We’re advancing the Nation’s Space Data Network Backbone through a new Mission Operations Center in partnership with Golden Dome for America. The effort supports delivery of resilient, integrated connectivity across air, land, sea, and space.

A rare view of concerning activity in orbit. From Oct. 16–18, a Russian satellite made several close approaches to a U.S. commercial satellite. This image, collected by Vantor’s WorldView Space capability on Oct. 17, shows Russian Cosmos 2612 at an estimated distance of about 1 km from ICEYE-X36. “This image captures a reality long recognized by our national security leaders—space is becoming increasingly contested. Seeing one spacecraft repeatedly maneuver close to another raises serious concerns about capability and intent.”—Dan Smoot, Vantor CEO. With WorldView Space, Vantor’s non-Earth imaging capability lets us collect images of other spacecraft in orbit, helping us better understand how they’re operating and spot activity that warrants a closer look. Read @axios's exclusive coverage: Explore WorldView Space:

AFRL conducted a test of preliminary Rocket Cargo capabilities via @SpaceX Bandwagon-5 on a Falcon 9 launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station @SLDelta45. This test involved a SpaceX Starfall capsule loaded with #AFRL# agile cargo pods for point-to-point delivery missions.

🚀 All aboard the space rideshare! Two commercial partners hitched a ride into low Earth orbit on SpaceX Bandwagon-5 to test near real time spacecraft connectivity, moving NASA closer to modernizing science mission communications via commercial relay services. Read more:

The latest: The advance of Chinese and Russian anti-satellite capabilities led the United States to admit it has weapons in space, the Space Force's top officer said on Tuesday, adding context to Monday’s bombshell revelation by the Air Force secretary.

Space42 and Viasat said they'll invest up to $1 billion in the Equatys direct-to-device JV and keep the door open to third-party investors. Analysts say Rocket Lab is a prime candidate. Read more on Light Reading:

We made history. On just our second flight, we became the first commercial space company from Europe to deliver satellites into orbit. Mission 'Onward and Upward' successfully lifted off and deployed payloads into orbit. A new chapter for European spaceflight. More:

The Space Force’s FY27 budget request made headlines earlier this year at a record-breaking $71.3B. But the topline reflects a shift underway across the whole Pentagon, one the Space Force illustrates more sharply than any other service. Two new breakdowns, one from @AerospaceCorp's Center for Space Policy and Strategy and one from the @AEI, reach overlapping conclusions from different angles. Payload reporter @vicky_woodburn takes to Polaris with a deep dive on what the budget could mean for the rest of the space industry. Link below.

Bringing the best tech to our missions!🛰️We’re investing in a multi-vendor architecture to build the next gen of the Space Data Network. #USSF# has initiated a strategic partnership w/ 5 space companies to develop a highly resilient, open-architecture SDN.