Space News reports that the US military “has long relied on large, expensive satellites parked in fixed orbits above the Earth.” Some US Space Force leaders “believe it’s time to change that model in favor of more mobile and renewable satellites that can maneuver to avoid attack.” USSF Space Systems Command Commander Lt. Gen. Michael Guetlein said, “We’ve got to be better at dynamic space operations.” Speaking Dec. 13 at the Space Force Association’s Spacepower conference, Guetlein “said the strategic competition with China in space will require the U.S. to shift its reliance on fixed assets in preset orbits to more ‘dynamic’ systems – satellites that can move, be upgraded and adapt their tasks as needed.” The concept “was first unveiled by US Space Command’s deputy chief Lt. Gen. John Shaw, who recently retired.” He “described it as the need for satellites to maneuver away from threats or towards objects of interest.”
Full Story (Space News)
Tag: USSF
Space Force Assigns 21 Launch Missions to ULA, SpaceX as Part of NSSL Phase 2 Contract
Space News reports that on October 31, Space Systems Command “announced 21 launch missions have been assigned to United Launch Alliance and SpaceX as part of the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 2 contract the companies won in 2020. These missions assigned for fiscal year 2024 mark the fifth and final year of the Phase 2 contract. Of the 21 missions, ULA received 11 and SpaceX 10. These missions are projected to launch over the next two to three years.” Col. Chad Melone, senior materiel leader for mission solutions at the Space Systems Command, said, “Under our Phase 2 contract, ULA and SpaceX have been committed partners, and our combined team remains dedicated to delivery of critical assets to our warfighters as we complete this phase of the NSSL program and embark on NSSL Phase 3 starting in FY25.
Full Story (Space News)
USSF Prioritizing Modernization of Spaceports
Space News reports that the need to “modernize US spaceports has been discussed for years, but major upgrades have yet to materialize.” With $1.3 billion in projected “funding for spaceport improvements, the Space Force is now trying to move these plans forward, identifying the most critical areas needing attention in the near-term.” Space Systems Command Program Executive Director Brigadier General Kristin Panzenhagen said, “There’s a significant effort to define what we need to be able to support the capacity and the pace of launch that our nation needs.” Based at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, Panzenhagen in June “assumed command of Space Launch Delta 45, and oversees the nation’s busiest spaceport on the Florida coast.” Speaking last week at the AFCEA Space Industry Days conference in Los Angeles, Panzenhagen “expressed optimism that initiatives to bring East Coast and West Coast spaceports into the future could soon become reality.” The Space Force has “conducted a detailed analysis of spaceport requirements given the increased pace of commercial space launch, she said.”
Full Story (Space News)
Firefly Ready to Test Launch USSF On-Demand Service
Aviation Week reports that sometime in the next six months, Boeing’s Millennium Space Systems and startup Firefly Aerospace “will receive a call from the U.S. Space Force to integrate and launch a satellite in 24 hr.” Until then, the companies “will stand at the ready for the military’s Victus Nox mission.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
USSF Ready to Harness Satellite-Servicing Technologies
Space News reports that the US Space Force (USSF) “says it is now ready to get in the game” of satellite-servicing technologies. It is “investing in early-stage technologies and laying out a strategy to buy commercial services to refuel and service satellites in geostationary orbit by the early 2030s.” USSF Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. David Thompson said the military’s thinking about satellite servicing has changed from a few years ago when space operators did not see a large need for in-orbit repairs and refueling. It is now viewed as a strategic advantage. Thompson says USSF “considers satellite servicing and in-orbit logistics as ‘core capabilities’ and is watching developments in the commercial industry.”
Full Story (Space News)
USSF Directed by Congress to Procure Wideband Communications Satellite
Space News reports that the U.S. Space Force “will use funds that Congress added to the 2023 defense budget to buy a wideband communications satellite made by” The Boeing Company, “a spokesperson confirmed Feb. 7.” The new geostationary satellite, to be named WGS-12, “will be the 12th of the Wideband Global Satcom constellation that provides communications services to the U.S. military and allies.” The Space Force “did not request funding for a wideband satellite in the 2023 budget[,] but Congress nevertheless added $442 million, an action reminiscent of the 2018 defense appropriations bill when Congress inserted $600 million for WGS-11.” A Space Systems Command spokesperson said via email, “The $442 million was added to the WGS program element to procure a WGS-12, which will be a build-to-print of WGS-11.” The 2023 appropriations bill “did not specifically direct the Space Force to buy another WGS satellite[,] although it is implied.” The legislation directs the service to “procure a protected wideband satellite to provide resilient, jam resistant tactical communications to support warfighter needs.”
Full Story (Space News)
2025 ASCEND to Accelerate Our Off-World Future
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2025 – Reston, Va. – AIAA announced today a powerful lineup of speakers who will take the stage at 2025 ASCEND, 22–24 July, Caesars Forum, Las Vegas. The three-day event will address the most important opportunities and mission-critical challenges that come with the growing pace of activity in space.
“We’re thrilled to once again welcome the global aerospace community to ASCEND. It’s the most dynamic time in space in the last 30 years,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry. “ASCEND is where we discuss the critical topics today to ensure the ongoing safe, secure, and prosperous uses of space. This year’s program is sure to generate powerful dialogue among the broad spectrum of attendees including space users, investors, policymakers, innovators, and more.”
Powered by AIAA, ASCEND is the world’s premier outcomes-focused, interdisciplinary space event designed to accelerate building our off-world future. Over 200 industry luminaries from across the civil, commercial, and national security space sectors, adjacent industries, and the next-generation workforce are featured as speakers. Confirmed speakers include:
- Tejpaul Bhatia, Chief Executive Officer, Axiom Space
- Maj. Gen. Steven “Bucky” Butow, USAF, Military Deputy of the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), Office of the Secretary of Defense
- Robert Carlisle, CEO and Co-Founder, Argo Space
- Dave Cavossa, President, Commercial Space Federation (CSF)
- Carissa Christensen, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, BryceTech*
- Tim Crain, Chief Technology Officer, Intuitive Machines
- Israel Figueroa, Director, National Security Programs, Firefly Aerospace
- Kelli Furrer, Chief Revenue Officer & Chief Marketing Officer, Firefly Aerospace
- Mike Gold, President, Civil & International Space Business, Redwire Space
- Chris Lay, Co-Founding Partner, Leonid Capital Partners
- Mairead Levison, Deputy Director, Space ISAC
- Jamie Morin, Vice President, Defense Strategic Space, The Aerospace Corporation
- Sho Nakanose, Founder and CEO, GITAI
- Shawna Pandya, Director, Space Medicine Group, International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS)*
- John Reed, Chief Rocket Scientist, United Launch Alliance (ULA)*
- Lee Rosen, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ThinkOrbital Inc.
- Matthew Weinzierl, Senior Associate Dean and Chair, MBA Program, Harvard Business School*
- Col. Bill Woolf, USAF (Ret.), President and Chief Executive Officer, Space Force Association (SFA)
- Col. Matthew Wroten, USSF, U.S. Space Command
*Member of the 2025 ASCEND Guiding Coalition
Experts from NASA will provide wide-ranging updates on a number of timely topics including the Human Research Program, future procurement strategies, and exploration missions to the moon, Mars, and deep space.
Deep Technical Content Scheduled
AIAA events are well known for the depth of technical content presented. Over 200 technical presentations and collaborative sessions are scheduled for 2025 ASCEND.
Vital Interactive Learning Planned
Several workshops are scheduled for valuable in-depth learning opportunities. Topics include:
- Lessons Learned, Forward Path, and Collaboration from the Oxygen from Regolith (O2fR) Collaborative Systems Interface Workshop
- Empowering the Next Generation: Creating a Circular Space Economy
- Why Learning the Language of Business Can Increase the Likelihood of Funding Request Approval
- Cislunar & Lunar Ecosystem and Economics Workshop
- AstroTactics: Wargaming Space Assets
- Collaborative Identification of the Foundations, Formats, and Functions in the Emerging Field of Space Science Communication
Early-Bird Registration Rates Available
Registration for the event is open with early-bird rates ending 23 June. Journalists can request a Press Pass online.
Since 2020, ASCEND has promoted the collaborative, interdisciplinary, outcomes-driven community of professionals, students, and enthusiasts around the world who are accelerating humanity’s progress toward our off-world future. Lockheed Martin is the premier sponsor of ASCEND. For the most updated program information, visit ascend.events and follow ASCEND on LinkedIn, Instagram, and X/Twitter.
Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell
About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.