Signals & Space Monthly Briefing

September 2020

Prepared by the CyberWire (Tuesday, September 1, 2020) New and old satellite threats? China's final Beidou satellite has reached geosynchronous orbit, and Beijing's global navigation system is now held to be officially operational. Beidou represents in part an autarkic move away from dependence on the US-developed GPS, as a 2017 report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission concluded. It also represents the introduction of a new capability. Beidou-enabled devices will not only receive positioning signals from the constellation, but the satellites will also receive data from the devices. Inside GNSS notes that the Chinese government explained that “In layman’s terms, you can not only know where you are through BeiDou but also tell others where you are through the system.” Not everyone views this a desirable feature. Taiwan has advised its citizens to steer clear of Beidou, and the Voice of America last month drew attention to the dangers this particular capability poses as an avenue for cyberattack. There are other satellite-borne vulnerabilities drawing attention as commercial constellations designed to deliver Internet access come online (for which see the discussion below). Computing reports that the satellites themselves may represent an expanded attack surface for the networks they service, that their security should itself receive the kind of scrutiny terrestrial networks aspire to. Near earth asteroids, deorbiting old satellites, and large commercial constellations. On August 16th a "car-sized" asteroid, 2020 QG, passed within 1839 miles of earth. 2020 QG, had it hit us, would have probably produced a fireball, big, but not as big in all likelihood as the one that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 2013. But it's unsettling to realize, Business Insider notes, that 2020 QG went undetected until NASA noticed it shortly after the asteroid had made its closest approach and headed back for deep space. (NASA also just warned that a somewhat larger asteroid, 2011 ES4, which Spacenews describes as being about the size of a "jumbo jet," will pass at a roomier but still uncomfortably close 75,000 miles on September 1st.) As had been long foreseen, on August 29th a decommissioned US satellite, Orbiting Geophysics Observatory 1 (OGO-1), reentered the atmosphere and burned up during reentry over the South Pacific without incident. OGO-1 had been in orbit since September 1964. Large commercial satellite constellations are also contributing to an increasingly crowded near-earth environment. The US Federal Communications Commission at the end of July approved Amazon's 3236-satellite Project Kuiper constellation, a $10-billion project intended as an aggressive initiative to close the last mile of Internet access. Amazon isn't, as Government Technology points out, the only player in this particular market. HughesNet and ViaSat are currently the leaders in the satellite Internet market, but they face pressure not only from Amazon, but from SpaceX, and, possibly, OneWeb as well. CNBC reports that SpaceX says its Starlink service has attracted "extraordinary demand," with more than seven-hundred-thousand customers interested in getting their Internet via the House of Musk. SpaceX has already flown about five-hundred satellites of the Starlink constellation, with twelve-thousand already approved by the FCC. CNBC puts current Starlink production at one-hundred-twenty satellites per month. According to Spacenews, in 2019 the company submitted plans for a thirty-thousand satellite constellation. SpaceX is aware of the effect so many spacecraft can have on the near-earth environment: it stresses its satellites' small size, ion-engine maneuvering capabilities, and integration with US Department of Defense debris tracking systems to enable automatic collision avoidance. And the satellites are designed for controlled deorbiting once they're retired. OneWeb has been on shakier financial ground, but the British government is seeking a forty-five percent interest in the bankrupt company, and while funding remains an issue (the Telegraph reports that £1 billion may be required to cover the business's losses, and that the UK's stake may be diluted) OneWeb still intends to be a player in the satellite Internet market. Arianespace launched thirty-four OneWeb craft from Kazakhstan in February, the second batch of satellites in the constellation. The rapid growth of commercial satellite constellations has given rise to concerns about the effect they're having on the space environment. The FCC approval of Amazon's plans revived, for one thing, objections from astronomers about the possible effect so many new spacecraft may have on the ability to conduct astronomical observations from the earth's surface. They add, the New York Times reports, a great deal of light pollution to the night sky. Different orbits present different challenges. OneWeb's craft, for example, are seen as a greater problem for radio astronomy than for optical observation. Sponsored by Cosmic AES Do you have what it takes to solve complex signal-processing problems? At Cosmic AES, we design high-performance, adaptable solutions for the signals, space, and cyber domains. We’re looking for creative problem-solvers with engineering experience and a clearance. See what Cosmic AES has to offer. Responsibility for space situational awareness. These issues—asteroids, decommissioned spacecraft, and rapidly proliferating commercial constellations—raise the importance of space situational awareness. (There's a conference on the topic scheduled for London on September 3rd and 4th, the 15th annual Military Space Situational Awareness Conference.) In the US, responsibility for space situational awareness had historically resided with the Department of Defense. On June 18th, 2018, however, Space Policy Directive 3 shifted that responsibility to the Commerce Department (Commerce, it's worth noting, also runs NIST, the Weather Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which suggests that the Directive sees the problem of monitoring the space environment as analogous to the problem of monitoring the terrestrial environment.) This month a panel of the National Academy of Public Administration released a report on Space Traffic Management, requested by Congress, which offered an "Assessment of the Feasibility, Expected Effectiveness, and Funding Implications of a Transfer of Space Traffic Management Functions." The panel reviewed four possible candidates for the lead agency in the area: "The Office of Space Commerce (OSC), a part of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) inside the Department of Commerce (DOC)" "The Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST), part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inside the Department of Transportation (DOT)" "The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)" "The Department of Defense (DoD)" The study concluded that NOAA's OSC within the Department of Commerce is the right organization to manage space traffic. The Fellows who prepared the report explained, in a Government Executive op-ed, that their study wasn't confined to a simple recommendation about how to assign agency equities. It represents a call for Congressional funding and legislation, and it also includes a call for the development of international norms concerning "orbital hygiene." As the op-ed puts it, "The “which agency” question ought not obscure two more urgent issues. There is an imperative to act now, and the concept for exercising the federal government’s space situational awareness and traffic management responsibilities must not only be effective, but also should stimulate innovation, both in situational awareness/traffic management and in space-based commerce." Government contracts and efforts to foster innovation. On August 31st the US Space Development Agency announced that it had awarded contracts to Lockheed Martin and York Space Systems to build the satellites for an on-orbit mesh network''s transport layer. The program is designed to connect orbital sensors with terrestrial combat units. Each company will build ten satellites. C4ISRNet reports that York Space Systems will receive $94 million, Lockheed Martin $188 million, under the firm-fixed price awards. The twenty satellites will comprise "Tranche 0" of the systems, and six of them will be equipped with Link 16 transmitters. US Space Force has scheduled an industry day for the Spring of 2021. The pandemic permitting, the Service's Space and Missile Systems Center intends to hold its pitch day in Los Angeles. Should COVID-19 still be prohibitively risky this coming spring, the even will move online, C4ISRNet says. Eleven topic areas have been announced: Innovation in early missile detection and warning Space situational awareness Space communications Space visualization Multidomain command and control Data mining Operations within electronically contested environments Artificial intelligence Responsive launch systems Space logistics Protection of critical space assets Interested companies may register and submit proposals here. Space C2 at the Space and Missile Systems Center has also fast-tracked a Silicon Valley-focused software initiative (with the Trekkie name "Kobayashi Maru"). CNBC says that the cloud-based package is designed "to track and monitor objects in space." US national space policy and strategy. US Space Command, the operational combatant command not to be confused with the new Space Force military Service, now has a leader distinct from the uniformed head of Space Force. Military.com reports that Space Force's General Raymond has, as planned, handed command over to Army General James Dickinson. Thus both leaders will be able to give their organizations their full attention. The Department of Defense explained that Space Command's roles include deterrence, delivering space combat power (for the joint force, allies and partners), and defeating aggression. Breaking Defense says that revisions to the Unified Command Plan clarified its roles and missions. Space Force itself is engaged in applying and developing its own doctrine, expressed in its Capstone Publication Spacepower: Doctrine for Space Forces. Military spacepower, the doctrine says, consists of "deterrent and coercive capabilities." The space domain is defined as the “altitude where atmospheric effects on airborne objects becomes negligible,” and this means, in Space Force's view, that spacepower is inherently global. Three "cornerstone responsibilities" in the doctrine will shape further developments: "Preserve Freedom of Action in the space domain. The United States’ ability to project and employ national power is predicated on access to space. Therefore, unfettered access to and freedom to operate in space is a vital national interest." "Enable Joint Lethality and Effectiveness. Given the vital and interdependent nature of military spacepower within the Joint Force, military space forces must comprehensively and effectively integrate space capabilities into Joint training, planning, and operations. Maximizing Joint lethality and effectiveness requires a cadre of military space forces that are deliberately prepared to integrate spacepower across the range of national and Joint operations." "Provide Independent Options to U.S. national leadership capable of achieving national objectives. Because nations can generate and apply national power from space, actions in the domain can directly affect a nation’s decision calculus. Therefore, a central tenet of military spacepower is the ability to independently achieve strategic effects. In this capacity, military spacepower is more than an adjunct to landpower, seapower, airpower, and cyberpower. Across the conflict continuum, military spacepower provides national leadership with independent military options that advance the nation’s prosperity and security. Military space forces achieve national and military objectives by operating in, from and to the space domain." Space Force developments: acquisition, organization, and culture. Space Force's culture will be shaped of course by doctrine, but also by its approach to acquisition (seen above in the description of its 2021 pitch day), the units that will join it (and a decision on which US Army and Navy units will move to the new Service is expected soon, Military.com reports, even as Stars and Stripes points out that its first units are already in operation around the globe), and such matters as uniforms and rank structure. These last two have proven foreseeable contentious, with some arguing for Naval, others for Air Force models. TheHill suggests that, as much as members of Congress might wish to weigh in on the matter, perhaps Space Force itself should be left to sort the matter out. But William Shatner hasn't been deterred from offering advice. In an op-ed he contributed to Military Times, Captain Kirk himself lists all the great space commanders in the history of science fiction, and points out that for the most part they held the rank of Captain: Captain Buck Rogers, Captain Flash Gordon, Captain Dallas (of the Nostromo), even Captain Han Solo. To the obvious objection that "Captain" could be an Air Force rank as easily as it could be a Navy rank, Mr. Shatner argues that the large number of stumblebums and screw-ups in such science fiction typically held the (Air Force) ranks of Major or Colonel: Major Don West, who was responsible for losing the space family Robinson, Major Anthony Nelson, who brought back an ill-omened Jeannie from that island he crash-landed his space capsule on, or Colonel Steve Austin, who crashed and had to be rebuilt at considerable expense as the Six-Million Dollar Man. Mr. Shatner even throws in Colonel Klink, which seems a little unfair—sure, the guy was air force, sort of, said once he longed to be free of Hogan and back behind the controls of his Heinkel, but he never got within a stone's throw of space, or even Peenemünde, as far as we know—but Mr. Shatner is committed, and he thinks that all those Captains were in fact Navy Captains. Captain Kirk ought to know. [2068]   Today's edition of the CyberWire reports events affecting Australia, China, India, Israel, Japan, NATO/OTAN, New Zealand, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Selected Reading Attacks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities (3) Marketplace (29) Products, Services, and Solutions (17) Technologies, Techniques, and Standards (18) Design and Innovation (14) Research and Development (27) Academia (2) Legislation, Policy, and Regulation (30) Litigation, Investigation, and Law Enforcement (2) Attacks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities A car-size asteroid flew within 1,830 miles of Earth over the weekend — the closest pass ever — and we didn't see it coming (Business Insider) The asteroid, known as 2020 GQ or ZTF0DxQ, flew so close to Earth that it's now the closest known encounter that didn't hit our planet. Now Operational, BeiDou Could Conceal Cybersecurity Threat (Inside GNSS) As the final BeiDou satellite reaches geostationary orbit, experts in the satnav community worry about security implications of the now officially operational C Insecure satellite-based internet poses threat to transport safety (Computing) Satellite internet service providers are still vulnerable to attack methods discovered nearly 15 years ago Marketplace Space Development Agency orders its first satellites (C4ISRNET) The satellites will comprise the first iteration of the Space Development Agency's transport layer, an on orbit mesh network that will help connect sensors to shooters. US Space Force schedules pitch day for spring 2021 (C4ISRNET) The U.S. Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center will host a Space Force Pitch Day in spring 2021. While the current plan is to host the event in person in Los Angeles, California, SMC noted that it may move to a virtual environment due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Space Force boldly goes to Silicon Valley to get a Star Trek-flavored software boost (CNBC) With the help of Silicon Valley, the U.S. Space Force is already proving that it can do business quicker than its more established sister services. Industry Says ‘Meh’ To DoD Cislunar Space Push (Breaking Defense) At the moment, industry sources say, there is no money to be had for developing systems for DoD's cislunar operations. US Air Force links cyber, intel with new contract office (C4ISRNET) The 16th Air Force has realigned the mission for one of its contracting offices to better integrate cyber and intelligence capabilities. Air Force Research Lab-Backed Accelerator Taps Eight Firms for Space Security Tech Initiative (ExecutiveBiz) A business accelerator backed by the Air Force Research Laboratory's space vehicles directorate has US Air Force issues $90M contract for counter-drone systems and support (C4ISRNET) The contract is just the latest in a spurt of military investments in counter-small unmanned aerial systems. U.S. Air Force Awards Booz Allen $950M IDIQ Contract (BusinessWire) On July 1st, the U.S. Air Force awarded Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE: BAH) one of several positions on an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) OneWeb paid out ‘Enron transfers’ US filings allege (The Telegraph) Junior creditors who are owed hundreds of millions of pounds are battling to recoup their cash Taxpayer-backed OneWeb needs £1bn to cover losses (The Telegraph) The UK’s proposed 45pc stake may be severely diluted or even more public money may have to be injected into the company SpaceX raises $1.9bn in largest ever funding round (The Telegraph) The funding round comes as chief executive Elon Musk became the fourth-richest person in the world KBR to Buy Centauri, Boost Military & Intelligence Space (Yahoo) KBR's Centauri buyout is set to expand the military space and intelligence businesses. Securing the Next Journey to the Moon (Korea IT Times) On April 4, 2019, the “Beresheet” spacecraft successfully managed to complete the Lunar Orbit Insertion maneuver, making Israel the 7th country to reach the moon and SpaceIL the first privately funded organization in the world to do so. As the organization is preparing for it’s the second journey to Landmark Agreement Unites Parties in Boosting Commercial Space Operations in California (SpaceRef) Landmark Agreement Unites Parties in Boosting Commercial Space Operations in California - SpaceRef Abu Dhabi's Tawazun to build satellite centre with Airbus (WKZO) Abu Dhabi state defence and security entity Tawazun is to build a satellite assembly, integration and testing centre with Airbus in the United Arab Emirates' oasis city of Al Ain, state news agency WAM reported on Wednesday. The centre also intends to manufacture components for small to medium-sized communication, navigation and … Boulder’s NDP LLC inks $80M Space Force cybersecurity contract (Boulder Daily Camera) Net-centric Design Professional LLC announced it was recently awarded an $80.3 million contract to provide cybersecurity services for the U.S. Space Force.  BAE completes acquisition of Military GPS business from Collins Aerospace (Intelligent Aerospace) Based in Cedar Rapids and Coralville, Iowa, with a workforce of approximately 700 employees, the Military GPS business has been in its field for more than 40 years Meet The Scrappy Space Startup Taking Quantum Security Into Space (Forbes) What do you get when you combine space, lasers, photons, the laws of physics, a Fortune 100 company, the Canadian Space Agency and a scrappy space startup? Leidos subsidiary to build NASA spacecraft under $253M contract | Virginia Business (Virginia Business) Dynetics, a subsidiary of Reston-based federal contractor Leidos, has started developing a spacecraft called the Autonomous Logistics Platform for All-Moon Cargo Access through a potential $253 million contract with NASA to develop human landing systems for the agency’s lunar mission by 2024, CNBC first reported Wednesday. NASA selected Dynetics, along with Blue Origin and SpaceX,… SpaceX and ULA win billions in Pentagon rocket contracts, beating out Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman (CNBC) The U.S. Air Force on Friday awarded rocket builders United Launch Alliance and SpaceX contracts worth billions to launch national security missions. SAIC Awarded $950M Air Force Contract (WashingtonExec) Science Applications International Corp. has been awarded a $950 million ceiling indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract for the maturation, Kratos Targets Ground System ‘Revolution’ (Breaking Defense) "We think that p-LEO is a big deal. And there's got to be a revolution that has to hit the ground segment, says Phil Carrai, president of Kratos's space, training and cyber division. Mercury Systems Receives Fourth Prestigious Cogswell Award from U.S. Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (GlobeNewswire) Award recognizes excellence and innovation in security program management National Security Space Association Adds Influential Leaders to Board of Directors (PR Newswire) The National Security Space Association (NSSA), a U.S. trade association devoted solely to the U.S. defense and intelligence space enterprise,... Army buys $189M counter drone system but already has plans to replace it (C4ISRNET) The Army has awarded a contract for Mobile-Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft System Integrated Defeat System (M-LIDS), even though it's not included on a list of eight counter-small unmanned aircraft system solutions approved for further investment by the joint forces. US Army selects CACI’s CORIAN to protect against UAS threats (Army Technology) The US Army’s JCO has chosen CACI International’s CORIAN system to safeguard DoD personnel and facilities against threats posed by unmanned aircraft systems or drones. CACI taps former Raytheon exec to lead national security business (Washington Business Journal) Todd Probert will lead the Arlington company's National Security and Innovative Solutions (NSIS) sector, succeeding Kevin Kelly. Raytheon hiring hundreds in Aurora as aerospace boom continues (Denver Business Journal) The defense giant's tech hub is next to the U.S. military's signals intelligence base in Aurora, and work there hasn't slowed. Griffin joins Rocket Lab board following Pentagon exit (C4ISRNET) Former Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Mike Griffin has joined the board of Rocket Lab, a small launch provider. Products, Services, and Solutions Capella Space’s first SAR imagery satellite launches (C4ISRNET) Capella Space already has deals with both the U.S. military and intelligence community to share synthetic aperture radar imagery from the new constellation. SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket Sunday that was historic for two reasons (Ars Technica) Weather was iffy right up until the last few minutes before liftoff. () SpaceX is manufacturing 120 Starlink internet satellites per month (CNBC) SpaceX is manufacturing its Starlink satellites at an unprecedented rate for the space industry. SpaceX's most-flown Falcon 9 rocket booster yet returns to Florida home port (Space.com) Behold! The SpaceX's sooty Falcon 9, a six-time flier. Watch SpaceX boat catch falling payload fairing in giant net (video) (Space.com) The video features some delightful lounge music. SpaceX to launch dozens of Starlink satellites and 3 Planet SkySats Tuesday. Here's how to watch live. (Space.com) Liftoff is set for 10:31 a.m. EDT (1431 GMT) on Aug. 18. SpaceX's next astronaut launch for NASA now targeted for Oct. 23 (Space.com) Crew-1 had been scheduled to lift off in late September. Boeing's Starliner could launch to the space station in December (Space.com) Boeing is giving the Orbital Flight Test mission another shot before launching astronauts to the International Space Station. Rocket Lab's Electron booster returns to flight with Earth-observing satellite launch (Space.com) It's Rocket Lab's first flight since a July 4 launch failure. CACI upgrades SteelBox mobile encryption programme (Janes.com) US information technology company CACI International are unveiling several upgrades to its SteelBox secure mobile communications software application for classified and... The FCC has approved Amazon's plan for its Kuiper satellite constellation. Here's what that means. (Space.com) The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has approved Amazon's request to deploy more than 3,000 broadband satellites in a constellation called Kuiper. Spirent Introduces SimIQ to Accelerate GNSS Product Evolution (Chronicle-Tribune) Spirent Federal Systems, the nation’s leader in global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) testing solutions, today announced the release of SimIQ, a new software that will allow for earlier and more efficient GNSS testing during product development. Northrop Grumman’s EPS-R CAPS Program Successfully Completes Delta Critical Design Review (Northrop Grumman Newsroom) Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has successfully completed a delta Critical Design Review (dCDR) with the U.S. Space Force for the Enhanced Polar System Recapitalization (EPS-R) Control and Planning Segment... Rohde & Schwarz presents a new Q/V band RF upconverter for testing satellite payloads (unn | UNITED NEWS NETWORK GmbH) To enable continually higher data rates for end users of satellite links, satellite operators are using higher frequencies, such as the Q/V band, where larger bandwidths... United Platform Levels UP (Northrop Grumman Newsroom) Northrop Grumman is at the leading edge of a Lean-Agile and Development Security Operations (DevSecOps) revolution within the U.S. armed forces as the system coordinator for a U.S. Air Force program called Unified Platform (UP). As a cloud-based,... Lockheed develops electronic warfare tools with eye toward multinational interoperability (C4ISRNET) Lockheed Martin's ground-based electronic warfare system for the U.S. Army is focused on interoperability with coalition partners. Technologies, Techniques, and Standards A huge Delta IV Heavy rocket will launch a new US spy satellite overnight. Here's how to watch. (Space.com) Liftoff is Thursday (Aug. 27) at 2:12 a.m. EDT (0612 GMT) . Watch live early Friday: Delta IV Heavy rocket to launch US spy satellite (Space.com) Liftoff is set for 2:08 a.m. EDT (0608 GMT). Modern spy satellites in an age of space wars (Deutsche Welle) Space is a battleground for dominance among major powers. About a fifth of all satellites belongs to the military and are used for spying. The US launches two more this year. NRO set to launch intelligence satellite in the wee hours (C4ISRNET) This will be the National Reconnaissance Office's fourth launch of 2020. US Army tests network cyber tools under real-world conditions (C4ISRNET) The Army is working to test and mature a couple of defense cyber tools aimed at helping defend tactical networks. NASA investigating small air leak on International Space Station (Space.com) There's no threat to crew safety, NASA officials stressed. US Space Force completes upgrade to help protect GPS capabilities (C4ISRNET) While the new anti-spoofing, anti-jamming, encrypted M-code signal has been available on many GPS satellites for years, the military has not had the corresponding ground and user equipment to access and leverage it. GPS Anti-Jam M-Code Takes Two Steps Forward (Breaking Defense) Once 24 GPS III satellites are on orbit, the encrypted M-Code for military users will be available world wide. #DEFCON: How the International Space Station Enables Cybersecurity (Infosecurity Magazine) All IT systems have risks, even when they are hundreds of kilometers above the earth Rocket Lab identifies anomaly that caused failed launch (C4ISRNET) The FAA has cleared the company to resume launch activities, and the firm is moving forward with planned launches for the National Reconnaissance Office and the Air Force Research Laboratory. Air Force cyber security experts expect reorganizations to help improve information warfare and cyber ops (Military & Aerospace Electronics) Combat mission teams conduct cyber operations on behalf of combatant commands and cyber support teams, and support the combat mission team. Experimental DragRacer satellites will test 'Terminator Tape' for space junk cleanup this fall (Space.com) How fast to things fall from space? Amazon Satellites Add to Astronomers’ Worries About the Night Sky (New York Times) The F.C.C. approved the company’s 3,236-satellite constellation, which aims to provide high-speed internet service around the world. IBCS Intercepts Multiple Targets, Demonstrates Resiliency and Survivability in Contested Environment (Northrop Grumman Newsroom) The U.S. Army successfully engaged multiple targets during a flight test using the Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS). The test, conducted as part of the IBCS Limited User... Air & Space Forces Add Cyber To All-Domain Ops Data Library (Breaking Defense) "Data is key to space. It's critical to all-domain operations; it's a centerpiece to it all," says Maj. Gen. Kim Crider. Japanese HTV cargo ship, the last 'White Stork' in space, burns up in Earth's atmosphere (Space.com) It's the end of an era. US Army to alter cyber drill in support of new multidomain forces (Defense News) The Army is making changes to one of its cyber experiments to help equip the Intelligence, Information, Cyber, Electronic Warfare and Space detachment of the Multi-Domain Task Force. 56-year-old NASA satellite expected to fall to Earth this weekend (Space.com) The derelict spacecraft poses no threat. Design and Innovation US Air Force seeks better electronic intel amid more complex battlefields (C4ISRNET) The Air Force is soliciting industry's help in developing new ELINT capabilities. Leaders at Navy’s innovation ‘super-connector’ give advice for getting in the door (Federal News Network) Leaders from NavalX gave advice for pitching to the Department of the Navy and discussed how to connect smaller players to innovation hubs. Military’s top cyber official defends more aggressive stance (Military Times) The military’s cyber fighters have moved away from a “reactive, defensive posture” and are increasingly engaging in combat with foreign adversaries online, says the USCYBERCOM leader in a commentary published Tuesday. Don’t Just Copy and Paste: A Better Model For Managing Military Technologists (War on the Rocks) As software has eaten the world, there are no more “tech” and “non-tech” companies. Instead, there are organizations that leverage data and automation, AFWERX Announces Final Selection of Participating Teams Across the Globe Vying to Build the Base of the Future (Digital Journal) AFWERX, the catalyst for fostering innovation within the U.S. Air Force, announces the selection of the top 92 participating teams from across the globe competing in the Base of the Future Challenge. The diverse group of teams - originating from the vast regions of North America, Europe, Australia and other allied countries - represent entrepreneurial startups, businesses, large enterprises, academic institutions and research labs who are all vying to build the Base of the Future and modernize the Department of Defense. Army tries to breathe fire into innovation by going straight to the source (Federal News Network) The Dragon Innovation Program follows a trend of looking to soldiers for new ideas. Putting Cyber Software First (SIGNAL Magazine) The Air Force software factory LevelUp Code Works aims for rapid development and delivery of cyber solutions. DARPA Wants Wargame AI To Never Fight Fair (Breaking Defense) Gamebreaker is about building an AI that can play a wargame in the best and most unfair way against its opponents. Trio of prototyping contracts brings new approach for collecting military weather data (C4ISRNET) The U.S. Space Force hopes its prototype low-Earth orbit weather satellites will entice commercial businesses and allied nations to partner up on the project, reducing the cost of delivering critical weather data to the war fighter. U.S. military space architecture to bring in commercial systems, small satellites (SpaceNews) Col. Russell Teehan said commercially developed technologies will be part of the future capabilities of the U.S. Space Force. Hackers Are Building an Army of Cheap Satellite Trackers (Wired) NyanSat is an open source ground station that lets you listen in on low-orbit transmissions for about $100 worth of gear. The Air Force is going full 'Rainbow Six' with its new throwable scout robots (Task & Purpose) “It took five minutes for me to learn how to use it ... It quickly became apparent how our security personnel could utilize this tool in our operations" US Army seeks new airborne tech to detect, defeat radar systems (C4ISRNET) The Army is asking for information on sensors and technologies that can help detect and defeat enemy radars and air defense systems. US Army network team sets timeline for satellite constellations (C4ISRNET) Low- and medium-Earth orbit satellites are expected to improve the Army's tactical network by reducing latency and increasing bandwidth. Research and Development Submarine could explore seas of huge Saturn moon Titan (Space.com) The sub could be ready to launch in the 2030s, researchers said. US Space Force tests new anti-jamming capability (C4ISRNET) New hardware and software upgrades will make it easier for the military to detect and suppress efforts to jam Wideband Global SATCOM. Submarine could explore seas of huge Saturn moon Titan (Space.com) The sub could be ready to launch in the 2030s, researchers said. Could carbon-foam probes bring interstellar flight within reach? (Space.com) Solar-sailing 'bubblecraft' could get to Proxima Centauri in 185 years, a study suggests. SpaceX fires up SN6 Starship rocket prototype ahead of potential test flight (Space.com) SN6 will follow SN5 into the sky. India's Chandrayaan-2 moon mission hits 1-year mark in lunar orbit (Space.com) It could last another seven years, ISRO says. NASA creates Mars sample-return independent review board (Space.com) With the NASA Perseverance rover on its way to the Red Planet, NASA is getting ready for the next major step in Mars exploration — a sample return mission. Blue Origin-led 'National Team' delivers mock-up moon lander to NASA for tests (Space.com) NASA now has a mock-up lunar lander to play with. Japan's Hayabusa2 asteroid sample-return capsule cleared for landing in Australia (Space.com) It arrives with samples of asteroid Ryugu on Dec. 6. Rocket Lab aims to launch private Venus mission in 2023 (Space.com) The mission would likely hunt for signs of life in Venus' clouds. Army researchers awarded patent for secure comms (Help Net Security) Army researchers awarded a patent for inventing a practical method for Army wireless devices to covertly authenticate and communicate. NASA powers up Ingenuity Mars helicopter in space for the 1st time (Space.com) Ingenuity's electronics are in good shape. Quantum communication takes a major leap with satellite-based experiment (Space.com) A new experiment increases the distance between two communicating parties from 62 miles (100 km) to 756 miles (1,200 km.) Meet 'Tenacity': 1st Dream Chaser space plane gets a name (Space.com) Tenacity is scheduled to launch for the first time in late 2021. DARPA CubeSat experiment may support future Space Force initiatives (Janes) A new CubeSat experiment by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), designed to explore the use of microelectronic materials in extra-terrestrial... The Air Force’s experimental navigation satellite cleared for fabrication (C4ISRNET) Navigation Technology Satellite–3 is an Air Force Vanguard program being developed to demonstrate new positioning, navigation and timing technologies that will inform how future GPS satellites work. Troops To Test AFRL’s THOR Drone Killer This Fall (Breaking Defense) THOR puts high-powered microwaves to fry drone swarms' electronics in a rugged and deployable package. The Army wants to reduce electronic signatures of its command posts (C4ISRNET) Command Post survivability and mobility is a major focus of the next set of new network tools. Northrop Grumman Awarded DARPA Gamebreaker Contract (Northrop Grumman Newsroom) Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) was recently awarded a contract from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Strategic Technology Office (STO) for the Gamebreaker program. This innovative... trusted computing cryptography IoT devices (Military & Aerospace Electronics) CHARIOT eyes low-cost, low-footprint, post-quantum cryptographic techniques that use minimal energy use for IoT devices in vehicle and wearable uses. DARPA wants stronger security for Internet of Things devices (C4ISRNET) The Pentagon research arm wants quantum-resistant cryptography. Northrop Grumman Successfully Completes First Qualification Test of New Rocket Motor for United Launch Alliance (Northrop Grumman Newsroom) Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) conducted its first ground test of an extended length 63-inch-diameter Graphite Epoxy Motor (GEM 63XL) today in Promontory, Utah. This variation of the company’s GEM 63 strap-on... Here’s the Theme Driving the US Army’s New Communications Tech (Defense One) Pilot programs are seeking ways to keep battlefield data flowing despite the enemy’s best efforts. Ride shotgun with NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid probe as it buzzes Bennu (video) (Space.com) A NASA spacecraft came within 130 feet of an asteroid's rocky surface recently, and the footage is incredible. SpaceX ramping up Starship prototype tests in Texas (and looking for a resort manager) (Space.com) A 12-mile-high hop could be coming relatively soon. Here's how 2 Indian schoolgirls discovered a 'Mars-Crosser' asteroid (Space.com) It's not every day that two Indian schoolgirls spot an asteroid that scientists haven't yet, but that's exactly what happened this summer in a stroke of cosmic good luck. Japan's Hayabusa2 asteroid sample-return capsule cleared for landing in Australia (Space.com) It arrives with samples of asteroid Ryugu on Dec. 6. Academia Lockheed Martin teams with USC and Momentus on cubesat program (SpaceNews) USC students will build the satellites and integrate them with Lockheed Martin’s SmartSat mission payload. Students grow 'rocket lettuce' from space seeds (Space.com) Students across the United Kingdom grew seeds that spent six months in space to learn how they would grow once back on Earth. Legislation, Policy, and Regulation Commerce Applauds NAPA Study Reaffirming the Department as the Lead Agency for Space Traffic Management (U.S. Department of Commerce) Today, the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) released their Congressionally directed study, “Space Traffic Management: Assessment of the Feasibility, Expected Effectiveness, and Funding Implications of a Transfer of Space Traffic Management Functions.” The findings reaffirm that the Office of Space Commerce at the Department of Commerce is the best suited civil agency to perform Trump announces historic peace agreement between Israel and United Arab Emirates (Washington Post) President Trump announced a preliminary peace agreement Thursday between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, a historic step that makes the Persian Gulf state only the third Arab country to currently have diplomatic relations with the Jewish nation and temporarily suspends Israel’s controversial plans to annex parts of the West Bank. Russia warns it will see any incoming missile as nuclear (Military Times) Russia will perceive any ballistic missile launched at its territory as a nuclear attack that warrants a nuclear retaliation, the military warned in an article published Friday. China focus might distract the U.S. from the possibility of a Putin surprise in Belarus and beyond (Atlantic Council) COVID-19 has shown both the nature and relentlessness of the Chinese Communist Party’s to place itself at the center of global power and influence. Space Wars: Why Top Military Leaders Say US Must Prep for Battles Beyond Earth (Military.com) China, Russia and Iran have watched how U.S. forces use space-based technologies on the battlefield. Space Challenges Prompt DOD Response, Space Superiority (U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE) U.S. Space Command operations in space deter conflict; deliver space combat power for the joint force, allies and partners; and defeat aggression if necessary, a leader of that command said. NATO’s Return to Space (War on the Rocks) The potential for space-based conflict has never been more apparent. Indeed some view it as inevitable, and in preparation states are adopting policies Space Force to begin sharing technical space data with UK (C4ISRNET) Under a new arrangement, the United Kingdom will be able to access space situational awareness data from the U.S. Space Force. Exclusive: Milley To Sign New Unified Command Plan; Defines SPACECOM’s Roles (Breaking Defense) "They're cleaning up a bit of 'the who's in charge' of deciding which mode is a particular sensor going to be in on any given time of the day," one Pentagon expert said of the UCP's changes to SPACECOM's roles. Space Force: New Service’s Future Coming into Focus (National Defense) With more than six months passed, the future of the fledgling Space Force is coming into focus. However, elements of its structure are still being hammered out. Space Force defines ‘spacepower’ in capstone doctrine (C4ISRNET) The Space Capstone Publication is the Space Force’s first official doctrine, and it will serve as a foundation for further doctrines that will delve deeper into the thorny military issues confronting the nascent service. First Space Force Doctrine Lays Foundation for Future Ops (Air Force Magazine) The Space Force on Aug. 10 rolled out its inaugural policy document that will govern how it organizes, trains, and equips service members. Washington isn’t listening to the Air Force and Space Force (Defense News) The Department of the Air Force, responsible for training and equipping two military services, has been underfunded for decades, resulting in significant shortfalls in readiness and modernization. Space acquisition proposals still held up at OMB (Federal News Network) Lawmakers probably won’t have time to slip ideas to better space procurement in this year’s defense policy bill. Space Force units are already operating worldwide, and experts expect more to pop up soon (Stars and Stripes) The Space Force may be the U.S. military’s youngest service branch, but it already has 10 units based outside the continental United States, along with facilities in Greenland, the United Kingdom, Ascension Island, Diego Garcia, Alaska, Hawaii and Guam. Who Will Move to Space Force? Army, Navy Unit Decision Is Close, General Says (Military.com) Lt. Gen. Thompson reiterated that the Space Force will open up its application pool for interservice transfers next year. Pentagon’s new space organizations take shape as leadership comes onboard (Defense News) The Space Force and Space Command have both been swearing in a number of senior officials that will shape the direction of the organizations. The US Space Force is getting an official second in command (Defense News) A familiar face is set to become the service's first vice chief of space operations. Let the Space Force define its own ranks  (TheHill) Congress should encourage the Space Force’s leaders to define their own future, rather than try to dictate to them. What the heck is wrong with you, Space Force? (Military Times) This famous captain has a few words for how the Space Force names its ranks. Space Force Was Set to Announce Its New Rank Structure. Then, Congress Stepped In (Military.com) Some experts have argued that a Navy rank system would make sense for the fledgling Space Force. Parochialism, not Congress or naval history, will kill the Space Force (Air Force Times) Now is the time for U.S. Space Force to break free from the orbit of its U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy heritage to determine its future as an independent service, say the author this commentary. In new uniform guidance, Space Force is down with OCP (Air Force Times) “Our uniforms are the first visual cue of our identity as a service. U.S. military eyes a role in the great power competition for lunar resources (SpaceNews) DIU space director Butow: “We have the power where it make sense of leveraging and using public private partnerships to our advantage.” Meet the Ramstein airman who coined the Space Force motto (Stars and Stripes) Airman 1st Class Daniel Sanchez came up with the Space Force motto, “Semper Supra,” which translates to “always above.” Pentagon Code Library Will Support Multiple Clouds (Breaking Defense) DOD Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy wants people to see the clouds beyond the Jedi contract. U.S. will reallocate military 3.5GHz spectrum for consumer 5G in 2021 (VentureBeat) The Department of Defense is handing over a large block of mid band spectrum for consumer 5G, helping the U.S. reach parity with China and other nations. Pentagon updates electronic warfare handbook with new cross-branch approach (C4ISRNET) The Joint Chiefs of Staff released a new joint publication for joint electromagnetic spectrum operations, which replaces a previous document focused on electronic warfare. The new strategy from Navy’s cyber command (C4ISRNET) Tenth Fleet/Fleet Cyber Command outlined its strategic vision for the next five years in an era of sustained daily competition among nation states. NASA delays new astronaut selection due to coronavirus constraints (Space.com) NASA has delayed the selection of its next astronaut class, citing constraints related to the ongoing spread of the coronavirus. Litigation, Investigation, and Law Enforcement Air Force to end agreements with Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman, prepares for launch contract protests (SpaceNews) Following the Phase 2 decision, the Air Force is preparing for the possibility of contractor protests. Leidos objects to elimination from defense intell contract (Washington Technology) Leidos has gone to the Government Accountability Office after the Defense Intelligence Agency eliminated it from the running for an analytical support services contract.

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