August 29, 2024

Space Force STARCOM Visits Orlando Simulation & Training Cluster Ahead of Florida Move (Source: Team Orlando)
Space Force Guardians assigned to the Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM) visited with multiple Team Orlando organizations at the University of Central Florida (UCF) and the Central Florida Tech Grove, Aug. 9. STARCOM’s mission includes preparing Guardians to conduct combat operations in the space domain through education and training; developing space warfighting doctrine, tactics, techniques and procedures; as well as testing and evaluating Space Force capabilities.

“STARCOM is the training and education arm of Space Force, and there are a lot of opportunities for synchronizing efforts with large institutions [near the Space Coast],” said Eric Shwedo, UCF’s associate vice president of federal relations. “Having so many modeling and simulation resources in their backyard is strong reason to collaborate.”

“With the world’s top modeling and simulations organizations in Research Park… we can do a lot to prepare Guardians for their future missions,” Shwedo said. “Team Orlando [members have] a way of getting things done, not by being individual members, but being a team.” The Department of the Air Force officially announced last May that Patrick Space Force Base would be STARCOM’s new, permanent home after concluding an environmental review that lasted roughly a year. (8/20)

Lockheed Martin Tests Inflatable Airlock (Source: Space News)
Lockheed Martin is testing inflatable airlock modules. The company put a model of an airlock unit through pressurization and depressurization tests earlier this month to test the performance of the Vectran material it is made of. Lockheed Martin is engaged in inflatable structure work as part of NASA’s Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) program, investigating its use for a range of structures. (8/29)

China's Galactic Energy Launches Six Satellites From Ocean Platform (Source: Space News)
Chinese company Galactic Energy placed six satellites into orbit on a sea launch. The company's Ceres-1 rocket lifted off from a ship off the coast of Haiyang, Shandong province, at 1:22 a.m. Eastern Thursday. Three of the satellites were Yunyao-1 spacecraft with radio occultation and infrared imaging payloads for meteorological observations, along with three other satellites with hyperspectral and optical imaging payloads. The launch was the 15th flight of the Ceres-1 solid rocket and the third sea launch. (8/29)

ESA Astronaut Opens Paralympic Games in Paris (Source: Space.com)
ESA astronaut John McFall participated in the opening ceremonies of the Paralympic Games Wednesday in Paris. McFall carried the Paralympic flag into the opening ceremonies with  French sailor and Paralympic champion Damien Seguin. McFall, who lost part of one leg in a motorcycle accident, won a bronze medal in the 100 meters at the 2008 Paralympic Games. ESA selected McFall as a reserve astronaut in 2022 and a recently concluded study found no obstacles for him going to space. (8/29)

Top 5 Trends in Aerospace Workplaces (Source: Thomas.net)
The aerospace industry is thriving and growing, with the latest reports showing 2.2 million employees and an annual revenue of $952 billion. Needless to say, things are looking good. But the success of the top aerospace and defense companies is, for the most part, thanks to the people who work for them.

The achievements of all sectors, from aerospace manufacturing and air traffic control to space exploration and national security, are built on the efforts of their employees. The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) 2024 report on workforce trends in the aerospace and defense industry (A&D) showed some key areas in the sector that could do with some improvement, which will only lead to benefits for everyone involved. Click here. (8/27)

CEO of Boeing’s Satellite Maker Millennium Space Has Quietly Left the Company (Source: Tech Crunch)
Boeing’s satellite maker Millennium Space Systems will soon have a new CEO. Jason Kim, the executive who held the position for nearly four years, has departed the company, TechCrunch has learned.

Boeing acquired Millennium Space Systems in 2018. Since that point, the company has scored mega-deals with the U.S. Department of Defense to build satellites to help warfighters track missiles and other threats. Millennium also successfully executed a “responsive space” mission for the U.S. Space Force; that mission, called Victus Nox, sought to establish a new record for the time it takes to put a defense payload into orbit. (8/28)

Guetlein Outlines U.S. Space Force Vision for ‘Allied by Design’ Space Systems (Source: Space News)
In a shift from the military’s historically insular approach, the U.S. Space Force is actively pursuing expanded partnerships with allied nations to bolster space defense capabilities. This marks a transformative moment for the youngest branch of the U.S. military, Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael Guetlein said Aug. 28.

The Space Force will pursue joint development of technologies to protect satellites and respond to attacks on space networks, Guetlein said. He emphasized the need for partnerships to achieve deterrence, interoperability, resiliency, redundancy and scale in space operations. (8/28)

FAA Grounds SpaceX Ahead of Historic Polaris Dawn Launch (Source: Space.com)
The FAA has grounded SpaceX rockets following a failure of one of the company’s Falcon 9 rocket boosters early Wednesday morning. The grounding comes as a crew of four astronauts waits in quarantine for the launch of the Polaris Dawn mission aboard a Falcon 9. The private flight, funded by internet entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, is set to conduct the world’s first commercial spacewalk. It had already been pushed back several days due to technical issues and weather concerns. (8/28)

Why Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics Just Declared War on Rocket Engines (Source: Motley Fool)
Northrop Grumman and L3Harris are the two defense giants that dominate the production of missile engines. Both have caught flak from Lockheed and RTX for their failure to produce enough to meet demand. To remedy this situation, Lockheed Martin has proposed that it get into the rocket engine-making business itself.

It's a big job, though, and Lockheed can't do it alone. Last week, the company confirmed it would form a joint venture with defense rival General Dynamics, aiming to develop a new generation of military missile motors to supplement the constrained supply produced by Northrop and L3Harris. (8/26)