| | | | Steely Newsletter Issue #005 |
| How SpaceX alumni are now thriving in the startup space, MIT's new Cyber-Hardened Satellite Software, the head of the US Space Command is ‘getting tired of excuses’ relating to poor satellite monitoring, and much more! |
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| | | Via Satellite | Rebecca Heilweil | 03-28-2023 As SpaceX marks its third decade in the private space industry and cements its position as a leading company, a group of individuals who gained experience at the startup in its formative years are seeking to carve out their own niches in the space sector. According to a website that monitors SpaceX alumni, there are presently many companies established or co-founded by former SpaceX staff. These firms have collectively raised $3.6 billion, with a significant portion of the funding coming in recent years. |
| Tech Crunch | Aria Alamalhodaei | 04-06-2023 True Anomaly, a startup founded by former Space Force members in Colorado, plans to launch intelligence-gathering pursuit satellites to orbit this year amid escalating tensions between the US and China. The company aims to supply the Pentagon with defensive technology to safeguard American assets in space and to conduct reconnaissance on enemy spacecraft. |
| Gizmodo | Passant Rabie | 04-04-2023 One of the mini Starlink satellites launched by SpaceX failed to maintain orbit and fell back to Earth off the coast of California, burning up upon reentry. The Starlink Insider was one of the first to observe that a newly deployed group of satellites was descending out of orbit instead of ascending as expected. |
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| 🛡️Satellite Cybersecurity News |
| Inc. | Heather Wilde | 04-05-2023 Space cybersecurity is a rapidly growing market that provides opportunities for small businesses to showcase their expertise. The annual Hack-A-Sat competition, organized by the US Department of the Air Force, offers small businesses a chance to learn from top talent and gain hands-on experience with real space systems, enhancing their offerings and competitiveness. Participation in such events can help small businesses stay ahead of emerging threats and foster collaboration with talented individuals globally. |
| The Cyber Edge | Richard W. Skowyra | 03-31-2023 MIT Lincoln Laboratory and the Space Cyber-Resiliency group at Air Force Research Laboratory have developed a spaceflight software platform called Cyber-Hardened Satellite Software (CHSS). CHSS is secure-by-design and prioritizes security, recoverability, and performance in space mission applications. The platform has been evaluated against a U.S. Space Force mission and is being extended to support hybrid space vehicle architectures. CHSS has the potential to improve the cyber-resiliency of space systems and reduce the burden of defensive cyber operations. |
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| | | Via Satellite | 03-28-2023 The US Space Force is developing a strategy called Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS), which requires the ability to augment satellite capabilities quickly during a conflict. The effort is supported by the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, and the Space Force is stressing the importance of industry advancements in achieving a tactically responsive space mission. |
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| 🏛️US Government Satellite News |
| The Register | Dan Robinson | 04-05-2023 The US government has released a strategy for low-Earth orbit (LEO) research and development, planning for a shift from the International Space Station (ISS) to privately-owned successors. The National Science and Technology Council aims for continued US leadership in space research, expanding international partnerships, and ensuring "equitable access" to LEO for peaceful and commercial activities. |
| Breaking Defense | Theresa Hitchens | 04-06-2023 The US Space Command is still lacking "coherent battle management" capabilities and modern decision-making tools to monitor objects in orbit, despite the urgent need for it. Maj. Gen. David Miller, SPACECOM's director of operations, training and force development, expressed frustration with the lack of progress in fulfilling this requirement. SPACECOM needs an orbital map that is similar to the widely available interactive maps of ships' real-time locations at sea. |
| Space News | Sandra Erwin | 04-05-2023 The Space Development Agency (SDA) has launched its first 10 satellites, marking a significant step forward in the U.S. military's plan to deploy a mega-constellation of satellites. The satellites are part of a projected mesh network of hundreds of small satellites in low Earth orbit, known as the proliferated warfighter space architecture, that includes interconnected communications satellites and missile-detection and warning sensor satellites. |
| Space News | Sandra Erwin | 03-03-2023 The US Defense Department has released updated guidelines for safe and responsible space operations, reflecting recommendations from the US Space Command. The guidelines include five "tenets of responsible behavior in space" and specific behaviors for each tenet. These guidelines were developed in consultation with the military services, DoD leaders, the National Reconnaissance Office, the Department of State, and the National Security Council staff. |
| Defense One | Audrey Decker | 04-04-2023 The Space Development Agency (SDA) is worried about cyber threats to the ground stations that control its larger satellite constellations in multiple orbits. Derek Tournear, SDA’s director, said that common mode failures could potentially take out all of the satellites, making cyber protection a major concern for the agency. SDA recently launched 10 satellites into low-Earth orbit as part of its plan to build a proliferated space architecture with hundreds of satellites in different orbits. |
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