The War Zone
• Joseph Trevithick
The head of U.S. Space Command says American space assets must be able to “shoot, move, and communicate” alongside the broader joint force, signaling a heightened emphasis on offensive and survivable capabilities in military space operations.
Space Defense & Militarization
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The head of U.S. Space Command says American space assets must be able to “shoot, move, and communicate” alongside the broader joint force, signaling a heightened emphasis on offensive and survivable capabilities in military space operations.
Space Kinetic announced a $50 million Other Transaction Authority award from the U.S. Space Force to develop Whirlwind, a space maneuverability and deployment system. The award places the company in a Space Force effort focused on improving spacecraft movement and payload deployment in orbit.
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Astranis has unveiled Perceptor, a spacecraft designed to monitor satellite activity and maneuver around other objects in geostationary orbit. The company is expanding from communications satellites into space-domain awareness, targeting an increasingly contested orbital environment and addressing surveillance challenges it encountered with existing technology.
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.
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