Coverage of military, defense, and national security space programs

SpaceX and Blue Origin have abruptly shifted focus from Mars and sub‑orbital tourism to lunar development, aligning with the Pentagon’s Golden Dome missile‑shield program. SpaceX announced plans for a moon city and is eyeing a potential $2 billion contract to launch a 600‑satellite constellation for missile tracking. Blue Origin paused its New Shepard flights, emphasizing lunar logistics and has been added to the Defense Department’s SHIELD contract pool. Both moves coincide with a 2025 White House order targeting a lunar return by 2028 and a missile‑shield prototype by 2028.

The Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has issued a solicitation for low‑cost commercial satellites capable of high‑resolution space‑to‑space imaging to monitor objects in geosynchronous orbit (GEO). The program, dubbed Ghost Recon, requires launch within two years, government ownership after three,...

The U.S. Space Force is rolling out SWORD, a cloud‑enabled synthetic training platform that replicates contested space operations, including orbital dynamics, electronic warfare, cyber effects, and adversary tactics. Demonstrated in large‑scale exercises like Space Flag, SWORD blends digital models with...

Space Launch Delta 30 has issued a Request for Information to commercial launch providers to develop Space Launch Complex‑14 at Vandenberg Space Force Base. The proposed pad would be the first dedicated super‑heavy launch complex on the West Coast, capable of...

The U.S. Space Force is entering 2026 amid heightened competition from China and Russia, shifting from support roles to full‑spectrum warfighting. A 2025 US‑China Economic and Security Review Commission report highlights China’s 1,060‑plus operational satellites and its push to dominate...

The U.S. Space Force has launched an SBIR solicitation to develop compact, high‑performance boost‑phase interceptors that can destroy ballistic missiles within the atmosphere. The program seeks high‑G propulsion, advanced seekers, and low‑SWaP designs capable of intercepting missiles below 120 km in...

Norway’s Kongsberg and Germany’s Helsing have signed a teaming agreement to build a sovereign European satellite constellation for intelligence, surveillance and targeting, targeting operational capability by 2029. The fleet will combine Kongsberg’s satellite platforms with Helsing’s AI‑driven image analysis, while...