Geopolitics

Kayhan Space has named seasoned military and space intel veteran Mark Mueller as Vice President of Government Growth to lead the company’s development and delivery of Space Domain Awareness (SDA) and Action, plus Offensive and Defensive Space Control solutions for a range of classified and unclassified Government missions. 

The Government of Norway has reversed its decision to close the Andoya Spaceport as it intends to develop the spaceport into a base for long-range drones. This will consequently make the Andoya Spaceport central to the support and development of the Norwegian Armed Forces' space operations. As a result, there will still be a daily military presence at the Spaceport as it becomes an important airbase for allied reception. 

On 12 March 2024, the Prague Security Studies Institute hosted a public online guest lecture with Dr. John Klein, Senior Fellow and Strategist at the Falcon Research, Inc. on the topic of “Space and Irregular Warfare”. In Part 1, we will review the key concepts that underwrite the theory and practice of irregular warfare in space.

The 2024 State of the Union Address was given by the 46th President of the United States, Joe Biden, on March 7, 2024, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the House of Representatives to the 118th Congress. Since it took place only two weeks after the “successful” landing of NASA CLPS Intuitive Machine M1 Odysseus on the Moon, and as anticipated during a re-election campaign, many were curious about how the President would capitalize on recent US geopolitical and economic forays in space. Why not even expect the presence of NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, astronauts, and space CEOs, among the honoured invitees? But while the SOTU address did cover essential domestic political ground, there was not one word about space! But how is that even possible?!

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. has signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense's (DoD) Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to conduct a trade study on its capabilities to rapidly launch Firefly's Elytra vehicles and support missions beyond Geosynchronous Orbit, referred to as xGEO. Once complete, the trade study will provide the groundwork for up to two Firefly demonstration missions that will advance the DoD's responsive access to xGEO.

ESA has signed contracts with several European companies for an overall amount of € 233 million to develop Genesis and a LEO-PNT demonstrator, two new missions within the FutureNAV program that will keep Europe at the forefront of satellite navigation worldwide.

Startical has selected NanoAvionics and GomSpace satellites to carry out the concept trials of its constellation, which will take air traffic control to space. The mission will take place after the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has given the green light to the use of aeronautical communications from space. As a result, the company will test the communication and surveillance systems of its future constellation of over 270 satellites set to provide air traffic services from space.

In this Space Café Radio episode, SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening spoke with Dr Daniel Eriksson, Chief Executive Officer of Transparency International, about the use and potential of space technology to fight corruption and the danger of being a victim of corruption. Transparency International is the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption. To end the devastating impact corruption has on men, women and children around the world, we bring people together in a powerful worldwide coalition. Transparency’s mission is to create change towards a world free of corruption.