Lifeboat Foundation

WASHINGTON — The Australian Department of Defence announced the cancellation of its JP9102 military satellite program, an estimated $5 billion project awarded to Lockheed Martin just 18 months ago, citing shifts in satellite technology and the market’s pivot toward multi-orbit space communications.

The cancellation of Australia’s JP9102 satellite program is yet another sign of the disruptive impact that low Earth orbit space internet services, led by the rapid growth of SpaceX’s Starlink, are having on the traditional satellite communications industry and government procurement models.

JP9102, or Defence Joint Project 9,102, was launched in 2021 with plans to develop between three to five geostationary satellites and ground systems, marking one of Australia’s most ambitious space infrastructure ventures.

Israel expects its “Iron Beam” laser defense system to be operational within one year, saying it will bring “a new era of warfare” as it engages in a war of drones and missiles with Iran and its regional partners.

The Jewish state spent more than $500 million on deals this week with Israeli developers Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, architect of Israel’s Iron Dome, and Elbit Systems to expand production of the shield. Dubbed the Iron Beam, the shield aims to use high-power lasers to counter an array of projectiles, including missiles, drones, rockets and mortars, Israel’s defense ministry said this week.

“It heralds the beginning of a new era in warfare,” Eyal Zamir, director general of the defense ministry, said in a statement this week. “The initial capability of the ground-based laser system… is expected to enter operational service within one year,” he said.

WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin Corp announced Oct. 30 it has completed the acquisition of small satellite manufacturer Terran Orbital. The approximately $450 million acquisition deal deepens Lockheed Martin’s foothold in the commercial satellite sector and culminates a partnership that began in 2017.

The acquisition positions Lockheed to leverage Terran’s expertise in low-cost satellite production for both military and commercial ventures. Lockheed Martin stressed that Terran Orbital, now rebranded as “Terran Orbital, a Lockheed Martin Company,” will continue to operate as a merchant supplier for the broader space industry.

The completed acquisition caps Lockheed Martin’s years-long relationship with Terran Orbital, formerly Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems. The smallsat specialist, founded in 2011, initially focused on nanosatellites and cubesats, but transitioned to building larger satellite platforms after it rebranded in 2022. That shift in focus followed Terran Orbital’s public listing through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) merger, which aimed to accelerate its commercial growth.

Researchers have developed a new detector that analyzes antineutrinos emitted by nuclear reactors to monitor their activities from great distances.

This technology, which utilizes the phenomena of Cherenkov radiation, could revolutionize how we ensure reactors are not producing material for nuclear weapons, despite challenges from other environmental antineutrinos.

Nuclear Fission and Antimatter Monitoring.

Humanity could use a nuclear bomb to deflect a massive, life-threatening asteroid hurtling towards Earth in the future, according to scientists who tested the theory in the laboratory by blasting X-rays at a marble-sized ‘mock asteroid’

The system that produced this outburst is referred to as CXOU J005245.0–722844. It was recently identified by members of the Einstein Probe team and confirmed by the Swift team as the seventh-known example of a Be/White Dwarf X-ray binary. Be/White Dwarf binaries are binary systems in which a white dwarf star orbits a hot young star surrounded by a disk of stellar material. Astronomers expect these binaries to be commonly observed, Gaudin said, and the lack of known examples is a mystery.

“Novae are explosions that happen when material from a nearby star is deposited onto the surface of a white dwarf,” Gaudin said. “After enough material has been built up, the surface undergoes rapid thermonuclear fusion which creates the outburst. Most novae are events that reach moderate luminosities and decay over the course of several weeks. This nova is strange not just in its extremely luminous behavior but also in its short duration.”

The thermonuclear reaction during the nova is similar to a massive hydrogen bomb exploding—the explosion produces electromagnetic radiation that can be seen by telescopes on Earth and in orbit around Earth. According to the researchers, the nova was visible at optical wavelengths, or visible light, for just under a week and in X-rays for just under two weeks.

Nets wont do it, nets wont cut it, and to me, nets say: we dont know and we sorta give up. We need One System to be able to engage All Types and All Classes of drones, w/ EMF — RF jammers, Microwaves, Lasers, Projectiles, and Missiles. All acting simultaneously, to engage a So Called Drone Swarm.

U.S. Air Force officials at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia are looking at installing anti-drone nets to help protect F-22 Raptor stealth fighters on the flightline. This comes nearly a year after the base was subjected to waves of still-mysterious drone incursions, which The War Zone was first to report. It also underscores the U.S. military’s continued lag when it comes to responding to the very real threats posed by uncrewed aerial systems, at home and aboard, and particular hurdles to doing so domestically.

Langley’s 633rd Contracting Squadron put out a notice on October 4 asking for information about potential counter-drone netting that could be installed around up to 42 existing open-ended sunshade-type shelters at the base. Langley, now technically part of Joint Base Langley-Eustis, is one of a select few bases to host F-22s and is a key component of the Air Force’s posture to defend the U.S. homeland.

Continue reading “Protective Nets To Shield F-22s Eyed For Airbase Swarmed By Mystery Drones” »

Intelsat executive says pilot program shows benefits of outsourcing satcom, but defense procurement may be slow to shift.

France and Germany are joining the coalition at a time of heightened tension in space, with both China and Russia demonstrating their ability to disrupt or destroy satellites. Operation Olympic Defender aims to deter such actions through collective defense, shared intelligence, and the promotion of international norms for responsible space activity.

Germany’s official entry into Operation Olympic Defender was marked by a formal ceremony in Berlin, where Whiting joined Lt. Gen. Gunter Schneider, director-general for military strategy and operations at the German Ministry of Defence, and representatives from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

“Space is truly a team sport. The addition of Germany to our roster of growing like-minded partners contributes to our collective ability to address the growing threats in the domain,” said Whiting.