Satellite Industry Intelligence Since 1983
The satellite industry has built roughly 10 percent of the optical ground infrastructure it needs. Without 200 to 500 optical ground stations, the Pentagon's $35 billion PWSA and $185 billion Golden Dome programs risk becoming stranded assets — data moves flawlessly in orbit but cannot reach the ground.
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The aerospace and defense industry has universally accepted that the future of orbital superiority lies in proliferated, software-defined constellations. The mandate from the Space Development Agency (SDA), with support from the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), is clear: move away from vulnerable, exquisite "battlestars" and build agile, interconnected data networks in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). But while our architectural theory has evolved, the hardware foundation we are building it on is trapped in a dangerous compromise.
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On Tuesday, March 17, 2026, the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) awarded a $446.8 million Ground Management and Integration (GMI) agreement to Kratos Technology & Training Solutions, Inc. […]
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BROOMFIELD, COLORADO – On Wednesday, March 11, 2026, BAE Systems announced the successful completion of the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for the U.S. Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) […]
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Dispatch from SmallSat Symposium. The SmallSat Symposium traditionally showcases hardware and orbital mechanics, but this year a different theme emerged. As the commercial space sector deepens ties with the Department of Defense, the focus is shifting from pure innovation to operational maturity.
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The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has executed a third massive tranche of contract awards under its Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense (SHIELD) program, adding 340 contractors to the vehicle today, Jan. 15, 2026.
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The Space Development Agency (SDA) awarded four contracts totaling $3.5 billion on Friday, Dec. 19, to build 72 satellites for the Tranche 3 Tracking Layer. This latest acquisition represents the […]
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MELBOURNE, Fla. — In a historic shift for U.S. space defense policy, L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) confirmed yesterday that its Meadowlands offensive space warfare system has successfully completed an “international […]
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WASHINGTON — As reported earlier this week on SatNews, the Department of Defense has initiated a significant strategic pivot in homeland defense architecture, awarding initial prototype contracts for space-based interceptors […]
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PROMONTORY, Utah — Targeting the critical supply chain bottlenecks that have plagued the defense industrial base, Northrop Grumman has successfully static fired a new solid rocket motor (SRM) developed in […]
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