DefenceTalkForty years after US president Ronald Reagan stunned the nation and world with his “Star Wars” plan to take nuclear competition into outer space, a new battle of the satellites has emerged in the stratosphere. Largely because it far outpaced technology at the time, very little became of Reagan’s March 23, 1983 declaration that the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/reagans-star-wars-at-40-battle-of-the-satellites-79964/

DefenceTalkBlackSky Technology Inc. (NYSE: BKSY) received a $4.4 million award from the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) to support the second phase of the multi-year Space-based Machine Automated Recognition Technique (SMART) Program. “As part of our work, BlackSky created a high-performance MLOps (machine learning operations) framework that was ultimately selected to perform as the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/blacksky-to-provide-advanced-ai-for-space-based-dynamic-monitoring-79107/

DefenceTalkThe United States announced a commitment to stop testing anti-satellite missiles that generate dangerous debris in space, a measure described Tuesday as “an important step” by the head of NASA. The United States, the first country to make such a pledge, has encouraged other nations to follow its lead, with the goal of establishing “a […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-pledges-to-end-anti-satellite-missile-tests-78703/

DefenceTalkThe U.S. Air and Space Force, in collaboration with the security research community, opened registration April 8 for the qualification round of the third annual Space Security Challenge: Hack-A-Sat satellite hacking competition. Hack-A-Sat enables and encourages security researchers of all levels to focus their skills, creativity and innovative thinking on solving cybersecurity challenges of space […]https://www.defencetalk.com/space-security-challenge-2022-hack-a-sat-3-registration-opens-78709/

DefenceTalkEarlier in the week, Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin refuted claims that the Russian space agency had allegedly “lost control” of its satellites, stressing that any cyberattacks against the country’s satellites are a “casus belli”. Russia will stop deliveries of rocket engines to the United States, Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin announced Thursday. “Not only are we […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-stops-deliveries-of-rocket-engines-to-us-roscosmos-head-says-78276/

DefenceTalkRussia’s space agency Roscosmos said Thursday it will be changing its program to prioritize making satellites for military purposes as Moscow becomes increasingly isolated following its invasion of Ukraine. “Our space program, of course, will be adjusted. Firstly, priorities will be set,” Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin said in an interview with Russian state TV. “The […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-to-prioritize-making-military-satellites-78279/

DefenceTalkTwo emerging Australian space startups – AICRAFT and Antaris Space Space – have signed of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to test new Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) models in space, with the goal of developing and space-qualifying new computational capabilities for satellite-based applications. Under the MoU the two startups, who are both members […]https://www.defencetalk.com/australian-startups-join-forces-to-test-ai-computing-in-space-78265/

DefenceTalkChina has stated the United States is in no position to unilaterally set thresholds for emergency collision after the US rejected the charge its Starlink satellites endangered China’s space station. Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a daily news briefing on Thursday, saying such rhetoric by the US did not show a […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-hits-back-at-us-after-satellite-near-misses-77935/

DefenceTalkSwarms of hundreds or thousands of small satellites are increasingly used for bringing data and internet services to Earth. To position, communicate and dispose such large amounts of satellites, Artificial Intelligence is getting increasingly important. To enable a large-scale use of Artificial Intelligence in orbit, RUAG Space, Europe’s leading supplier to the space industry, and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/enabling-artificial-intelligence-on-satellites-77774/

DefenceTalkThe James Webb Space Telescope fully deployed its tennis-court sized sunshield Tuesday, a critical milestone for the success of its mission to study every phase of cosmic history, NASA said. “All five layers of the sunshield are fully tensioned,” said an announcer at the observatory’s control center in Baltimore, where team members cheered, a live […]https://www.defencetalk.com/webb-telescope-fully-deploys-sunshield-in-mission-milestone-77615/