Beyond Launch: SpaceX's Expanding Role in U.S. Defense

This company wants to use AI to mass-produce rocket engines

SpaceX currently controls nearly every rocket launch on Earth. With 98% of global orbital launches under its belt, Elon Musk’s company has become the de facto gatekeeper to space. While China is still a contender, other countries and private companies have fallen dramatically behind, and this isn't likely to change anytime soon, with Trump's proposed budget cuts for NASA gutting the agency even more. But this isn't just about bragging rights or …

Beyond launch: SpaceX's expanding role in U.S. defense

SpaceX’s ascent from commercial launch provider to indispensable national security asset marks one of the most significant shifts in America’s defense industrial base in decades. As Elon Musk’s company extends […] The post Beyond launch: SpaceX’s expanding role in U.S. defense appeared first on SpaceNews.

Space Force still weighing cost, operational advantages of satellite refueling tech

While the Space Force prepares for upcoming experiments to test in-space refueling capabilities, the service is concurrently analyzing whether or not the technology offers better advantages than putting inexpensive, expendable satellites on orbit. There has been ongoing debate within the Space Force regarding the military benefit of investing in on-orbit refueling — touted by commercial industry as a key enabler for space mobility that could pot…

SpaceX's Growing Influence in U.S. Military Operations

In recent years, SpaceX has emerged as a pivotal player in the United States’ defense sector, transitioning from a commercial launch provider to a key asset in national security. This transformation marks a profound shift in the American defense industrial landscape, compelling traditional defense contractors to reassess their roles as the Pentagon increasingly views SpaceX […]

U.S. Space Force Analyzing Advantages/Trade-Offs of In-Space Refueling - Defense Daily

While the U.S. Space Force’s first Space Warfighting Framework, released last month, highlights the importance of satellite maneuver to complicate adversary surveillance and targeting, in-space refueling to ease such maneuver […]