Global Milsatcom Show Daily | Satellite operators push plan to upgrade military spy drones

Thursday, November 9, 2017 View this email in your browser Sponsored by Satellite operators push plan to upgrade military spy drones LONDON — Could the military take advantage of cheaper and faster satellite broadband to siphon more data, faster, from its surveillance drones? It could, but it's easier said than done, according to satellite industry executives. The military's remotely piloted aircraft have been workhorses. Many are equipped with older electronics that are not compatible with modern satellite communications systems. The Air Force's MQ-9 Reaper drone, for instance, can pipe data at 5 to 10 megabits per second over commercial Ku band. In a test, SES Networks showed that when the aircraft was plugged into a newer satellite link that offers higher throughput, the data rate increased to 30 megabits. — Sandra Erwin Space reforms coming: 2018 NDAA drops legislative bombshells on U.S. Air Force For the military space world, the big headline from Capitol Hill Wednesday was that the final version of the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act does not, at least for now, require the Pentagon to create a new "space corps." This might seem like a victory for the Air Force. Senior leaders had fought back the House space corps provision that would have effectively taken away from the Air Force its ownership of military space. It's a hollow victory, however. The 2018 NDAA is big on Pentagon reforms, across the board, but it hammered the Air Force especially hard.— Sandra Erwin Sponsored New podcast: An Overview of Space and Satellite Trends from Skot Butler Like the rest of technology, the satellite and space industry is rapidly evolving. In an effort to keep customers up to date on the latest innovations, Intelsat General partner Kratos is producing Constellations, a podcast featuring top influencers in satellite and new space. The first edition of Constellations features the president of Intelsat General Corp., our very own Skot Butler. In the Constellations podcast, Skot talks about the concepts involved in "new space" and where Intelsat fits within the larger picture. He presents a high-level overview of innovations both in space and on the ground as they relate to Big Data, the Internet of Things (IoT), and mobility. This includes how high-throughput satellites and small, flat panel antennas are combining to enable rapid decision making in aviation, maritime, and other critical operations. Listeners will also learn how Intelsat is providing global satellite coverage through its partnership with OneWeb to enable connectivity both in the air and on the ground. Learn how the form factor of antennas is evolving and how antennas are making it easier for customers to join the network. You'll get a sense of the scope of the data being transmitted by the IoT today and where we're headed in the future. — Intelsat General Corporation Orbital ATK tests component of future launch vehicle As the deadline nears for an Air Force competition to fund development of new launch vehicles, Orbital ATK announced Nov. 7 what it called an "important milestone" for its proposed launcher. In a statement, the company said it successfully tested a new composite case for the solid rocket motors that it plans to use in its proposed Next Generation Launch (NGL) rocket, stressing the case to 110 percent of loads and pressures it would experience in flight. NGL will use solid motors similar in design to those used on the shuttle and Space Launch System, but with the improved composite case like the one tested as well as a different propellant formulation. The rocket's first stage will use either a two- or four-segment motor, depending on performance requirements, while the second stage will use a single-segment motor. An upper stage will be powered by an engine using liquid hydrogen and oxygen propellants. The NGL would also be able to use strap-on boosters. — Jeff Foust Copyright © 2017 SpaceNews Inc., All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: SpaceNews Inc. 1414 Prince St, Suite 204 Alexandria, VA 22314