Reuters
• Cassell Bryan-Low, Joey Roulette
A Russian military satellite that approached a Western commercial spacecraft last month may have been rehearsing an attack, a military space specialist said. Two related Russian craft are now heading toward another Western satellite, renewing concern over the potential threat to commercial spacecraft in orbit.
Space Defense & Militarization
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A Russian military satellite that approached a Western commercial spacecraft last month may have been rehearsing an attack, a military space specialist said. Two related Russian craft are now heading toward another Western satellite, renewing concern over the potential threat to commercial spacecraft in orbit.
In an election-night proclamation, President Trump described space as a frontier for all humanity while declaring “American space superiority for all eternity.” He asserted a U.S. right to develop and settle the solar system under American law, placing national authority at the center of his vision for space.
High activity
Goldman Sachs and Apollo Global Management are discussing sales of portions of a roughly $40 billion financing deal tied to SpaceX’s chips, with reported investor stakes of up to $500 million ahead of formal syndication. The effort comes as the AI boom faces potential disruption after a sweeping Democratic victory.
The Pentagon has committed $150 million in financing to support LeoLabs’ radar expansion. The announcement identifies a substantial defense-backed investment in the company’s space radar infrastructure, though the available report provides no details on the expansion’s scope, locations or schedule.
After visiting Buckley Space Force Base as acting defense secretary, the author says seeing the domain’s contested character firsthand changed an abstract understanding into a visceral one. The argument: U.S. space capabilities and the industrial base supporting them must be built for space’s role in warfighting.
Shield Space is developing swarms of up to 100 autonomous cubesats intended to defend Western satellites in orbit. The U.K. startup is applying lessons from drone warfare in Ukraine to the effort, with the proposed spacecraft described as capable of firing lasers.
Space industry CISOs discussed a service disruption that cut Ukrainian forces off from Starlink and its military variant, Starshield, during combat operations with Russia. Speaking at CyberSat, they called for clearer service terms and greater sovereign control over critical satellite connectivity.
From orbital missile interceptors to satellites designed to track enemy aircraft, military space ambitions are moving toward a critical demonstration point. The 2028 imperative is to turn concepts into working systems, testing whether proposed capabilities can deliver operational value rather than remain plans on paper.
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