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The U.S. Space Force’s CubeSat Weather-Imaging Mission is taking flight again! In March 2024, the Space Force launched the Electro-Optical/Infrared Weather Systems (EWS) demonstration mission, deploying 110 #CubeSats into low Earth orbit. Learn more about these tiny but mighty satellites that are set to transform #spacetechnology and provide crucial weather data for U.S. military operations:

Great use of space resources

To protect against threats from Russia and China, U.S. Space Command needs more advanced tools to track what’s happening in space as well as satellites that can move freely in the domain by 2027, according to its commander, Gen. Stephen Whiting.

Whether delivering satellites into orbit in a matter of days, maneuvering satellites more actively, or refueling them in orbit, the Space Force is reshaping its operational concepts to better operate in an increasingly complex and unpredictable domain. #AirForce #USAF #Airman #SpaceForce #Guardian

Orbital Prime and SpaceWERX STRATFI awardee, Orbit Fab, has announced that the firm’s RAFTI (Rapidly Attachable Fluid Transfer Interface) refueling port has been designated by Space Systems Command as a refueling interface for in-space fueling of military satellites. The SSC’s System Engineering Review Board (SERB) made the recommendation following mission-critical assessments that RAFTI meets the technical qualifications to support a wide range of U.S. Government space missions - including meeting United States Space Force’s request and need for refueling as a commercial service. Learn more: https://ow.ly/cHbK50T17Qm . . . #SpaceWERX #SpacePrime #OrbitalPrime #SpaceVentures #STRATFI #spacerefuel #space #satellites

Space Force to expand missile-defense satellite network in medium Earth orbit - The Space Systems Command released a “request for prototype proposals” for the Missile Track Custody Epoch 2 program - Space Force officials said MEO satellites provide advantages over sensors in both lower orbits and geostationary orbits for persistent tracking of next-generation threats like hypersonic glide vehicles, which pose unique challenges due to their speed, maneuverability, and faint heat signatures. - The MEO satellite constellation is designed to be a component of the Department of Defense’s multi-orbit missile defense architecture. This layered approach includes a low Earth orbit tier of proliferated tracking satellites, as well as geosynchronous and highly elliptical orbit satellites that offer persistent coverage. https://lnkd.in/eYk2M7cJ https://lnkd.in/eYk2M7cJ

'The Space Development Agency, a Pentagon space acquisition organization, already has launched 27 low Earth orbit satellites for experimentation and demonstrations in the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture program ... 'By the end of 2025, the program expects to have 160 satellites in orbit, the majority covering the globe to create connectivity across regions, more than two dozen dedicated to missile warning and a handful running missile control. 'The Space Development Agency had demonstrated Link 16 connectivity using its satellites ... 'Link 16 is the tactical data link used by the U.S. military, NATO and other partner nations ... 'The program seeks to create a hybrid satellite terminal for troops to use. That would allow a user’s terminal to switch between the low Earth orbit satellites transport layer or use dedicated military or commercial bandwidths such as the satellite communication Ka and Ku bands, respectively. 'The system would work much like multiband radios can switch between frequency bands for a variety of communications options'. https://lnkd.in/grmdHBnd

The tabletop exercise, called "Parallax Rising 2.2" and held at the Space Systems Command in El Segundo, California, tackled the potential impact of in-orbit refueling on the management of critical assets in geosynchronous Earth orbit. The exercise went beyond the technical aspects of refueling, delving into the policies and procedures necessary to ensure satellites receive timely logistical support, particularly in a contested space environment. That included looking at the implications of integrating commercial refueling systems with military ones, and lessons from the Air Force's and Navy's experience with refueling. More precisely, experts probed on-orbit refueling from several perspectives : What types of refuelers are preferred when conflict extends into space, and why ? How would commercial refuelers be integrated with DoD refuelers ? https://lnkd.in/e5Pc24eY

Space Force taps four firms for laser network project -SpaceNews "The goal of the Enterprise Space Terminal project, overseen by SSC’s Space Domain Awareness and Combat Power Program Executive Office, is to establish a space mesh network across various orbits — from low Earth orbit to beyond geosynchronous. The project seeks to ensure compatibility between future military space systems, enabling seamless communication regardless of location." Calian Advanced Technologies has been a leader in delivering secure ground-based solutions for over 50 years. Our solutions include systems, products and services spanning a wide range of applications, like TT&C stations, communications gateways, network coordination stations, uplink and data downlink systems for mobile, fixed and broadcast satellite services and earth observation, and space exploration markets. For more on our technical/tactical ground-and space-based electronic defence and ISR capabilities, please visit our Calian Defence Solutions Hub @https://lnkd.in/eYbKzM2d and @https://lnkd.in/eXwuwtGu #defence #defense #ISR #electronicwarfare #geolocation #intelligence #space #nato #spaceforce Note: Articles posted or shared on this Calian Defence Solutions site are for informational purposes only. Any views or opinions expressed herein are those of the articles’ authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Calian Group. https://hubs.li/Q02CNBhJ0

Seamless interoperability across satellite systems remains a significant challenge for military operations and the DoD, according to industry and government experts, despite multilayered connectivity. Multilayered connectivity allows for connection with different satellites in different orbits and frequency bands, giving the user greater resiliency and versatility, both of which are highly important in military operations. However, interoperability across satellite systems operated by different companies in different orbits and frequencies is still limited. Read the whole story now: https://lnkd.in/eEyFFvmh #satcom #space #spaceeconomy