News from AFA's Air Space Cyber | Space could benefit from shift in Air Force investment strategy

View this email in your browser SpaceNews' show daily for AFA's Air, Space & Cyber Conference, Sept. 18-20 September 19, 2017 SPACENEWS' DAILY COVERAGE BROUGHT TO YOU BY Space could benefit from shift in Air Force investment strategy Sandra Erwin — When Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson recently visited an air warfare command center in the Middle East, she was "struck" by how different things are now compared to just a few years ago. The business of "precision strike" more than ever depends on information, Wilson told reporters Sept. 19 at the Air Force Association's Air Space Cyber conference. What gives war commanders an edge, she said, is the ability to share "exquisite intelligence" across several time zones. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein, appearing alongside Wilson, said the service is taking stock of this development and is rethinking future investments. Specifically, technologies that improve connectivity and seamless networking will take priority over traditional military hardware. "Are we having a platform discussion or are we having a network discussion?" he asked. "We ought to be having a network discussion." Lockheed Martin unveils new satellite bus lineup Michael Fabey — With both military and commercial customers seeking more choices in satellite size and orbit, Lockheed Martin has rolled out a new family of satellite buses that consolidate the customized spacecraft the company has previously developed. Banking on the development of common components for satellite buses ranging in size from several centimeters to more than nine meters, Lockheed expects to deliver on orders more cheaply and quickly, said Kay Sears, vice president of strategy and business development for Lockheed Martin Space Systems, during a Sept. 19 luncheon briefing on the new lineup at the annual Air Force Association Air Cyber Space conference. "There are benefits to commonality," she said, noting the satellites will be built more inexpensively, quickly and reliably. New ICBM gets boost after Mattis' endorsement Sandra Erwin — The unexpected escalation of North Korea's atomic weapons program and Russia's nuclear posturing are providing fresh momentum to U.S. efforts to develop a new intercontinental ballistic missile. Early doubts about the future of the next-generation ICBM, known as the ground-based strategic deterrent (GBSD), are giving way to a growing confidence that the Pentagon is fully behind the program, military officials said Sept. 18 at the Air Force Association's Air Space Cyber conference. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in the past had raised questions about the need to develop a new ICBM to replace the 50-year-old Minuteman, but now firmly supports it. "Secretary Mattis said he did not see a future triad without the ICBM," asserted Maj. Gen. Anthony Cotton, commander of the 20th Air Force at Global Strike Command. Mattis gave the GBSD a ringing endorsement last week during a visit to Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, the only U.S. base to host two legs of the nuclear triad — strategic bombers and ICBMs.  Lower launch costs, smaller payloads will help shape space warfighting, Goldfein says Michael Fabey — With both launch costs and payload size going down, it will be easier for  the U.S. Air Force to deploy the right kinds of sensors and systems to fight future space wars that will depend more on information and networking, said Gen. David Goldfein, Air Force chief of staff. "What does lower cost and miniaturization mean to us?" Goldfein asked Sept. 19 during a speech at the annual Air Force Association Air Space Cyber Conference here. Both could prove to be in vital importance in future warfighting scenarios, he said, which will hinge on fast, secure networks. It will be much easier to get smaller sensors and network nodes aloft with cheaper launches. Minotaur 4's canceled commercial cubesat rideshares could spark policy changes Michael Fabey — Following a decision to pull eight Spire commercial cubesats from an Orbital ATK Minotaur 4 launch from Cape Canaveral Aug. 26 carrying a military payload, the U.S. Air Force says it and other government agencies are crafting clear procedures on how to handle such future rideshare agreements. "The Air Force is working with DoD (Defense Department) policy staff and other U.S. government interagency stakeholders to ensure there is clear guidance for other potential commercial rideshare opportunities should they arise," Capt. Christine Guthrie said in response to SpaceNews queries about the decision to remove the Spire cubesats from the launch. There were 11 cubesats originally manifested on the Minotaur 4 carrying the Air Force's 113-kilogram Operationally Responsive Space (ORS)-5 satellite, known as SensorSat, Air Force officials say.  Follow SpaceNews Advertise with Us SN FIRST UP Satcom is sent out every Wednesday by SpaceNews Staff Writer Caleb Henry and SpaceNews Editor-in-Chief Brian Berger. Copyright © 2017 SPACENEWS, All rights reserved.