and the emerging military interest in laser systems.
High activity
The Pentagon says President Donald Trump’s $185 billion Golden Dome missile-defense initiative has established its first operational site at Fort Story, Virginia, and completed two key tests. Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein warned that without continued funding—and a solution to a potential 2027 cliff—the program will stop.
A bipartisan pair of senators has introduced the Space Superiority Readiness Act, legislation aimed at ensuring the U.S. military is prepared for a potential conflict with Beijing in orbit. The bill signals continued congressional focus on strengthening America’s space-war readiness and strategic posture.
The U.S. Space Force has selected Voyager Technologies for a development award focused on space-to-space communications. The effort adds to the service’s work on communications capabilities designed to support connectivity between spacecraft in orbit, though the announcement does not disclose the award’s value, timeline or technical specifications.
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