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General Chance Saltzman now Chief of Space Operations for the United State Space Force

Gen. Chance Saltzman assumes command of the Space Force by accepting the flag from Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall at the transition ceremony for the Chief of Space Operations at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Gen. Chance Saltzman relieved Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond as the second CSO, the senior uniformed officer heading the Space Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Andy Morataya)

Gen. Chance Saltzman has assumed the responsibility of the U.S. Space Force by accepting the flag from Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall at the transition ceremony for the Chief of Space Operations at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

Pledging to build on the Space Force’s achievements while also infusing the nascent service with new approaches, Gen. B. Chance Saltzman was officially installed November 2 as Chief of Space Operations, the service’s highest-ranking military post and only the second person to hold the position in the Space Force’s history.

Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman speaks at the transition ceremony for the chief of space operations at Joint Base Andrews. (U.S. Air Force photo by Andy Morataya)

Saltzman praised Raymond for doing “the heavy lifting to establish the Space Force,” for being a mentor and for setting the Space Force on a path on which Saltzman can build. He also thanked his wife Jennifer, his two children and a long list of other, unnamed friends and colleagues who he said comprised the “bedrock of support” across his career.

In addition to Raymond, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, Department of the Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, took part in the ceremony. As CSO, Saltzman will join Milley and as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III (left) and Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall in the background, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman renders a salute during his transition ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. (U.S. Air Force photo by Andy Morataya)

In remarks during a solemn “Change of Responsibility” ceremony in which he was elevated to the job from retiring CSO, Gen. John “Jay” Raymond, Saltzman promised to “work relentlessly to make the Space Force the combat-ready force that our nation needs” while acknowledging it “will not be an easy or short-lived task. You have my commitment that I will work relentlessly to make the Space Force the combat-ready force that our nation needs, so get ready because I’m going to need your best as well,” he added, referring to the cadre of nearly 15,000 Guardians and civilians who currently comprise the Space Force. Saltzman said he will rely on them to continue building the Space Force and ensuring that it succeeds. “My goal will be to provide you the resources, tools, training and experiences you need to unlock your massive potential.”

In his remarks, Austin praised Raymond’s service and his work guiding the Space Force since its creation. He called Saltzman a worthy and capable successor. “There is no one better to take the helm than Gen. Chance Saltzman. For the past two years he’s helped this new service get off the ground as a Deputy Chief of Space Operations. So we’re lucky to have Gen. Saltzman take the colors today. The world is becoming increasingly dangerous and preserving U.S. national security interests in space is growing harder every day. Without the space capabilities you are designing, building, protecting, and operating, the Joint Force will not be capable of accomplishing its missions. A resilient, ready, and combat-credible Space Force is indispensable to deterrence today, tomorrow, and every day after that. In the worst case, if deterrence fails, the Space Force will be an indispensable component of our joint force at war.”

Guests salute for the national anthem during the transition ceremony for the chief of space operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich)

Commissioned in 1991 after graduating from Boston University, he has deep operational experience with missile and space systems as a Minuteman III launch officer and as a satellite operator for the National Reconnaissance Office. He also served as the first Chief of Combat Plans for the Joint Space Operations Center, and later, as Chief of Combat Operations.

Despite its small size compared to the other military services, the Space Force’s strategic importance is beyond dispute. Saltzman pledged to build on Raymond’s accomplishments. “The inspired work that General Raymond started has set us on a path,” Saltzman told the Senate Armed Services Committee on September 13 during his confirmation hearing. “It is a path towards advanced capabilities, modern, resilient architectures, and innovative approaches to meet our service missions.”

Saltzman inherits a Space Force as it continues its transition from the early planning and organizational phases required to form the first new branch of the military since 1947 to one that focuses more on the Department of the Air Force’s operational imperatives.

There are now 72 countries actively operating in space. That number is growing as the cost of launching vehicles into space is falling to the point that more nations, along with many commercial enterprises, are jumping in. As congestion in space increases, so too are the intentions for being there. All of that is raising the stakes for being able to operate freely and without threat in space.

Gen. Chance Saltzman (right) assumes command of the Space Force during a transition ceremony for the Chief of Space Operations at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland(U.S. Air Force photo by Wayne A. Clark)

Gen. Chance Saltzman relieved Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond as the second CSO, the senior uniformed officer heading the Space Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Andy Morataya) Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman speaks at the transition ceremony for the chief of space operations at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Nov. 2, 2022. Saltzman relieved Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond as the second CSO, the senior uniformed officer heading the Space Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Andy Morataya)

Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman greets former Secretary of the Air Force James Roche during the transition ceremony for the chief of space operations at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Nov. 2, 2022. Saltzman relieved Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond as the second CSO, the senior uniformed officer heading the U.S. Space Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Nick Z. Erwin)

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III (left) and Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall in the background, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman renders a salute during his transition ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Nov. 2, 2022. Gen. Chance Saltzman relieved Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond as the second CSO, the senior uniformed officer heading the Space Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Andy Morataya)

Guests salute for the national anthem during the transition ceremony for the chief of space operations at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Nov. 2, 2022. Gen. Chance Saltzman relieved Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond as the second CSO, the senior uniformed officer heading the Space Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich)

Gen. Chance Saltzman (right) assumes command of the Space Force during a transition ceremony for the Chief of Space Operations at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Nov. 2, 2022. Gen. Chance Saltzman relieved Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond (center) as the second CSO, the senior uniformed officer heading the Space Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Wayne A. Clark)

Milley used his remarks to highlight Raymond’s service, to thank him for is 38-year career and occasionally poke good-natured fun at him. Turning serious, however, Milley said Raymond “paved the way and is very much a pioneer” in the United States’ journey into space.

Space is now considered a new and indisputable “warfighting domain” which is why the United States – primarily through the Space Force – along with and its allies are focusing heavily on space and adapting to the new conditions. Militarily space has never been more essential since “space power” provides a series of foundational capabilities upon which our joint forces depend.

It wasn’t long ago when space was an exclusive club, limited almost entirely to the United States and Russia (and before that, the Soviet Union). With only two “players” roaming the vast reaches of space it was considered a challenging but peaceful environment.

Article by Charles Pope, Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

Redwire to launch an upgraded 3D Bioprinter to ISS to investigate new treatments for military members as well as crop production research on-orbit

Redwire Corporation is launching the company’s upgraded 3D bioprinter, the BioFabrication Facility (BFF), along with three other payloads, on Northrop Grumman’s 18th cargo resupply services mission (NG-18) for NASA to the International Space Station (ISS) — this mission is scheduled to lift off no earlier than Sunday, November 6, at 5:50 a.m., EST, from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad 0A on Wallops Island, Virginia.

Redwire’s BioFabrication Facility

BFF is an exciting capability that 3D prints human cells in space to fabricate complex tissue structures and eventually organs that could one day be used to help patients on Earth. Redwire is working with the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Center for Biotechnology (4DBio3), a biomedical research center that explores and adapts promising biotechnologies for warfighter benefit, to explore how space bioprinting could help treat meniscal injuries, one of the most common orthopedic injuries affecting U.S. military service members.

The BFF-Meniscus-2 investigation will leverage BFF and Redwire’s ADvanced Space Experiment Processor (ADSEP) facility, both launching onboard NG-18, to bioprint a human knee meniscus in space that will be studied in a lab following the sample’s return to Earth.

3D bioprinting entire organs in space to benefit patients on Earth is a long-term goal for BFF. In the near-term, BFF is also a valuable tool for drug efficacy testing. BFF can print and culture organoids, an artificially grown mass of cells or tissue that resembles an organ. Researchers can test new drug compounds on these organoids and derive meaningful data which can greatly benefit drug development research, disease modeling research and tissue engineering approaches.

Redwire is also launching a plant science investigation, The Epigenetic Adaptation to the Spaceflight Environment – Accumulated Genomic Change Induced by Generations in Space (Plant Habitat-03) investigation, that could help identify the genetic elements that increase the adaptability of plants to spaceflight. The Plant Habitat-03 investigation, which will be conducted using NASA’s Advanced Plant Habitat — an automated plant growth facility managed by Redwire, builds upon the company’s three previous, successful investigations that grew radishes, chili peppers and cotton tissue culture in space. This investigation could help develop strategies for adapting crops and other economically important plants for growth in marginal and reclaimed habitats on Earth.

Also launching on this mission is the Asymmetric Sawtooth and Cavity-Enhanced Nucleation-Driven Transport investigation, or PFMI-ASCENT. The investigation seeks to demonstrate a passive cooling system for electronic devices in microgravity using a microstructured surface. The investigation will use NASA’s space-based research furnace, the Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation (PFMI) facility, which is managed by Redwire. The long-term goal of this research is to develop a simple, passive, self-regulating microstructured surface technology for heat sinks used in consumer electronics and avionics. The investigation is a collaboration between researchers at Auburn University and University of California-Davis.

“BFF is game-changing technology that could have significant implications for the future of human health and patient care on Earth,” said Redwire Executive Vice President of In-Space Manufacturing and Operations, John Vellinger. “The ISS provides a critical testing platform to advance these cutting-edge technologies that are enabling critical investigations from commercial users and the scientific research community that will one day extend to future commercial space stations.”

Redwire has a large and diverse catalog of equipment and services for conducting research in microgravity for federal, institutional and industrial customers. The Redwire technology launching on this mission includes experiments focused on advancing biomedical capabilities, advanced materials manufacturing, and plant biology, demonstrating the breadth of Redwire’s on-orbit capabilities to accelerate more scientific discovery and deliver more beneficial products to Earth.

The EUTELSAT HOTBIRD 13G satellite is taken to orbit via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket

On Wednesday, November 2, SpaceX successfully launched the Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G satellite to geosynchronous orbit aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.

The mission lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The 116-minute launch window opened at 11:26 p.m. ET (03:26 UTC on November 3).

The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched CRS-22, Crew-3, Turksat 5B, Crew-4, CRS-25, and one Starlink mission.

After stage separation, the first stage landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 booster successfully lands on the Just Read The Instructions droneship.

NorthStar’s SSA smallsats to be launched by Virgin Orbit via Spire Global in 2023

NorthStar Earth & Space‘s first three of the firm’s constellation of 24 satellites dedicated to commercial Space Situational Awareness (SSA) will be among the payloads carried by Spire Global’s satellites to be launched by Virgin Orbit — the launch is scheduled for mid-2023.

NorthStar will be the first to monitor all near-Earth orbits from space, delivering an enhanced level of SSA services to the global satellite community, with timely and precise information for resident space object detection, tracking, orbit determination, collision avoidance, navigation and proximity alerts.

“NorthStar is proud to join forces with both Spire Global and Virgin Orbit for this historic first launch, as part of a vibrant community committed to advancing innovation in the service of space sustainability and the secure growth of the space economy,” said Stewart Bain, CEO and Founder of NorthStar Earth & Space. “NorthStar is committed to making a meaningful contribution to the peaceful and sustainable use of space. We deliver valuable information that enhances the detection and precision tracking of space objects across all near-Earth orbits to support sustainability, greater safety, and confidence in space operations.”

“Virgin Orbit is delighted to play a role in this ground-breaking mission,” said Virgin Orbit CEO, Dan Hart. “The proliferation of space debris and emerging threats in orbit necessitate responsive space domain awareness via space-based platforms. By working with NorthStar and Spire to deploy this innovative technology to a precise, targeted orbit via our proven LauncherOne system, we are fulfilling Virgin Orbit’s role as an affordable responsive space provider.“

“We’re proud that NorthStar is leveraging our Space Services model and established space, ground, and web infrastructure to rapidly deploy its constellation, which is critical to tackling the pressing issue of space debris and delivering fundamental information for satellite operators,” added Joel Spark, Co-Founder and General Manager, Space Services, Spire.

NorthStar seeks to empower humanity to preserve our planet through a unique Space and Earth information & intelligence platform using space-based satellite systems. NorthStar strives to help transform the way governments, industry, and institutions assess risk, enforce regulations and make decisions to foster the sustainable development of our Earth and Space environment. NorthStar’s transformational space-based commercial Space Situational Awareness services address many of the critical and immediate challenges facing all satellite operators. Striving to improve the prospect of space sustainability, NorthStar will deliver more frequent and precise observations of resident space objects than any current system. NorthStar generates its Space Information & Intelligence services through a suite of high-speed, decision-quality information services derived from its unparalleled coverage, object custody, and enhanced predictive analytics.

SSC’s USSF-44 payload aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy is successfully launched to orbit

SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch of the USSF-14 mission.

Space Systems Command‘s U.S. Space Force (USSF)-44 integrated payload, which contains the Long Duration Propulsive EELV (Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle) Secondary Payload Adapter (LDPE)-2 space vehicle, have been successfully launched by a SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch vehicle.

SpaceX Falcon Heavy in flight with the USSF-14 integrated payload aboard.

This event is SpaceX’s first Falcon Heavy committed to use for a National Security Space Launch (NSSL) mission.

The mission was initiated in a layer of fog from Vandenberg Space Force Base and all proceeded as planned, including the Falcon Heavy’s side boosters landing at Landing Zone 1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral.

This portion of the event revealed the side boosters descent through the fog and the nearly simultaneous, successful landing at Landing Zones 1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

As this was a national security mission, the SpaceX streaming of the event was ended after the landing of the boosters for security reasons.

(All imagery is courtesy of SpaceX via screen captures of the company’s streaming webcast of the USSF-14 launch.)

The LDPE platform is a standardized satellite bus that can host multiple payloads, including separable spacecraft to leverage available mass margin on NSSL missions. The design is modular and employs standard interfaces that minimize non-recurring engineering work required to integrate new payloads. This approach makes rideshare more affordable for a wide range of small and secondary payloads and takes several steps to accelerating the USSF’s pivot to new, more resilient space architectures.

The Enterprise Enabler Development Branch, within the Innovation and Prototype Acquisition Delta manages the LDPE program. This is the second of three missions for the LDPE program. LDPE-1 launched aboard the STP-3 mission on December 7, 2021, and LDPE-3A is scheduled to launch with the USSF-67 mission in January of 2023.

With mating completed, the team will perform final electrical and functional testing as an integrated stack and put the space vehicles in their final physical flight configuration in preparation for roll to the launch pad. The USSF-44 mission launched from Space Launch Complex (SLC)- 39A at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

“The LDPE-2 platform allows the USSF to cost-effectively prototype new elements of future space architectures before making major investments across the enterprise,” said Brig. Gen. Tim Sejba, SSC’s Program Executive Officer for Space Domain Awareness and Combat Power. “This capability has broad potential to fill capability gaps in our space systems architecture and provide helpful services for our mission partners with frequent and low-cost access to orbit.”

Space Systems Command is the U.S. Space Force field command responsible for rapidly developing, acquiring, equipping, fielding and sustaining lethal and resilient space capabilities. SSC mission capability areas include launch acquisition and operations, communications and positioning, navigation and timing (PNT), space sensing, battle management command, control and communications (BMC3), and space domain awareness & combat power. SSC is headquartered at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, Calif.

South Australian mission prepares to rocket off to space with tech payloads


Four, South Australian companies are putting the final touches on the VS03 mission that will launch a rocket and state-of-the-art payloads to space from South Australia before the end of the year.

Southern Launch, ATSpace, Asension, and Inovor Technologies have collaborated on the mission that will see an ATSpace ‘Kestrel I’ rocket launched from the Southern Launch Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex in November. On board the rocket will be an Inovor Technologies spacecraft integrated with payloads designed by Asension and Southern Launch.

The ‘Kestrel I’ launch vehicle is a 10 meter, two stage, sub-orbital rocket. The rocket will reach an altitude of more than 200 kilometers above Earth. The trajectory of the launch will be over the Southern Ocean with the total time of flight approximately 10 minutes.

The Southern Launch payload will use existing satellite phone technology to track the rocket as it travels through space, removing the need for traditional ground-based infrastructure. This mission will provide vital data to prove the capability of this ground-breaking technology and serves as a proof of concept for future product development.

During the time in flight, the involved companies will monitor their payload and test communication protocols. For Southern Launch and ATSpace, it will be another opportunity to gain further flight heritage for the ‘Kestrel I’ launch vehicle in preparation for future orbital launch attempts.

Southern Launch CEO, Lloyd Damp, said, “Southern Launch is proud to be launching this rocket on behalf of our customer ATSpace and providing access to space for Asension and Inovor Technologies to test their world-class technology. We are also excited to test our own payload capabilities in flight. The VS03 mission is incredibly exciting. It is a realization of the incredible work and collaboration that is happening right here in South Australia and testament to our position as the space capital of Australia.”

The Chief Executive Officer of ATSpace, Dr. Yen-Sen Chen, expressed the significance of the launch in demonstrating the technical performance of the Kestrel I system. “This suborbital launch will provide us with valuable data to validate our future Kestrel V orbital design. Launching to space is a challenging task and well-planned test launches help us achieve technical maturity.”

Inovor Technologies founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Matthew Tetlow, said, ‘This is a terrific opportunity to demonstrate to the Australian Government and Department of Defence the sovereign space capabilities on offer right here in South Australia. It’s a great example of what’s possible when four companies like ours collaborate.”

Ian Spencer, CEO of Asension highlights the importance of Australian space launch capabilities. He said, ‘Having access to space from Australian soil is a game changer for our R&D efforts. This launch will accelerate the development of our technology in way that has not previously been possible. This means that we can provide greater sovereign capability sooner.”

Southern Launch is an innovative space company providing launch services and bespoke rocket subsystems and designs to customers. The Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex at the tip of the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia supports orbital launches into the highly sought after polar and sun synchronous orbits. In addition to the Orbital Launch Complex, the company also operates the overland suborbital Koonibba Test Range near Ceduna. Southern Launch is committed to providing Australia with a world-class orbital launch capability.

Terran Orbital receives million$$$ from Lockheed Martin — no further pursuit of their constellation

Terran Orbital Corporation (NYSE: LLAP) has entered into a note and warrant purchase agreement pursuant to which the company received a $100 million investment from Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) in exchange for convertible notes and warrants issued by Terran Orbital.

In connection with the investment, Terran Orbital and Lockheed Martin also entered into a new Strategic Cooperation Agreement (SCA) that runs through 2035 and allows Terran Orbital to pursue a wider variety of opportunities with Lockheed Martin.

Terran Orbital intends to use the funds to acquire additional satellite assembly space, increase module production as well as satisfy working capital needs while expanding advanced manufacturing abilities. Terran Orbital’s advanced manufacturing capabilities, which were originally planned for expansion on Florida’s Space Coast in partnership with Space Florida, have been accelerated and will now be based in Irvine, California. Terran Orbital has added more than 140,000 square feet in Irvine alone in the past 12 months.

The SCA with Lockheed Martin creates further opportunities for both organizations to share their expertise and relationships to advance emerging technology across military, commercial, and civil customers. This will be achieved by focusing on:

  • Mission assurance at both the satellite and constellation architecture level
  • Speed and schedule to deliver timely solutions for the most demanding and mission-critical customers
  • Affordability through innovation with an industrial approach, combined with capacity and facility enhancement to deliver and share an unprecedented value proposition

Terran Orbital believes there are growing unmet needs in adjacent markets to the company’s core satellite offerings. In order to address these needs, Terran Orbital plans to expand product and service offerings to include:

  • Payloads including Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Electro-optical, Hyperspectral, Infrared, and Secure Communication
  • High-reliability satellite subassemblies and component offerings, including, but not limited, to Star Trackers, Flight Computers, Reaction Wheels, Battery Solutions, and Guidance, Navigation and Control solutions
  • Mission operations for satellites using Terran Orbital and partner ground networks
  • Other defense-related products

The conflict in Ukraine has highlighted the need for advanced satellite imagery. Terran Orbital intends to address such demand through a specialized SAR satellite product line based on the company’s PredaSAR satellites. Terran Orbital will no longer pursue their own constellation and believes that offering PredaSAR as a product is a financially efficient and expeditious method of getting SAR technology into the hands of those protecting and defending our Nation and Allies.

The terms and conditions of the transaction, including the note and warrant purchase agreement and the new SCA, are more fully described in the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, being filed today with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The convertible notes were offered in a private placement under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and, along with the shares of common stock underlying the convertible notes, have not been registered under the Securities Act or applicable state securities laws. Accordingly, the convertible notes may not be offered, sold, pledged or otherwise transferred except pursuant to an effective Securities Act registration statement or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws.

“In today’s market, customers want the industry to determine the leaders that will deliver timely, quality, and affordable solutions across a variety of missions,” said Terran Orbital Co-Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer, Marc Bell. “This is a continued expansion of our collaboration with Lockheed Martin, and complements and accelerates the decision Terran Orbital made amid the lingering supply chain crisis to continue to vertically integrate products and components to facilitate full in-house satellite and manufacturing production. We see the opportunity to dramatically ramp up our capabilities and external product offerings, which we believe will move Terran Orbital toward profitability.”

Arianespace + Space Machines sign an MoU for OTV future cooperation

Arianespace and Space Machines Company have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to define the terms and conditions of possible future cooperation.

Arianespace works on several opportunities with customers looking for direct GEO injection or specific LEO/MEO orbits. In order to provide the best and most cost-effective solution to this type of requests, Arianespace seeks new and innovative technologies and intends to build partnership with Orbital Transfer Vehicles (OTV) providers that will take, in charge, the last-mile-to-orbit delivery.

Space Machines Company, an Australian owned business providing in-space transportation capabilities, is developing a family of OTVs named Optimus. This space mobility platform enables multiple in-space services, such as deployment of payloads to desired orbits, in a first step to perform inclination changes, orbit raising, or to allow for highly demanding missions such as exploration (cislunar and interplanetary) missions. In a second step, the Optimus vehicles will host additional functionalities allowing them to address on-orbit servicing applications.

Artistic rendition of the Optimus OTV, courtesy of Space Machines.

In order to define the ground rules for any future collaborations, Arianespace and Space Machines Company decided to sign a MoU establishing the terms and conditions of their cooperation approach. Both companies agree to study the accessible options to ensure an optimal compatibility in-between the launchers operated by Arianespace and the OTV family developed by Space Machines Company for different mission scenarios. On this basis, Arianespace and Space Machines would then be able to collaborate on joint offers to customers looking for high quality of service and specific mission scenarios.

The announcement of the signature took place in Adelaide, hometown of Space Machines Company, during the French Space Tour organized by Business France in Australia.

A ‘No Go’ for ULA’s JPSS-2 launch

The launch of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket carrying the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS)-2 civilian, polar-orbiting, weather satellite for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) has been delayed due to the need to replace a battery on board the Centaur upper stage of the launch vehicle.

Launch is now planned for NET November 9, pending range availability with liftoff scheduled to occur from Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.

Artistic rendition of the JPSS-2 satellite on-orbit, courtesy of NASA.

U.S. Department of Defense releases the National Defense Strategy review

On October 27, 2022, the Department of Defense publicly released their unclassified National Defense Strategy (NDS), a Congressionally-mandated review. This strategy sets the strategic direction of the Department to support U.S. national security priorities and includes the Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) and the Missile Defense Review (MDR).

The Nuclear Posture Review is a legislatively-mandated review that describes U.S. nuclear strategy, policy, posture, and forces. The Missile Defense Review is a review conducted pursuant to guidance from the President and the Secretary of Defense, while also addressing the legislative requirement to assess U.S. missile defense policy and strategy.

Read the full National Defense Strategy (NDS) Defense Priorities PDF.

Together, these rapidly evolving features of the security environment threaten to erode the United States’ ability to deter aggression and to help maintain favorable balances of power in critical regions. The PRC presents the most consequential and systemic challenge, while Russia poses acute threats – both to vital U.S. national interests abroad and to the homeland. Other features of the security environment, including climate change and other transboundary threats, will increasingly place pressure on the Joint Force and the systems that support it. In this context, and in support of a stable and open international system and our defense commitments, the Department’s priorities are:

Defending the homeland, paced to the growing multi-domain threat posed by the PRC; Deterring strategic attacks against the United States, Allies, and partners; Deterring aggression, while being prepared to prevail in conflict when necessary – prioritizing the PRC challenge in the Indo-Pacific region, then the Russia challenge in Europe, and; Building a resilient Joint Force and defense ecosystem.

Security Environment

Now and over the next two decades, we face strategic challenges stemming from complex interactions between a rapidly changing global balance of military capabilities; emerging technologies; competitor doctrines that pose new threats to the U.S. homeland and to strategic stability; an escalation of competitors’ coercive and malign activities in the “gray zone“; and transboundary challenges that impose new demands on the Joint Force and the defense enterprise.

Approaches

The Department will advance our priorities through integrated deterrence, campaigning, and actions that build enduring advantages.

Alliances and Partnerships

We cannot meet these complex and interconnected challenges alone. Mutually-beneficial Alliances and partnerships are our greatest global strategic advantage – and they are a center of gravity for this strategy. We will strengthen major regional security architectures with our Allies and partners based on complementary contributions; combined, collaborative operations and force planning; increased intelligence and information sharing; new operational concepts; and our ability to draw on the Joint Force worldwide.

Force Planning

Sustaining and strengthening deterrence requires that the Department design, develop, and manage a combat-credible U.S. military fit for advancing our highest defense priorities. The Department’s force development and design program will integrate new operational concepts with the force attributes required to strengthen and sustain deterrence and to prevail in conflict if necessary. The Department will prioritize a future force that is:

  • Lethal: Possesses anti-access/area-denial-insensitive strike capabilities that can penetrate adversary defenses at range.
  • Sustainable: Securely and effectively provides logistics and sustainment to continue operations in a contested and degraded environment, despite adversary disruption.
  • Resilient: Maintains information and decision advantage, preserves command, control, and communications systems, and ensures critical detection and targeting operations.
  • Survivable: Continues generating combat power to support strike capabilities and enablers for logistics and sustainment, despite adversary attacks.
  • Agile and Responsive: Rapidly mobilizes forces, generates combat power, and provides logistics and sustainment, even given adversary regional advantages and climate change impacts.

Risk Management

No strategy will perfectly anticipate the threats we may face, and we will doubtless confront challenges in execution. This strategy shifts focus and resources toward the Department’s highest priorities, which will inevitably affect risk profiles in other areas. An NDS that is clear-eyed about this reality will help ensure that the Department effectively implements the strategy and assesses its impact over time.

Conclusion

The United States is endowed with remarkable qualities that confer great advantages, including in the realm of national security. We are a free people devoted to democracy and the rule of law. Our combination of diversity, free minds, and free enterprise drives extraordinary innovation and adaptability. We are a member of an unparalleled and unprecedented network of alliances and partnerships. Together, we share many common values and a common interest in defending the stable and open international system, the basis for the most peaceful and prosperous epoch in modern history.

We must not lose sight of these qualities and advantages. Our generational challenge is to combine and integrate them, developing our capabilities together with those of our Allies and partners to sustain and strengthen an international system under threat.

This NDS has outlined the courses of action the Department of Defense will take to help meet this challenge. We are confident in success. Our country has faced and prevailed in multi-year competitions with major powers threatening or using force to subjugate others on more than one occasion in the past. Working in service of the American people, and in collaboration with our partners around the world, the men and women of our superbly capable Joint Force stand ready to do so again.

Statement from the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin

The President has stated that we are living in a “decisive decade,” one stamped by dramatic changes in geopolitics, technology, economics, and our environment. The defense strategy that the United States pursues will set the Department’s course for decades to come. The Department of Defense owes it to our All-Volunteer Force and the American people to provide a clear picture of the challenges we expect to face in the crucial years ahead—and we owe them a clear and rigorous strategy for advancing our defense and security goals.

The 2022 National Defense Strategy (NDS) details the Department’s path forward into that decisive decade—from helping to protect the American people, to promoting global security, to seizing new strategic opportunities, and to realizing and defending our democratic values.

We live in turbulent times. Yet, I am confident that the Department, along with our counterparts throughout the U.S. Government and our Allies and partners around the world, is well positioned to meet the challenges of this decisive decade.