FCC proposes to ease direct satellite-to-phone communications

FCC proposes to ease direct satellite-to-phone communications
FCC proposes to ease direct satellite-to-phone communications

While DoD interested in the potential of satellite-to-wireless, government, military and industry officials speaking at Satellite 2023 recognized there also are a number of challenges for military operators.

Space Force to launch ‘marketplace’ for satellite-to-cellular communications services

Space Force to launch ‘marketplace’ for satellite-to-cellular communications services
Space Force to launch ‘marketplace’ for satellite-to-cellular communications services

The plan is for Space Systems Command’s Commercial Satellite Communications Office to set up a contracting vehicle that allows military users to buy satellite-direct-to-cellular communications capability as a service, said Clare Grason, who heads that office.

Space Force FY24 request likely to jump by billions, but lawmakers may balk: Analyst

Space Force FY24 request likely to jump by billions, but lawmakers may balk: Analyst
Space Force FY24 request likely to jump by billions, but lawmakers may balk: Analyst

While there’s broad support on the Hill for space operations, long-time space budget guru Mike Tierney says language in recent policy and appropriations bills suggests lawmakers want Space Force and the Pentagon to “show their work.”

New DoD SATCOM plan seeks to establish a modernized, ‘holistic’ network

New DoD SATCOM plan seeks to establish a modernized, ‘holistic’ network
New DoD SATCOM plan seeks to establish a modernized, ‘holistic’ network

The new plan is broken down into three imperatives: integrating data management, automating resource allocation and fusing situational awareness. 

Army kicks off SATCOM-as-a-service pilot to increase soldier connectivity

Army kicks off SATCOM-as-a-service pilot to increase soldier connectivity
Army kicks off SATCOM-as-a-service pilot to increase soldier connectivity

The Army believes that by moving to a “managed service” model for satellite communications, it will be able to “keep up with new solutions as they come out,” Col. Shane Taylor tells Breaking Defense.

Sapphire in the sky: Space domain awareness is Canadian space commander’s top priority

Sapphire in the sky: Space domain awareness is Canadian space commander’s top priority
Sapphire in the sky: Space domain awareness is Canadian space commander’s top priority

“Sapphire has done yeoman’s service for us. It is beyond end of life, but keeps chugging away like the Energizer Bunny. And, and every day that it has a hiccup, I go, ‘Not today, not today,'” said Brig. Gen. Mike Adamson.

Give JADC2 to Space Force, along with ASAT weapons: Mitchell report

Give JADC2 to Space Force, along with ASAT weapons: Mitchell report
Give JADC2 to Space Force, along with ASAT weapons: Mitchell report

“We may say that we don’t want to, and we stand behind not doing, kinetic debris creating testing, but that does not mean that we should not have that capability,” said Mitchell Institute Senior Fellow for Spacepower Studies Tim Ryan.

A Musk monopoly? For now, Ukraine has few options outside Starlink for battlefield satcoms

A Musk monopoly? For now, Ukraine has few options outside Starlink for battlefield satcoms
A Musk monopoly? For now, Ukraine has few options outside Starlink for battlefield satcoms

“I think everyone agrees that if there’s a reasonable cost-based argument that paying for use does make sense,” industry analyst Tim Farrar said. But “I think Elon has made that more difficult rather than less difficult because you don’t normally negotiate your weapons contracts on Twitter.”

Aalyria envisions communications revolution for Earth, the Moon and beyond

Aalyria envisions communications revolution for Earth, the Moon and beyond
Aalyria envisions communications revolution for Earth, the Moon and beyond

“I think what people will find is that this type of advancement, going from ground-to-space, changes the whole space economy,” Aalyria’s CEO Chris Taylor said. “I think it’s going to be monumental.”

York scores SDA contract worth up to $200M for experimental communications satellites

York scores SDA contract worth up to $200M for experimental communications satellites
York scores SDA contract worth up to $200M for experimental communications satellites

SDA will decide next March whether the UHF- and SHF-band payloads being tested by T1DES should be integrated into its next iteration of Transport Layer data relay satellites.

ATLAS Space: A ‘Netflix’ for satellite ground operations software

ATLAS Space: A ‘Netflix’ for satellite ground operations software
ATLAS Space: A ‘Netflix’ for satellite ground operations software

“We are a ground software service provider,” ATLAS Space co-founder Mike Carey told Breaking Defense. “We’ve come up with a very modern, cloud-based, scalable secure platform by which any number of antennas can be brought in.”

Dangerous, expanding satellite population poses policy challenges to US government

Dangerous, expanding satellite population poses policy challenges to US government
Dangerous, expanding satellite population poses policy challenges to US government

“We need to address space debris so that space is sustainable and remains a working environment,” Ezinne Uzo-Okoro, assistant director for space policy at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), said today.

‘On the table’: Hicks says DoD, IC considering indemnifying commercial space providers

‘On the table’: Hicks says DoD, IC considering indemnifying commercial space providers
‘On the table’: Hicks says DoD, IC considering indemnifying commercial space providers

“[T]he IC Commercial Space Council is discussing commercial protection right now. We had a meeting on Tuesday, and it came up,” said NGA’s David Gauthier, who chairs the council.

Space Force should heed Ukraine lessons as it revamps structure: CSO nominee Saltzman

Space Force should heed Ukraine lessons as it revamps structure: CSO nominee Saltzman
Space Force should heed Ukraine lessons as it revamps structure: CSO nominee Saltzman

The Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing for Gen. Chance Saltzman as the next, and second, Space Force chief was free of major fireworks — suggesting an easy ‘yea’ vote.