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☆ Space Force Guardians became the first 'space cowboys' after completing the Army's rigorous spur ride challenges
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Thomas Novelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Three Space Force Guardians earned their spurs after finishing a series of rigorous combat tests. They completed the Army Cavalry Spur Ride, becoming the US military's first 'space cowboys.' AdvertisementA US Space Force spur ride candidate hydrates during a spur ride at Fort Bliss, Texas. AdvertisementUS Space Force spur ride candidates move a litter with a BGM-71 TOW, low crawling through the sand at Fort Bliss, Texas. A US Space Force spur ride candidate takes a breather before continuing through an obstacle during a spur ride at Fort Bliss, Texas.

Persons: —, Bliss, Bradley Evans, Military.com, Evans, David Poleski, Jordan Savage, Savage, Jackson Jennings, Dan Reynolds, there's, It's, I'm Organizations: Space Force Guardians, Army Cavalry, US, Service, Stetson, Army, Space Force, White, Guardians, Spc, Space Systems Command, Garmin, Force, US Space Force, Fort, Space Force Guardian, Ranger, — Locations: West Texas, El Paso , Texas, Fort Bliss , Texas, Los Angeles, rucking, Fort Jackson, South Carolina

☆ Boeing Starliner launch set to kick off long-awaited mission with NASA crew
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Two NASA astronauts have reached the final hours before a long-awaited launch attempt aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule, marking the first crewed mission of the brand-new spacecraft. This mission, dubbed the Crew Flight Test, could be the final major milestone before NASA deems Boeing’s spacecraft ready for routine operations as part of the federal agency’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronauts Suni Williams (left) Butch Wilmore pose after they arrived at the Kennedy Space Center on April 25, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, ahead of the Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test. The two will then return home aboard the same Starliner capsule, which is expected to parachute to a landing at one of several designated locations across the southwestern United States. SpaceX ultimately beat Boeing to the launchpad, carrying out its crewed flight test of the Crew Dragon capsule in May 2020.

Persons: SpaceX’s, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, Terry Renna, Bill Nelson, “, Butch, Suni, Williams, Starliner, ”, Mark Nappi, ” Nappi Organizations: CNN, NASA, Cape Canaveral Space Force, International Space, Russian Soyuz, Kennedy Space Center, Boeing, Atlas, SpaceX, International Locations: Florida, United States, Russian, Cape Canaveral , Florida, Starliner

☆ Air National Guard leaders say proposal to move units to Space Force poses 'existential threat' to US national security
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Thomas Novelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The US Air National Guard rebuke a proposal to shift space mission units to the Space Force. "Our internal survey indicates about 70% of our personnel would retrain or retire rather than join the Space Force," Air Force Col. Michael Griesbaum, commander of the Alaska Air National Guard's 168th Wing, told reporters Friday. Airmen from the Colorado Air National Guard load equipment onto a C-17 Globemaster before departing for temporary duty in Washington, DC. AdvertisementBut Air National Guard leaders have expressed concern, saying it would set a clear precedent for other services to potentially take more resources from the National Guard model. "If LP 480 is successful, it will open the door to a wholesale harvesting of National Guard resources, both from the Air National Guard and the Army National Guard to the regular components."

Persons: —, Michael Griesbaum, Chance Johnson, Military.com, Air Force Frank Kendall, Alex Wong, Frank Kendall, We've, Kendall, Griesbaum, Jason Carr, Robert Brown, Jacob Hancock Kendall, Michael Bruno Organizations: US Air National Guard, Space Force, Guardsmen, Service, Air National Guard, Hawaii Air National Guards, Air Force, Space Force Guardians, " Air Force, Alaska Air National, Airmen, Colorado Air National Guard, Tech, National Governors Association, United States Space Force, Rayburn House, Capitol, Getty Images Air Force, Army Guard, National Guard, Army National Guard, United States Space Command, Space Development, Air National Guardsmen, Air Force Staff, Colorado Air National, 233rd Space Group, Department of, National Guardsmen, Florida Air National Guard, Cape Canaveral Space Force, Guard, Brig, Colorado National Guard Locations: Alaska , Colorado, United States, Washington , DC, Niagara Falls , New York, Alaska , California , Colorado , Florida, Hawaii , New York, Ohio, Florida

☆ In a high-stakes test, Boeing will launch NASA astronauts to space for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

After years of delays, Boeing is finally set to launch two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station on its Starliner spacecraft. ET, atop an Atlas V rocket at Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita Williams will pilot the Starliner on its inaugural crewed flight — a crucial final test before NASA can authorize Boeing to conduct routine flights to and from the space station for the agency. If successful, the flight will enable Boeing to challenge the dominance held by Elon Musk's SpaceX, which has been ferrying NASA astronauts to and from the orbiting outpost since 2020. At a preflight briefing last week, Wilmore said safety is paramount and that previous Starliner launch attempts — both uncrewed and crewed — were delayed because the capsule simply was not ready until now.

Persons: Astronauts Barry, Butch, Wilmore, Sunita Williams, Elon Musk's Organizations: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, United, Alliance, Boeing's, NASA's Boeing, Cape Canaveral Space Force, Boeing, International, Atlas, Canaveral Space Force, Astronauts, Elon, Elon Musk's SpaceX Locations: Florida

☆ The Russian Army may have defeated Ukraine — if it had followed its own manual
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

It is also evidence of a major reason why Russian troops have often fought poorly in the Ukraine war: they are not following their own playbook. Artem Priakhin/Getty ImagesAssessing current Russian doctrine is difficult. However, the problem may not have been Russian doctrine as much as the overall strategy of the Ukraine war. "There are plenty of aspects to their defense that are entirely consistent with their historical practice and doctrine," Boston said. If the Russian military was that bad, then maybe the Ukrainian military wasn't that good?

Persons: Scott Boston, Artem Priakhin, wouldn't, Ukraine's, Michael Peck Organizations: US, RAND Corp, Kyiv, Russian Army, Aerospace Forces, Warsaw, Kyiv —, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Boston, St . Petersburg, Soviet, Western Europe, Iraq, Forbes

☆ While Boeing's passenger planes glitch, NASA is entrusting the company's spaceship with 2 astronauts' lives
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Boeing is about to fly NASA astronauts to the International Space Station for the first time. Still, the FAA, NASA, and other aerospace experts have questioned Boeing's overall safety culture. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams conduct suited operations in the Boeing Starliner simulator at NASA's Johnson Space Center. This Crew Flight Test mission is over a decade in the making. He added that those calculations are for a full 210-day mission, while Whilmore's and Williams's test flight lasts just one week.

Persons: —, NASA's Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, Robert Markowitz They're, jetliner, AeroSystems, Bill Nelson, Kim Shiflett, George Nield, Bjorn Fehrm, Fehrm, KPIs, Doug Loverro, Baz Ratner, Bill Ingalls, Steve Stich, Nield, We've, Wilmore, Starliner, Whitmore, Williams Organizations: Boeing, NASA, International Space Station, FAA, Service, Defense, Boeing's, International Space, Space Center, ISS, Max, NTSB, AP, Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Justice, Atlas, Cape Canaveral Space Force, Space Transportation, New York Times, Leeham, Business, Ethiopian, Ethiopian Airlines, Aerospace, Committee, White, Bill Ingalls NASA, US, Spaceflight Locations: Portland, Florida, It's, New Mexico

☆ China's true military spending in 2022 was likely worth $711 billion, or 'nearly equal' to the US military budget that year: US think tank
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A new report says China's $229 billion military budget in 2022 was actually equivalent to $711 billion. AdvertisementIn June 2023, Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska warned Congress that China's military was catching up to America's faster than previously imagined. That makes Beijing's spending in 2022 "nearly equal" to the US defense budget of about $740 billion that year, wrote Eaglen, a senior fellow at AEI. Using that factor, Eaglen wrote that it's highly likely China's spending on personnel that year was worth $293 billion of US military spending. US military spending is also often cited as higher than the actual defense budget.

Persons: —, Sen, Dan Sullivan, Mackenzie Eaglen, Sullivan, Eaglen, haven't Organizations: AEI, Service, Republican, American Enterprise Institute, Pentagon, Beijing, United Nations, Labor, US Army, People's Armed Police, Liberation Army's, Publishing, Getty, China's, Guard Locations: Alaska, Beijing, Washington, China, Nanning, South, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous, United States

☆ CNN gets a rare look at the Iranian missiles and drones that hit Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Fred Pleitgen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But he’s more than happy to show the missiles and drones Iran used in its first ever attack against Israel launched directly from Iranian soil. Iran’s attack on Israel included drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. “NATO, The United States and Arab countries of the region wanted to create barriers for our drones, missiles and cruise missiles, but they failed,” Belali says. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari said that ballistic missiles that reached Israel fell on the airbase and caused only light structural damage. Shahed attack drones on an unmarked truck at an Iranian Revolutionary Guards exhibit in Tehran, Iran on May 1, 2024.

Persons: Tehran CNN —, ”, General Ali Belali, ” Belali, Israel, Belali, Jordan, Fred Pleitgen, Daniel Hagari, John Krzyzaniak, Lockheed Martin Organizations: Tehran CNN, Revolutionary Guard, Islamic, Israel, CNN, Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Revolutionary Guard Aerospace Forces, NATO, Israel Defense Forces, Washington, Wisconsin, Control, ISIS, Lockheed, CIA, Guards Locations: Tehran, Islamic Republic, Israel, Iran, Damascus, Gaza, Iraq, France, United States, Washington ,, Syria, Kurdish, American, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow

☆ Supreme Court rejected military chaplains' lawsuit saying their careers were ruined after refusing the COVID-19 vaccine
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Patricia Kime | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Supreme Court denied military chaplains' lawsuit claiming retaliation for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. The appellate court ruled that the Defense Department's decision in January 2023 to rescind the vaccine mandate rendered the chaplains' case moot. The Defense Department was later ordered to pay $1.8 million in legal fees as settlement for two lawsuits over the mandate. An aeromedical technician fills a syringe with the COVID-19 vaccine at the Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station in Pennsylvania. US Air Force photo by Joshua J. SeybertThe Defense Department began requiring service members to get the COVID-19 vaccine in August 2021.

Persons: —, recrimination, Mauricio Campino, Israel Alvarado, Joshua J, Johnson Organizations: Defense Department, Service, Appeals, Fourth Circuit, Defense, Airmen, Dover Air Force Base, US Air Force, Austin, Pentagon, Navy, Fifth Circuit, US, The Defense Department, Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve, Moderna, Pfizer, Johnson, Air Force, Space Force Locations: Delaware, Israel Alvarado et, Pennsylvania, COVID, China

☆ China's plan to be the dominant power in space is moving at breathtaking speed. The US needs to wake up, officials say.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewAfter a meeting with Japanese and South Korean officials in Tokyo on Friday, US Space Force commander Gen. Stephen Whiting warned about a growing threat. China, he said, is "moving at breathtaking speed in space," and is developing a range of weapons that threaten America's space supremacy, reported Stars and Stripes. "For the first time in decades, US leadership in space and space technology is being challenged," Meink added. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations at United States Space Force, last year warned against taking US space supremacy for granted. Air Force Lieutenant General Gregory Guillot (L) and US Space Force Lieutenant General Stephen Whiting (R) on July 26, 2023.

Persons: —, Stephen Whiting, They're, Troy Meink, Space.com, Meink, Chance Saltzman, I'm, Saltzman, Whiting, Dominic Chiu, Gregory Guillot, BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, Donald Trump, Chiu, Artemis, Frank Lucas, Anthony Mastalir, Graeme Thompson, Thompson, Tory Bruno, Arthur Herman, John F, Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, we've Organizations: Service, Korean, Space Force, Business, National Reconnaissance Office, Space Operations, United States Space Force, Eurasia Group, Air Force, US Space Force, House Science, Technology Committee, Brig, US Space Forces, Pentagon, United Launch Alliance, NBC News, Hudson Institute Locations: Tokyo, China, Colorado, Australia, Russia

☆ US buys 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Russia's ally costing on average less than $20,000 each, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewThe US has acquired 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Kazakhstan, the Kyiv Post reported. The US purchased 81 of the aged warplanes, said the Ukrainian Telegram channel Insider UA, per the Post. AdvertisementDerived from the MiG-23, the MiG-27 was a ground-attack aircraft and saw action in conflicts like the Soviet-Afghan War. Some of Russia's outspoken propagandists have suggested that Russia should look to Kazakhstan following its invasion of Ukraine.

Persons: —, Mikoyan, Antony Blinken, Kassym, Olivier Douliery, Vladimir Solovyov Organizations: Service, Kyiv Post, Business, US, Ukrainian Telegram, UA, Mikoyan MiG, Soviet, Airforce Technology, Russian Aerospace Forces, Ukrainian Air Force, Russian Defense Ministry Kazakhstan, Ak, AP, AFP Locations: Kazakhstan, Kyiv, Ukraine, Russian, Soviet, Afghan, Soviet Union, Russia, Moscow, Astana, Western, China, Afghanistan, Iran

☆ US buys 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Russia's ally for less than $20,000 each, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewThe US has acquired 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Kazakhstan, the Kyiv Post reported. The motive behind the US purchase remains undisclosed, said the Post, fueling speculation about potential use in Ukraine, where similar aircraft are in service. Kazakhstan, formerly part of the Soviet Union, has maintained close ties to Russia and historically was one of its strongest allies. Some of Russia's outspoken propagandists have suggested that Russia should look to Kazakhstan next following its invasion of Ukraine.

Persons: —, Kassym, David Cameron, Antony Blinken, Olivier Douliery, Vladimir Solovyov Organizations: Service, Kyiv Post, Business, Mikoyan MiG, Soviet, Airforce Technology, Russian Defense Ministry, Russian Aerospace Forces, Ukrainian Air Force, Russia, Foreign, Ak, AP, AFP Locations: Kazakhstan, Kyiv, Ukraine, Soviet, Afghan, Soviet Union, Russia, Moscow, Germany, Astana, Russian, Western, China, Afghanistan, Iran

☆ Xi shakes up China’s military in rethink of how to ‘fight and win’ future wars
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Chinese leader Xi Jinping oversees the inauguration of the Information Support Force of the People's Liberation Army at a ceremony in Beijing on April 19, 2024. The Information Support Force will be led by top generals from the now-defunct SSF. These functions will now be supervised at his level and not through the Strategic Support Force, which served as a middleman,” Wuthnow said. Though US intelligence officials said the balloon was part of an extensive surveillance program run by the Chinese military, Xi may not have been aware of the mission. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has scrapped the People's Liberation Army's Strategic Support Force, a branch he founded in 2015.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Xi, ”, Wu Qian, SSF, Bi Yi, Li Wei, Ju Qiansheng, Joel Wuthnow, ” Wuthnow, Joe Biden, didn’t, Xinhua News Agency James Char, Char Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Strategic Support Force, Support Force, PLA, China’s Defense, Aerospace Force, Cyberspace Force, Central Military Commission, Logistic Support Force, Information, Force, People's Liberation Army, Xinhua News, Information Support Force, Xinhua, Pentagon, National Defense University, Aerospace Systems Department, Network System Department, Xinhua News Agency, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, SSF’s Aerospace Systems Department, “, Communist Party, Taiwan Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Washington, United States, Singapore, Ukraine, Taiwan Strait, Taiwan

☆ 2 navy helicopters were seen colliding in midair during a military parade rehearsal, killing 10 people
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Two helicopters in Malaysia crashed into each other in midair during a parade rehearsal on Tuesday. AdvertisementAt least 10 people have died after two Malaysian navy helicopters struck each other in midair during a parade rehearsal on Tuesday morning, local authorities said. The Malaysian navy said an investigative board will be set up to identify the cause of the incident. AdvertisementRescuers work on one of the crashed helicopters. AdvertisementThe AW139 typically sits up to four crew, and the Malaysian navy says it inaugurated three of the choppers in 2004.

Persons: —, Bomba Bahagian Korporat, Leonardo AW139, Wolf Organizations: Service, Malaysian, Royal Malaysian Navy, Rescue Department, Malaysia, US Air Force, Air & Space Forces Magazine Locations: Malaysia, Lumut

☆ Russia's hunted A-50 command planes are its eyes over Ukraine. Here's how it compares to the Boeing E-3 Sentry.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Ukraine's most significant aircraft kills in 2024 are two Russian A-50 command planes. AP PhotoThe MainstayAEW&C aircraft are aerial radar stations meant to detect and track enemy weapon systems — namely aircraft, missiles, and naval ships. An E-3 Sentry takes off at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada in January 2024. Last November, the Russians threatened to destroy a French Air Force E-3 that was operating over the Black Sea in what a French military spokesman described as "a particularly aggressive radio exchange." AdvertisementLast year, the US Air Force announced that it had selected the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail as the E-3's intended replacement.

Persons: —, Tupolev, William R, Park Chung, hee, Anwar Sadat, Joseph Barron, hasn't, Benjamin Brimelow Organizations: Service, Russian Aerospace Forces, Soviet Union, Machulishchy, State TV, Radio Company, AP, Western Allies, Beriev, Ilyushin, NATO, Nellis Air Force Base, US Air Force, System, Boeing, Air, Air Force, North American Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD, Saudi, Royal Air Force, Control Force, NATO Air Base, U.S . Air Force KC, US Air Force Ukraine, Ukrainian Air Force, Allied, French Air Force, Global Affairs, Fletcher School of Law, Diplomacy, Business, Modern, Institute Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Soviet, Minsk, Belarus, Ukrainian, USSR, China, India, Turkey, Chechnya, Georgia, Syria, Syrian, Nevada, American, Latin America, South Korea, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, France, Chile, NATO, Germany, Europe, Azov, Russia, Poland, Romania, Australia, West

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: CarMax, Nike, Paramount, Fastenal and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

CarMax — The used vehicle seller tumbled 13% after reporting fourth-quarter earnings of 32 cents per share on revenue of $5.63 billion. Analysts had expected earnings per share of 49 cents on revenue of $5.80 billion, according to LSEG, formerly known as Refinitiv. Nike — The athletic apparel maker added 3.2% after Bank of America upgraded Nike to buy from neutral. The deal values Alpine shares at $65, roughly 67% above its close on Tuesday, the day before reports that Alpine was considering its options. Atlassian — Shares rose 3.2% after Barclays upgraded the software maker to overweight from equal weight and raised its price target.

Persons: CNBC's David Faber, David Ellison, Faber, Lisa Kailai Han, Sarah Min, Yun Li, Samantha Subin, Michelle Fox, Alex Harring Organizations: Nike, Bank of America, Paramount, Skydance Media, Sciences, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, U.S . Space Force Space Systems Command, Constellation, Constellation Brands, LSEG, Barclays

In the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, with an elevation one mile closer to space than sea level, lies an area that's home to a burgeoning cluster of aerospace businesses. Voyager Space CEO Dylan Taylor traveled to space on a Blue Origin flight in 2021. For Voyager, that's been true. For Taylor, who has been to space himself after a trip on Blue Origin's New Shepard, the Denver-Boulder space story extends beyond Voyager too. Denver area startup Orbit Fab is building refueling ports for satellites that will allow them to fuel up in space.

Persons: Dylan Taylor, CNBC's Morgan Brennan, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX, Jeff Bezos, Morgan Brennan, Sen, John Hickenlooper, Hickenlooper, that's, Taylor, Shepard, He's, Northrop, Daniel Faber, Orbit, Faber Organizations: Buckley Space Force, CNBC, Aerospace, Colorado Space Coalition, Voyager, Denver . Voyager, AFP, Getty, Lockheed, Boeing, Northrop, Launch Alliance, BAE Systems, Space, Space Station, Airbus, Mitsubishi, Northrop Grumman, AAA Locations: Colorado, CNBC's, Rocky, Denver, Boulder, California, Silicon Valley

☆ How much can you make in the military? US officers can earn a $220K salary plus some pretty generous benefits
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Ana Altchek | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

But the full compensation package of active military personnel goes beyond annual salary. Officers can earn a $220k salaryAll active duty military personnel adhere to the same pay scale and ranking system for base pay, regardless of which branch they serve in. An enlisted service member with an E-1 ranking receives $2,017.20 per month in basic pay, according to the DoD 2024 basic pay table. Service members outside the US may also receive an additional overseas housing allowance to incentivize military members to serve internationally. With Tricare, military members have no premium charges for coverage, and no out-of-pocket costs for medical care or prescriptions.

Persons: —, Paychecks, you've, you'll Organizations: Service, Military, Department of Defense, Navy, Marine Corps, Army, National Guard, Air Force, Business, O1, Space Force, Housing, Subsistence, Department of Defense's Finance, Accounting Service, US Department of Veteran Affairs, Savings Locations: San Diego, Bahrain, Tricare

☆ China may be developing plans to take out US satellites from the moon, Space Force general says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China may be planning to take out US satellites from the moon, a US Space Force commander said. AdvertisementChina could be planning to attack US satellites from the Moon, a US Space Force commander said, amid growing US concerns about China's space program. Mastalir said that he remains most focused on potential conflict on Earth, but that China's moon strategy needed urgent consideration. As part of China's growing space exploration program, it's aiming to take astronauts to the moon by the end of the decade. "From the moon, China can better surveil cislunar space and also station laser or missile systems to attack critical American satellites in deep space," Fisher told the publication.

Persons: —, Anthony Mastalir, it's, Mastalir, Stephen Whiting, Richard Fisher, Fisher, Lincoln Hines, Svetla Ben, Itzhak Organizations: US Space Force, Service, Defense, US Space Forces, Space Force, US Space Command, Bloomberg, Center, Newsweek Locations: China, Brig

☆ Musk's SpaceX is building spy satellite network for U.S. intelligence agency, sources told Reuters
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

SpaceX is building a network of hundreds of spy satellites under a classified contract with a U.S. intelligence agency, five sources familiar with the program said, demonstrating deepening ties between billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's space company and national security agencies. The network is being built by SpaceX's Starshield business unit under a $1.8 billion contract signed in 2021 with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), an intelligence agency that manages spy satellites, the sources said. SpaceX, the world's largest satellite operator, did not respond to several requests for comment about the contract, its role in it and details on satellite launches. The satellites can track targets on the ground and share that data with U.S. intelligence and military officials, the sources said. The spy satellites will house sensors provided by another company, three of the sources said.

Persons: Jared Isaacman, Elon, SpaceX's, Biden, Tesla Organizations: SpaceX, National Reconnaissance Office, Street, NRO, Reuters, Pentagon, ., U.S ., U.S, U.S . Space Force, CIA Locations: Starbase, Boca Chica , Texas, Ukraine, U.S, Starlink, Russia, China

☆ Investing in Space: Where NASA made cuts in its underwhelming budget request
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. A year ago, the space agency was seeking budgets of $27.2 billion and $27.7 billion for 2024 and 2025, respectively. Moreover, NASA's budget remains a tiny fraction (less than 0.4%!) But the branch isn't exactly enthused, with Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall giving the 2025 request an "acceptable" grade. Space Force's budget has already surpassed NASA's, and the Pentagon is seeking $29.4 billion for the branch in 2025.

Persons: CNBC's Michael Sheetz, what's, Artemis, Frank Kendall, That's Organizations: House, NASA, Congress, Exploration Systems, Planetary Society, Air Force, Pentagon, Space Force, Security, NSSL

☆ US Air Force special ops forces are turning big cargo planes into bombers with a new weapon
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Lauren Frias | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Workhorse transport planes fighting as bombersThe rehearsals allow the airmen to rapidly employ a litany of effects via airdrop from airlift platforms, such as the MC-130J Commando II. US Army PhotoTraditionally, the Air Force's workhorse transport planes, like the C-17 Globemaster III and MC-130J Commando II, have aided in the strategic and rapid delivery of fuel and supplies via airdrop. These two types of planes were selected for the initiative because turning them into bombers required fewer modifications and training. Slife said the cargo plane can carry as many long-range weapons as a B-52. This plane, given its size, can carry three times as many long-range precision munitions as a B-52 bomber, according to Slife.

Persons: Jim Slife, Slife, Valerie Knight Organizations: US Army, Air, US Air Force Special Operations Command, Air and Space Forces Association, Business, 352nd Wing

☆ A signal linked to aliens by a Harvard professor may have been caused by a passing truck
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Read previewYet another study is calling into question a Harvard professor's claims that metallic balls discovered under the ocean may have been made by aliens . Johns Hopkins University-led (JHU-led) research said a blip on the seismometer that Loeb used to pinpoint the crash site may simply have been caused by the vibrations of a passing truck. AdvertisementPinpointing the crash siteIn 2019, Loeb and his team searched databases for unusual meteors that were moving rapidly. The meteor, dubbed by Loeb's team IM1, was first spotted by the Department of Defense's (DoD) sensors. Loeb's team recovered 805 spherules.

Persons: —, Avi Loeb, Loeb, Ben Fernando, It's, Fernando, it's, Charles Hoskinson, Undeterred Organizations: Service, Harvard, Business, Johns Hopkins University, JHU, Department of Defense's, DoD, Planetary Science Conference, Galileo, Space Force Locations: Papua, Guinea, 2401.09882, Papua New Guinea, Houston

☆ Russia isn't ready for the surprise NATO attack its strategists foresee
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russian strategists argue its military needs more robust systems to defend against a NATO surprise attack that would come in the form of conventional missile strikes, a warning that comes as NATO conducts a massive exercise near Russia's northern border. How exactly NATO would attack Russia in this scenario is unclear, though the Russian analysts seem to be describing what the US military would call "multi-domain operations." The attack would be preceded by "provocations" to justify a war, as well as the deployment of forces near Russia. This perceived NATO strategy of massive strikes risks compelling Russia to use its nuclear weapons, especially tactical nukes, to defend itself. Ironically, the missile strike that Russian military experts accuse the West of planning is a mirror image of how Russia itself would fight a war.

Persons: —, David Petraeus, Cpl, Christopher Hernandez, That's, Julian Waller, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, NATO, TASS, Russian Aerospace Forces, CIA, Army, Marine Corps, US, Corps, Nordic, Kremlin, Russian Air Force, Center for Naval Analyses, West, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Russia, Russia's, Ukraine, Andenes, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Barents, Arlington , Virginia, Forbes

☆ NATO navies can exploit a Russian fear and keep Putin from invading more neighbors
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Today, NATO's naval power is far superior to Russia's. NATO may dominate the oceans, but that may not be much help if Russian tanks invade the Baltic States or Poland. Or more specifically, use naval power to scare Moscow into allocating its scarce resources to defending its huge coastlines rather than invading neighbors. "Rather than naval combat per se, the purpose of Russian sea power is to ensure that the Russian state can compete and engage in conflict safely and effectively," the essay said. In 2024, the fear is that NATO ships could launch long-range guided missiles at the Russian heartland.

Persons: Napoleon, Hitler fumed, Russia —, Kaushal, Rene Balletta, Alfred Thayer Mahan, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Channel, Royal Navy, NATO, Alliance, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Russian Navy, Black, Century, Russia, Russian Army and Aerospace Forces, West, Baltic, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: British, Russia, Baltic States, Poland, Moscow, Britain, Europe, Asia, Russian, Crimean, Sevastopol, Ukraine, Russia's, Finland, Norway, Forbes

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