Space Force to build satellites for Earth-moon space
The Space Force disclosed plans Monday to build satellites capable of operating in the large area between Earth and the moon known as cislunar space.
Collaboration SPACE
America finds itself in Space Race 2.0 as humanity grows ever more dependent on the advanced technology in orbit and the lines between civil operations and national security are increasingly blurred. Threat Status at The Washington Times delivers in-depth and exclusive coverage as the great power competition for dominance accelerates across the 21st Century Frontier, with China, Russia and others challenging the United States as the world leader in the futuristic domain.
Artemis II mission may have caused atmospheric disturbances, disrupted GPS signals
Engine burns by NASA’s Artemis II rocket and spacecraft this spring disturbed Earth’s upper atmosphere and disrupted signals from satellites, including GPS, according to a preprint study.
Elon Musk claims Starlink restrictions in Ukraine closed a ‘loophole’ against militarized use
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says his company restricted Ukraine’s Starlink internet service after Kyiv violated the terms of service for the communications satellite system by using it for offensive military purposes.
NASA adopting Apollo’s urgency to build a moon base and land astronauts within two years
NASA is moving fast on its plans to build a moon base and return astronauts to the lunar surface in as little as two years.
Elon Musk ordered Starlink slowdown in Ukraine during Russian attacks: Report
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk ordered a slowdown of the military-grade version of the Starlink communication satellite network that Ukraine uses in its war with Russia, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday
Space war was 85 feet away before Russia’s retreat
Space analysts and national security insiders say the Russian satellite Cosmos 2612 likely intended to attack a key U.S. radar satellite in what would have been the first instance of warfare in orbit, but that the Kremlin may have called off the operation at the eleventh hour.
U.S. Space Force establishes special operations command unit
The U.S. Space Force last week announced the activation of U.S. Space Forces Special Operations Command.
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket hauling small satellites set for Tuesday launch
SpaceX plans to launch its Falcon 9 rocket Tuesday morning as part of the company’s “rideshare” program.
Musk pledges to give a share of his SpaceX company to ‘every kid in America’
Elon Musk on Monday pledged to give one share of his company SpaceX to “every kid in America” next year.
Japan to launch spacecraft on a mission to get samples from a Martian moon
Japan is set to launch a spacecraft on the world’s first mission to bring back samples from Phobos, one of the two small, potato-shaped moons orbiting Mars.
Russian satellite stokes fears of space warfare, comes within 100 feet of key U.S. radar satellite
A mysterious Russian satellite came within less than 100 feet of a key U.S.-Finnish radar satellite Sunday, according to publicly available tracking data, stoking fears that Moscow may be preparing to launch attacks in orbit and kick off an era of kinetic space warfare.
The case for putting data centers in orbit, and why it probably does not work yet
A refrigerator-size satellite carrying four Google AI chips reached orbit Oct. 1. It is the first flight test of Google’s plan to someday run artificial intelligence data centers in space.
Margaret Hamilton, who led software team for Apollo missions, dies at 90
Margaret Hamilton, the computer scientist who led the MIT team that wrote onboard flight software for NASA’s Apollo moon missions, died Sept. 30. She was 90.
Splash down: Four astronauts return to Earth after eight months in space
Four astronauts returned to Earth from the International Space Station on Thursday after hurrying there eight months ago to replace an ailing colleague and his crew.
Lack of transparency in what space weapons nations are pursuing and even on what’s already in orbit
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink made headlines recently by confirming the United States has deployed weapons in space. He did not, however, detail what the weapons were, how they work or if they were targeting other objects in space.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 launches 4 crew members to International Space Station
Four crew members aboard NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission launched at 11:10 A.M. EDT Thursday, Oct. 1, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, beginning a science expedition to the International Space Station, NASA announced.
SpaceX launches 4 astronauts on a fast track to the International Space Station
Four astronauts rocketed into orbit Thursday on a space station mission that will stretch until spring, among them a Canadian whose wife will give birth while he’s away.
Exclusive tour: From Army missiles to Saturn V at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center
The Threat Status team was given an exclusive tour during OPERATION Huntsville. Follow Defense Tech Reporter John T. Seward as he gets the inside scoop from curator and space historian Ed Stewart.
NASA ramps up support to get Boeing’s astronaut capsule flying after Butch and Suni fiasco
NASA is throwing extra support and money behind Boeing’s troubled astronaut capsule to get it fixed and flying again as soon as possible.
NASA welcomes four new nations to Artemis Accords, reaching 76 signatories
NASA welcomed four new Artemis Accords signatories — Albania, Croatia, Cote d’Ivoire and San Marino — bringing total participation to 76 countries, the agency announced.
SpaceX’s supersized Starship launches toward orbit for the first time
SpaceX launched its enormous Starship into orbit for the first time Monday, aiming for six full laps around Earth to prove its readiness for NASA’s Artemis moon program.
LISTEN: Inside the mission to the far side of the moon
Mike Creech of Firefly Aerospace joins the show to talk about the company’s upcoming mission to the far side of the moon and what the 21st-century space economy will actually look like.
Judge won’t block Trump from giving SpaceX acres of wildlife refuge in land swap
A federal judge on Monday refused to block the Trump administration from giving SpaceX more than 700 acres (280 hectares) of wildlife refuge as part of a land swap in Texas, while environmental groups vowed to continue their legal challenge.
How Honeywell Aerospace is racing to out-produce America’s missile shortage
Honeywell’s Matt Milas joins Threat Status from the floor of AFA 2026 to break down the tech keeping the U.S. military ahead.
Does the U.S. have weapons in space? Yes, and it’s preparing for battles near the moon
Yes, the U.S. military is preparing to fight wars that could stretch to the moon. The nation’s top general says troops must be ready for combat in “cislunar space” — and it comes just days after officials confirmed the U.S. already has weapons in orbit.
U.S. must be ready to win battles in space, around moon, Joint Chiefs chairman says
The U.S. must be ready to fight and win 21st-century battles on or around the moon, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a major speech Wednesday, as the once-futuristic idea of warfare in space edges closer to reality.
How ULA’s 2.4 million-square-foot Alabama plant builds the Vulcan Centaur
National Security Editor Guy Taylor sits down with Dan Caughran, Senior Vice President of Production Operations, and Gary Wentz, Vice President of Atlas and Vulcan Programs, for a rare look at how the Vulcan Centaur rocket comes together. This project was made in partnership with ULA.
Man admits role in $2 million scheme to send aerospace parts to Russia
Andrei Samuilovski, 32, a citizen of Estonia, Switzerland, and Russia, pleaded guilty to conspiring to illegally export U.S.-origin aviation and aerospace parts to Russia in violation of U.S. sanctions, according to court documents.
U.S. military rolls out ‘on orbit’ space weapons, other advances amid war with Iran
The U.S. is developing advanced space weapons and rapidly building the Golden Dome missile shield, key Pentagon officials said Monday, even as military leaders announced new steps to protect American airpower assets from low-cost drone and missile attacks by Iran or other adversaries.
U.S. announces new space weapon and strategic missile testing
Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink revealed Monday that the U.S. military now has an “on-orbit” space weapon.
WATCH: Retired Lt. Gen. Burt Field on AFA’s mission ahead of Air, Space and Cyber Conference
As AFA’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference kicks off, retired Lt. Gen. Burt Field — president and CEO of the Air and Space Forces Association — joins Guy Taylor of Threat Status to break down the organization’s 80-year mission.
Artemis II moonshot commander and pilot are hanging up their astronaut suits at NASA
The two NASA astronauts who led the Artemis II moonshot earlier this year are stepping away from spaceflight.
America’s satellites keep the military running. It doesn’t have enough engineers to fix them
The U.S. faces a “severe” shortage of qualified engineers and technicians needed to rebuild or replace satellites targeted by China or Russia in a theoretical 21st-century war in space, according to a major new report from the Rand Corp.
Honeywell Aerospace to pay $2 million to settle cybersecurity fraud claims
Honeywell Aerospace Inc. has agreed to pay $2,042,518 to resolve allegations that it is liable under the False Claims Act for failing to comply with cybersecurity requirements in a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense, the Justice Department announced.
NASA’s Roman Space Telescope begins million-mile journey for dark matter, dark energy and exoplanets
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launched Sunday at 7:26 a.m. EDT aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, beginning a three-month, million-mile journey to its final orbit, according to NASA.
Russia having difficulties creating its own version of Starlink system, says think tank report
Russian satellites are failing to reach the required altitudes to create its own version of SpaceX’s Starlink system, the Institute for the Study of War said this week.
NASA’s newest space telescope launches on a quest to explore the hidden universe
NASA’s newest crown jewel blasted off Sunday to hunt for planets around other stars, explore secret dark energy and survey the cosmos like never before.
LISTEN: Why innovation is key to America’s warfighting edge
Lt. Gen. John Rafferty, the commander of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, joins the show from the recent Space and Missile Defense Symposium in Alabama.
NASA chief revives idea of moving data centers into orbit
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman on Wednesday suggested relocating data centers to Earth orbit, framing the move as a way to sidestep growing public anger over the facilities’ environmental and economic toll in American communities.
5 questions about SpaceX’s new Louisiana spaceport
SpaceX plans to spend $100 billion on a massive new Louisiana spaceport capable of supporting thousands of rocket launches a year — but not everyone is convinced the state is moving at the right pace.
BOOK REVIEW: ‘New Space Capitalism: The Entrepreneurial Path to the Stars’
Suppose China were to reach Mars with a manned mission before the United States.
Elon Musk’s space company to build new rocket launching site in Louisiana
Elon Musk’s space company plans to spend $100 billion to build a massive new spaceport in Louisiana to launch rockets, state officials and the company announced Tuesday.
WATCH: Astronauts conduct repairs outside the International Space Station
NASA astronaut Anil Menon and ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot conducted a spacewalk outside the ISS on Tuesday to complete repairs on a critical communications antenna.
China abruptly postpones ambitious Chang’e-7 lunar mission launch
China said on Sunday it was postponing its planned ambitious Chang’e-7 lunar mission, which was set to carry out explorations including searching for water ice on the moon.