2023
Spy Agency Uses Data from Space, Experience on the Ground to Win Battles, Save Lives with Maps
Seizing the high ground to see what lies ahead, a skill as old as warfare itself, has never been more important. Now, the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, the intelligence community’s mapmakers, are seizing the high ground of commercial space to augment the products they deliver to the military and first responders at disaster scenes.
NASA completes first laser communications beyond Moon
As scientific instruments get more precise and the private and public sectors work to send humans farther into space than ever before, space data transfers are more important than ever before.
Accelerated Launch Pace, Debris and AI Shape the 2024 Space Forecast
White House Authorization and Supervision Draft Legislation on Collision Course with Hill and Parts of Industry
Spacecraft Deployments Grew 23% in 2023 Despite Broadband Cooldown
With record launches for the third year running, it’s no surprise that the number of payloads reaching orbit is also skyrocketing. Spacecraft deployed in 2023 grew 23% to 2,891, bringing approximately 1.4 million kg of equipment to space.
Making the Case for a U.S. Space National Guard
American foreign policy is sitting on a razor’s edge. The United States now must walk a tightrope between maintaining global posture and avoiding global conflict.
University nanosatellite launches skyrocket over past decade
Universities across the globe are building an increasingly large presence in space by attaching student satellite projects to launches. Since the advent of nanosatellites and CubeSats, the barrier to space entry has never been lower for students.
Astronomers, Satellite Operators Work to Co-Exist in Busy Low Earth Orbit
Satellite constellations with units in the hundreds to thousands are causing visual and radio interference to astronomical observations across the world. These incidents coincide with astronomers’ calls for updated space policy and technology to preserve their data.
Up to 14 Large Rockets and Tiny Competitors Are Poised for Launch in 2024
Space leaders in 2023 pondered a lack of launch vehicles to lift anticipated swarms of satellites to orbit. But 2024 could bring relief.
Led by Sharp Uptick in Commercial Demand and U.S. Space Launches, All-time Records Topple for Attempts and Successful Space Flights in 2023
In what was the busiest year of the Space Age, 2023 set records with 223 launch attempts and 212 successful launches. A sharp uptick in commercial space launches drove much of the increase, with the highest number of launches coming from the United States.