AeroTime
• Ian Molyneaux
Ukrainian officials have rejected Elon Musk’s allegation that the military used Starlink for offensive drone strikes in violation of the service’s terms. Kyiv argues commercial Starlink’s limitations prevent its use for medium- and long-range strikes, keeping the dispute focused on how the satellite network is being used in the war.
Space Defense & Militarization
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Ukrainian officials have rejected Elon Musk’s allegation that the military used Starlink for offensive drone strikes in violation of the service’s terms. Kyiv argues commercial Starlink’s limitations prevent its use for medium- and long-range strikes, keeping the dispute focused on how the satellite network is being used in the war.
The U.S. Space Force has reassigned a next-generation missile-warning satellite and a payload stack for an experimental cislunar surveillance mission from United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan to SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy. The moves are part of a broader reshuffling of military launches prompted by Vulcan delays.
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Ukraine’s defense minister said military Starlink service was working normally again after restrictions that limited some drone operations, including interception of Russian attack drones. The disruption has renewed efforts by U.S. allies to develop alternatives to SpaceX’s satellite network, which has been critical to Ukraine’s wartime communications.
China plans to use a Lanyue lunar lander cargo flight to demonstrate the vehicle’s ability to reach the surface before taikonauts fly aboard. The mission will carry items weighing no more than 50 kilograms, providing a pre-crewed test of the lander as part of China’s crewed Moon plans.
Washington says a Russian military satellite with an undisclosed mission moved close to a U.S.-registered satellite linked to Ukraine last week, describing the approach as deliberate. The episode highlights the growing strategic stakes around satellites supporting Ukraine and the risks posed by close approaches in orbit.
The Space Force plans to buy electronic-warfare equipment beyond its units’ routine needs to prepare for losses in conflict. Separately, the Army is targeting 2027 experiments to network space-warfare systems for remote operation, while the Pentagon aims to field an initial capability for cislunar space by late 2029.
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