Keith’s note: The DNI has posted a NCSC/FBI/USAF Bulletin titled “Safeguarding The U.S. Space Industry” which opens by saying: “According to US financial sector estimates, the global space economy is projected to grow from $469 billion in 2021 to more than $1 trillion by 2030. The United States is the main driver of this growth through its role as a global leader in space investment, research, innovation, and production. Space is fundamental to every aspect of our society, including emergency services, energy, financial services, telecommunications, transportation, and food and agriculture. All rely on space services to operate. Foreign intelligence entities (FIEs) recognize the importance of the commercial space industry to the US economy and national security, including the growing dependence of critical infrastructure on space-based assets. They see US space-related innovation and assets as potential threats as well as valuable opportunities to acquire vital technologies and expertise. FIEs use cyberattacks, strategic investment (including joint ventures and acquisitions), the targeting of key supply chain nodes, and other techniques to gain access to the US space industry.” More

Keith’s note: NASA, DoD, USAF, and Space Force have decided that there’s a “New Space Race” between the U.S. and China. Yes, there’s competition for influence and dominance in space between America and China. But to characterize things as bipolar without considering the true multipolarity of space – all the other spacefaring countries and companies with budgets that exceed many nation’s budgets – is simplistic. Yes, there’s overt competition. There’s also overt collaboration and cooperation. Here’s the report.

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Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, DNI “The UAP documented in this limited dataset demonstrate an array of aerial behaviors, reinforcing the possibility there are multiple types of UAP requiring different explanations. Our analysis of the data supports the construct that if and when individual UAP incidents are resolved they will fall into one of five potential explanatory categories: airborne clutter, natural atmospheric phenomena, USG or industry developmental programs, foreign adversary […]

GAO: Decision Matter of: Blue Origin Florida, LLC File: B-417839 “Blue Origin Florida, LLC, of Merritt Island, Florida, protests the terms of request for proposals (RFP) No. FA8811-19-R-0002, issued by the Department of the Air Force, for the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 2 Launch Service Procurement, which seeks to procure commercial item launch services for NSSL missions. Blue Origin alleges that several terms of the RFP unduly restrict […]

Report: The Future of Space 2060 and Implications for U.S. Strategy: Report on the Space Futures Workshop, Air Force Space Command 5 September 2019 “Key conclusions reached were: – The U.S. must recognize that in 2060, space will be a major engine of national political, economic, and military power for whichever nations best organize and operate to exploit that potential. – The U.S. faces growing competition from allies, rivals, and […]

Defense Innovation Unit Solution Brief Solicitation: Orbital Outpost, Defense Innovation Unit “The Department of Defense (DoD) seeks solutions for a self-contained and free flying orbital outpost. The solution must be capable of supporting space assembly, microgravity experimentation, logistics and storage, manufacturing, training, test and evaluation, hosting payloads, and other functions. Prospective bidders are invited to submit their proposals (“Solution Brief”) per the guidelines below.” … “Desired future capabilities (available as […]

Top DoD Official Shank Resigns; SCO Moving To DARPA, Breaking Defense “My integrity and belief in SCO’s mission is more important to me than my friendship over many years with Mike (Griffin).” That is why the head of the Pentagon’s vaunted Strategic Capabilities Office, Chris Shank, has resigned rather than see his office transferred to DARPA. Griffin called Shank into his office on Friday and told him the office would […]

Security center director: US needs counterspace capabilities as part of Space Force, The Hill “A security director is backing President Trump’s idea of creating a Space Force, citing a troubling development of counterspace technologies by some of the United States’ biggest rivals. Todd Harrison, director of the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, says that while the U.S. still has a “great advantage” over countries […]

Keith’s note: According to the White House Vice President Pence will visit the Department of Defense on Thursday and will be joined by Secretary of Defense Mattis at an honor guard ceremony and a DOD briefing. Following that briefing the Vice President will give formal remarks. Among the topics to be covered with be President Trump’s proposed Space Force. – Watch live starting around 11:15 am EDT – President Trump […]

SpaceX gets good news from the Air Force on the Zuma mission, Ars Technica “A little more than two weeks have passed since the apparent loss of the highly classified Zuma mission. Since then, SpaceX has publicly and privately stated that its Falcon 9 rocket performed nominally throughout the flight–with both its first and second stages firing as anticipated. Now, the US Air Force seems to be backing the rocket […]