APOGEE STAFF U.S. military leaders are counting on artificial intelligence (AI) to play a key role in managing and tracking the thousands of satellites in space while also helping to tackle complex threats that include GPS jamming, counterspace operations and space junk, to name a few. Government agencies and private industry are poised to launch unprecedented numbers of spacecraft in coming years, with the Space Development Agency (SDA) alone anticipating hundreds of new satellites as part of its Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) to support data transport, communications, end-to-end missile warning and tracking, and battlefield awareness and targeting. As of…
Apogee
APOGEE STAFF A small constellation of CubeSats could make a big difference in hurricane readiness. Known as TROPICS – Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of SmallSats – the recently created program was designed to help scientists better understand the inner workings of hurricanes and other rapidly intensifying storms. “As communities throughout the world are experiencing the growing impacts of increased extreme weather, it’s never been more important to get timely data to those who need it most to save livelihoods and lives,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in July 2023. “TROPICS will deliver vital…
Air Marshal Paul Godfrey I grew up near Kenley, a former Battle of Britain airfield south of London. I remember being a 6-year-old, watching an aircraft display during the air show season and knowing even at that young age that I wanted to be a pilot. I joined the Combined Cadet Force when I was at Trinity School in Croydon, and it cemented my love for aviation. Although I had my sights set on flying, when I went for officer and air crew selection, I failed navigator for mental arithmetic and was graded “marginal” for a pilot. The best decision…
Russia’s tiny Sputnik satellite was the only artificial object gliding across low Earth orbit in 1957. Now, our way of life is fully intertwined with space-based capabilities. But space, which is the U.S. Space Command’s area of responsibility, is increasingly competitive, contested and congested. A look at the numbers as of April 2024:
APOGEE STAFF Private satellite operators supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia have helped counter the Kremlin’s vast electronic warfare (EW) and cyber arsenal. Commercial satellite communications (SATCOM) have exponentially changed the tactical, operational and strategic environment to Ukraine’s advantage, helping to coordinate counterattacks, guide drone strikes and distribute medicine, aid and other support. Commercial satellite operators have provided photos to help strategists in Kyiv while shining a light on atrocities and potential war crimes by Russian soldiers. This is the “first war where commercial space capabilities have really played a significant role,” Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond, former…
APOGEE STAFF he U.S. Department of Defense is working with commercial partners to identify sources of radio frequency (RF) jamming and other threats that interfere with global positioning system (GPS) signals. Electronic devices that disrupt GPS signals are proliferating worldwide, prompting concern within the Defense Department and industries dependent on GPS. Pinpointing the precise location and sources of the interference has long been a challenge. To find a solution, the U.S. Space Force is working with commercial partners Slingshot Aerospace and HawkEye 360, which use satellites to track ships, vehicles and other devices that emit RF signals. Under an agreement…
APOGEE STAFF New commercial technologies may someday help the U.S. Space Force refuel and service satellites in space. Space Systems Command (SSC), the service’s development, acquisition, launch and logistics command, is exploring how to leverage commercial assets to maneuver and service satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO), more than 35,000 kilometers above Earth. The idea is in early stages and hasn’t received full funding, although members of Congress are warming to the idea. The SSC plans to develop an operational concept to access commercial technologies. On-orbit servicing would vastly improve maneuverability and extend satellites’ lifespans. “There’s interest on the Hill already,…
APOGEE STAFF The U.S. Space Force is hoping to add another satellite to its Wideband Global Satcom constellation, which provides communications to the U.S. military and allies. If approved, the new satellite would be the 12th to join the network. The Space Force is awaiting approval of the U.S. Department of Defense budget before awarding a contract to develop the satellite, which would called be WGS-12. Congress added U.S. $442 million to the budget to build the new wideband geostationary spacecraft, SpaceNews said. Boeing, the prime contractor of the WGS satellites since 2001, is amidst construction of WGS-11+ at its…
APOGEE STAFF Early on November 15, 2021, the seven crew members of the International Space Station (ISS) were awakened by NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Flight controllers radioed to warn about a field of satellite debris nearing the station and they wanted the members to review their safe haven procedures. The crew sealed the hatches to the radial modules that extend from the station’s long axis — including NASA’s Tranquility module, the European Space Agency’s Columbus module, Japan’s Kibo module and the United States’ Quest airlock — then hunkered down inside their Soyuz and Dragon crew capsules until the…
APOGEE STAFF For more than a decade, as the People’s Republic of China (PRC) ramped up its military capabilities, nations around the world have entered space security relationships with the United States. More than 30 countries have taken this step, from entry-level space situational agreements (SSA) to the deepest levels of cooperation. The decision to partner beyond the Earth’s atmosphere opens the door to the next challenge — aligning operational systems and security requirements so nations can actually work together in space. It’s a challenge that has confronted militaries before across terrestrial domains. In the U.S., the number of special…