The Air Force Research Laboratory is extending that range by 10 times and the operations area of the United States by 1,000 times. The US military plans to extend its space awareness capabilities beyond geostationary orbit. The satellite will be called the Cislunar Highway Patrol System or CHPS. The CHPS program will be managed by Michael Lopez of the Air Force Research Laboratory.
The Space Systems Command’s Space Enterprise Consortium (SpEC) awarded the contract Feb. 22 for the project known as Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC). The Air Force spent $1.5 billion on the Space Fence space surveillance radar to track objects in low Earth orbit. “DARC Site 1 will provide 24/7 all-weather capabilities that increases the ability to detect, track, identify and characterize objects in deep space,” said Space Systems Command programs leader Lt. Col. Kelly Greiner. It will “fill critical gaps and significantly enhance current space domain awareness capabilities.” “The DARC program will field a resilient ground-based radar providing our nation with significantly enhanced space domain awareness for geostationary orbit,” said Pablo Pezzimenti, Northrop Grumman’s vice president of integrated national systems.
In only the last two years, airmen have witnessed previously unthinkable improvements, many of which have centered on the convenience of women: longer haircuts for women, the creation of a maternity flying suit, and the invention of wrap-style clothing for pregnant airmen. Even parts of the Space Force’s new formal outfits will be unisex. One of the main reasons the Air Force has been at the forefront of uniform adjustments for women is that it has the highest number of female members in the ranks, at 21%. While the Air Force’s uniform possibilities are being refined, the Space Force has had to start from the beginning. The physical training outfit for the Space Force, which consists of a black tracksuit, shorts, and a gray T-shirt, has been authorized and is on its way to the Defense Logistics Agency.
The US Space Force is conducting a survey of the space launch sector to see who may challenge United Launch Alliance and SpaceX when their existing contracts expire in 2024. The National Security Space Launch (NSSL) initiative, which is operated by the Space Force, acquires launching capabilities for the US military and intelligence organizations. The Space Force granted five-year contracts for NSSL Phase 2 to United Launch Alliance and SpaceX in 2020. Phase 3 of the NSSL program may be years away, but given the long lead times in national security launches, the Space Force must begin market research immediately. The Space Force is also looking for firms to suggest technical, acquisition, or contracting options to reduce the usual 24-month mission integration timetable to 12 months or less.
Source: https://spacenews.com/space-force-asks-launch-companies-for-insight-on-where-the-industry-is-going/
After a tumultuous finale, Netflix’s “Space Force” will return for a second season on Feb. 18, 2022. According to a new teaser, Naird is receiving a second opportunity to lead Space Force and has discovered a means to mend fences with China and return the astronauts to Earth. Carell and Greg Daniels, the producer who produced the American version of “The Office,” reunite in “Space Force.” The first season didn’t exactly meet expectations, but they’re returning for a second season to try again. In an interview with Collider, an entertainment website, Daniels stated that the crew set out to fix faults from the previous season.
