📄Top Stories

Today’s space news centers around strategic military advancements and collaborations. The U.S. Space Force’s satellite operations in Europe are crucial amidst the Ukraine conflict. Meanwhile, Maxar partners with Satellogic to enhance defense monitoring. Industry leaders emphasize integrating commercial and military tech, and the Pentagon launches a new AI initiative to bolster military capabilities.

📰Detailed Coverage

U.S. Space Force’s Strategic Role in Europe

As the conflict in Ukraine continues, the U.S. Space Force unit stationed in Europe plays an increasingly vital role in satellite operations, serving both as a proving ground for space-based military adaptability and strategic planning. This environment enables the force to test and refine satellite capabilities critical to both current and future military operations.

Europe’s geopolitical landscape makes these satellite operations pivotal for maintaining advantages in intelligence and security. The continued focus on satellite-based capabilities underscores the importance of advanced satellite tracking and management, which can be explored through tools like our web app.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

Maxar and Satellogic’s Collaborative Effort

Maxar Technologies has entered into an exclusive arrangement with Satellogic Inc., enhancing its defense monitoring capabilities by securing rights to task and distribute imagery from Satellogic’s constellation. This collaboration aims to support U.S. and international defense agencies with robust data collection.

The agreement highlights the increasing reliance on satellite constellations to provide timely reconnaissance imagery, pivotal in defense-related decision-making processes. This partnership exemplifies broader industry trends towards multi-operator collaborations to leverage comprehensive satellite data effectively.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

Bridging Military and Commercial Technology

Space industry executives are urging a closer integration of commercial technology with military systems to strengthen hybrid space architectures. Despite recent technological advancements, they see significant potential in further unifying these sectors to improve resilience and operational effectiveness.

The drive for integration reflects the growing acknowledgment of commercial innovation as a key contributor to national defense capabilities. Executives argue this approach is essential for maintaining strategic superiority in increasingly contested environments.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

The Pentagon’s New AI Initiative

The Pentagon has announced the establishment of the AI Rapid Capabilities Cell (AIRCC) with a $100 million budget dedicated to advancing generative AI technologies. This initiative aims to explore applications ranging from war planning to cybersecurity, marking a significant step in integrating AI into defense strategies.

This new unit will build upon the groundwork laid by Task Force Lima, focusing on enhancing operational efficiency through AI-driven insights and capabilities. The effort underscores the defense sector’s pivot towards incorporating cutting-edge technology to address future challenges.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

🛰️Satellite Spotlight

• Satellite Name: CRRES DEB (CANISTER)
• NORAD ID: 29530
• Launch Date: 1990-065X
• Mission: Debris from the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite mission
• Orbit: Inclination 18.2673°, Period 582.45 minutes, Eccentricity 0.7084165
• Operator: MSFC
• Fun Fact: This debris object, a canister, is part of the remnants of a scientific mission aimed at studying the Earth’s magnetosphere and its radioactive effects.

Current TLE Data:

1 29530U 90065X   24308.50585452  .00002095  00000-0  34867-2 0 69996
2 29530  18.2673 320.6767 7084165 301.5698   8.0443  2.47229434104452

Track this satellite in real-time on our web app: Track CRRES DEB (CANISTER)

🚀 Upcoming Space Launches

December 12

• Galactic Energy Ceres-1:
  • Unknown Payload from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People’s Republic of China (07:08 UTC)
• SpaceX Falcon 9:
  • Starlink Group 11-2 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA (19:33 UTC) A batch of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

December 14

• Rocket Lab HASTE:
  • Stonehenge from Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA (00:45 UTC) Sub-orbital launch of the Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE) program for a confidential customer.
• SpaceX Falcon 9:
  • GPS III SV10 from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA (01:04 UTC) GPS-IIIA is the first evolution stage of the third generation of GPS satellites.
• Space One KAIROS:
  • Flight 2 from Spaceport Kii, Japan (02:00 UTC) Second flight of the KAIROS launch vehicle carrying 5 satellites for testing various technologies.
• China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 2D:
  • Unknown Payload from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People’s Republic of China (17:52 UTC)

December 15

• China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 5B/YZ-2:
  • SatNet LEO Group 01 from Wenchang Space Launch Site, People’s Republic of China (00:00 UTC) A batch of Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state-owned SatNet constellation.
• SpaceX Falcon 9:
  • O3b mPower 7 & 8 from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA (20:58 UTC) Seventh and eighth of a constellation of eleven high-throughput communications satellites in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) built by Boeing and operated by SES.

December 16

• SpaceX Falcon 9:
  • NROL-149 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA (09:33 UTC) Sixth batch of satellites for a reconnaissance satellite constellation built by SpaceX and Northrop Grumman for the National Reconnaissance Office.

December 17

• Rocket Lab Electron:
  • Owl The Way Up (StriX Launch 6) from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand (14:00 UTC) Synthetic aperture radar satellites for Japanese Earth imaging company Synspective.

Note: Launch dates and times are subject to change due to technical or weather considerations.