Space Force, IC’s battle over commercial ISR reignites as appropriators add fuel
More than a dozen sources tell Breaking Defense that tensions between the NGA and Space Force are rising on commercial ISR, with White House officials watching closely.
Replicator, planes and multi-year deals: What’s in the new FY24 defense spending bill
The bipartisan spending package, released early this morning, increases defense funding by $27 billion over the previous year’s enacted budget and includes a number of key provisions the department had requested.
NRO moves closer to formal program to buy commercial radar-sat data
The executive branch is "still talking through exactly what the scope and scale" of any new NRO program would be, but the "intent" is to "more cost effectively leverage" commercial capabilities "over the longer term," said NRO's head of commercial programs Pete Muend.
Space Safari, DIU to select Victus Haze launchers within ‘weeks’
"This will be a modified mission from the Victus Nox mission," David Ryan, space portfolio manager at the Defense Innovation Unit said, noting that "there are two parts of the mission, and DIU is working on a single part with Space Safari."
NRO expects even lower National Security Space Launch costs starting in FY25
Troy Meink, NRO principal deputy director, explained that the decline in launch costs is one of two critical factors in allowing NRO to begin to diversify its on-orbit force structure to include both "large and small satellites" using multiple orbital domains.
Rocket Cargo is go! Air Force’s experimental resupply program moves closer to the launch pad
The investment in transitioning Rocket Cargo "is focused on utilizing vehicles that traverse from or through space to transport DoD materiel anywhere around the world within tactically responsive timelines," the Space Force's FY25 budget request says.
Space Force wants $248M to kickstart new jam-proof SATCOM constellation
Maj. Gen. Michael Greiner said that the Space Force's initial plans are to develop four new Protected Tactical SATCOM-Global satellites, although those plans could change as the program is a new start for FY25.
[UPDATED] What’s in the Pentagon’s FY25 budget request? Here’s where to find out
Breaking Defense has you covered for all the news of the Pentagon's fiscal 2025 budget rollout, and this handy landing page of our stories will get you where you need to go.
Space Force takes ‘acceptable’ cut to $29.4B in FY25 budget request
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall explained that the "small decrease in the number for the Space Force" isn't itself quite reflective of reality, as there are mitigating circumstances that lessen the blow.
Pentagon emphasizes ‘continuity’ in $849.8B FY25 budget request, amid political deadlock
“We kind of depend on having [that] ‘24 bill finish and finish in a way that looks a lot like what we asked for. Otherwise, we're going to have to go back to the drawing board on a couple of fronts,” said a senior defense official.
Space Force vice chief says failure on continuing resolution could cost service up to $3.9B
Gen. Michael Guetlein said that the service is "looking at losing about seven" of the 10 launches it planned under the National Security Space Launch program in FY24 if the CR is prolonged.
Space Force Futures Command won’t need ‘giant’ resources
Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton, who has been charged to establish the new Space Force Futures Command, said cislunar and dynamic space operations are areas for the command's scrutiny, since neither have yet proven their 'military utility."
Space Force agencies pile on to find ‘alternate PNT’ capabilities
Space Force's primary acquisition command, Space Systems Command (SSC), is seeking industry input on the possibility of building smaller, lighter and cheaper GPS satellites.
Space Force, NRO approach key milestone for GMTI as other programs fall behind: Calvelli
With apparent frustration with another program, Space Force acquisition chief Frank Calvelli asked, “What I don't get… [is] why would somebody want to have this sort of reputation-ruining stain in the papers all the time?”
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Intelligence Community and Space Force challenges intersect and require closer collaboration
“Mission engineering” can integrate space and ground assets to push data to the edge.