Assessing the Impact of U.S. Air Force National Security Space Launch Acquisition Decisions
Summary: The U.S. Air Force commissioned an independent study through RAND to evaluate its decision to support two heavy lift launch providers via its forthcoming National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 2 procurement. The report mostly validates the current acquisition framework and offers a range of near- and longer-term strategy recommendations.
Covered Companies:
Mentioned: SpaceX, Northrop Grumman, ULA, Blue Origin
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Battle For NRO Takes Shape As Space, Air Forces Grapple With Acquisition
Summary: DoD officials are extremely aware, almost to the point of paranoia, that even discussing the issue of NRO potentially being subsumed by the Space Force is playing with fire.
Covered Companies:
Mentioned:
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Mitigation of Orbital Debris in the New Space Age
Summary: On April 2nd, the FCC issued a Report and Order on the "Mitigation of Orbital Debris in the New Space Age" which provides an updated framework for managing orbital debris risk with a range of new requirements, disclosures and criteria. Several industry groups have asked the FCC to delay a decision or have outright suggested the Report and Order is too strict. The debate will certainly continue as winners/losers across the ecosystem evaluate its impact. Our derivative thoughts include (1) how does this impact the insurance market? (2) is this a propulsion game changer? (3) impetus for space domain awareness applications?
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Mentioned:
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Nuclear Power in Space (and so many other topics) Discussed at the National Space Council Meeting this Week
Summary: The National Space Council keeps piling on all sorts of tasks right onto NASA's plate. It's a good thing Bridenstine is one of the most capable administrators the agency has seen. Not to be outdone, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross gave a speech providing a few updates of his department's activities for supporting commerce in space. He noted there are foreign-backed entities attempting to surpass U.S. commercial leadership in space and his department will do its darndest to keep U.S. commercial space industry in the lead.
Covered Companies: NASA
Mentioned: N/A
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Chatham House Report: Space - NATO Cyber Security's Weak Spot
Summary: What would you do if you couldn't trust the space-based tools and links that help win wars? This paper, "Cybersecurity of NATO’s Space-based Strategic Assets," examines cyber risks to space systems and provides an analysis of just how dependent NATO's missions and capabilities are on space assets. Further exacerbating these risks is the fact NATO doesn't "own" satellites, with its space systems essentially a mélange from member nations who happen to have that capability.
Covered Companies: NATO
Mentioned: N/A
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Space Enterprise Summit: As an Extraterrestrial Resident, does One Pay Taxes?
Summary: United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce Karen Dunn Kelley provided a few remarks during the co-hosted U.S. Department of Commerce's and State's Space Enterprise Summit last week. Some of the more interesting activities the DoC is working on: Improving public awareness of space's impact here on Earth (Impact of improved weather forecasting; Driving economic growth using global positioning system satellites); Involving non-STEM and more diverse professionals in the space workforce; Ensuring the safety and stability of the space environment; Creation of a civil space agency focused on space situational awareness The event was hosted in Washington, D.C. with the purpose of "forging partnerships" and promoting best practices, etc.
Covered Companies: N/A
Mentioned: N/A
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A Sea Change in Connectivity
Summary: This 2,500-word article in SatellitePro ME provides a pretty comprehensive primer on the maritime connectivity market, with lots of good statistics on the market's size growth, and growth drivers: The autonomous ship market is expected to grow at a 7% CAGR through 2030; The global VSAT market is projected to grow at a 13.3% CAGR through 2025, reaching $5.2 B; Equipment sales are expected to grow at a 12% CAGR over the next ten years.
Covered Companies: N/A
Mentioned: IEC Telecom, NSSL Global, Marlink
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U.S. GAO - NASA Human Space Exploration: Persistent Delays and Cost Growth Reinforce Concerns over Management of Programs
Summary: A sixty-page government report doesn't make for light reading. And perhaps the conclusions and recommendations from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) aren't that surprising. But maybe there's something to be admired about the nearly 30 years of persistent if futile, fingerpointing from the GAO about NASA's acquisition management problems.
Covered Companies: N/A
Mentioned: Boeing, Lockheed Martin
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State of the Space Industrial Base: Threats, Challenges and Actions
Summary: The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) released a 19-page white paper calling for "a unified and comprehensive national strategy that builds and continually refreshes a strong space industrial base."
Covered Companies: N/A
Mentioned: N/A
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$1 Trillion Space Economy? STPI Thinks Not
Summary: The Institute for Defense Analysis' (IDA) Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI) presented logical grounds for doubt surrounding extremely optimistic space economy forecasts a few years ago. The findings, provided to the U.S. Department of Commerce's Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES) on 4 June 2019, will be released in a report from STPI in a few weeks.
Covered Companies: N/A
Mentioned: Bank of America, Morgan Stanley
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