Elara Nova: The Space Consultancy’s Post

The Space Foundation’s annual assessment shows that the global space economy hit $570 billion in 2023, a 7.4 percent increase over 2022’s $531 billion — with worldwide military space spending jumping a whopping 18 percent to $57 billion.

"...the global space economy hit $570 billion in 2023, a 7.4 percent increase over 2022’s $531 billion — with worldwide military space spending jumping a whopping 18 percent to $57 billion." 🛡️This substantial growth underscores the escalating importance of space in #nationalsecurity and defense strategies worldwide. With advancements in satellite technology, space situational awareness, and space traffic coordination and management, nations are prioritizing their investments to safeguard their interests beyond our planet. 🌍As we witness this rapid evolution, it's crucial to consider the implications for #spacesustainability and the peaceful use of outer space. Collaborative efforts and robust policy & legal frameworks are more vital than ever to ensure that space remains a safe and secure environment for all. #spacesafety #spacesecurity

America 250 HISTORY The U.S. SPACEFORCE turns 5 years old! The U.S. Space Force was established Dec. 20, 2019, when the National Defense Authorization Act was signed into law (with bi-partisan support), creating the first new branch of the armed services in 73 years.  The establishment of the USSF resulted from widespread recognition that Space was a national security imperative. When combined with the growing threat posed by near-peer competitors in space, it became clear there was a need for a military service focused solely on pursuing superiority in the space domain.  For the last 60 years space capabilities have become essential to the way a modern military conducts operations. Investments in space capabilities have increased the effectiveness of operations in every other domain.  The U.S. military is faster, better connected, more informed, precise, and lethal because of space. The same premise—that space is critical—holds true for the average American; space capabilities are woven into the fabric of daily life.  Satellites connect people in every corner of the globe, monitor weather patterns, carry television broadcasts, and the timing and navigation services of the GPS constellation power global financial networks, enable international commerce, synchronize cell phone networks, and optimize critical infrastructure.  Access to and freedom to operate in space underpins our national security and economic prosperity. However, space is no longer free from conflict. Potential adversaries are seeking ways to deny the U.S. access to the space capabilities fundamental to our way of war and modern way of life. They have developed an array of threats, both on Earth and in orbit, that continue to grow in scope, scale, and complexity.  Today, the Guardians of the USSF have been called to protect and defend American interests and to ensure our forces, our allies, and the world never experience a day without space. They serve across the globe, working 24/7 to design, acquire, field, test, operate, and defend the critical space systems the nation, and the world, rely upon.

The AFWERX and Its Relevance to the Space Economy * Since its establishment in 2017, the U.S. Air Force's AFWERX initiative has been a catalyst for innovation within the Department of Defense (DoD). It's goal is to bring together industry, academia, and military to develop solutions to problems identified by the Air Force and the newly created Space Force. This article provides an overview of AFWERX and its relevance to the emerging space economy.

Space Force to industry: Prove value of new commercial space services Lt. Gen. Bratton: “We talk a lot about space refueling, but we don’t really know what the case is for its military utility” - The bottom line is “where are we willing to put our money?” he added. To answer that, “we’re trying to understand what’s possible from commercial. What makes a good business case for them?” - https://lnkd.in/eAx9R5Hu

In the West, ties between space and defense are strengthening https://lnkd.in/eFXn4nRz

Next-Generation Voices of the United States Space Force: Capt. Jonathan Novak: "pLEO (proliferated low Earth orbit) isn’t really a new thing to me. I’ve only ever known pLEO and protect and defend, dynamic space operations ... I can’t tell you what space is going to look like ten years from now, but I can tell you who’s doing it now or I can show you who’s doing it now. Guardians are around and they have these stories that they can tell to help close that." Cadet Nicole Crouse, National Commander, i5 Space: "When you are a cadet and you don’t have a lot of information and you’re trying to make a decision, you’re trying to get materials as to what the Space Force actually does … we’re creating the educational resources and sharing them with cadets all over the country and giving them an opportunity to invest in themselves to see if they want to do space." Technical Sergeant Dakota Rodriguez, 53rd Space Operations Detachment Alpha, U.S. Space Force: "Since the transfer, coming from the Army, this branch is so good about putting people first and just taking care of the people. I feel it in the Space Force. It’s palpable at every level." Hilary Cohen, Director of Operations, HEO USA: Ukraine “shows the value of commercial industry in these conflicts … we’ll continue to see the involvement of commercial to publicly show what is going on in a conflict whether that’s in Ukraine or exposing what someone is potentially doing in space … to have the public understand what is going on as well and to keep them informed as well.” I encourage you to watch this important panel from the day-long Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), "Celebrating the U.S. Space Force and Charting Its Future", at https://lnkd.in/ehVjbneb. These extraordinary young men and women are indeed the future of national security space! Well done!

The U.S. Space Force is focusing on preparing for potential conflicts in the Indo-Pacific region over the next few years. Follow us for the latest news updates ➡️ Global Defense Online https://lnkd.in/e4NvsBEr

The article “US Space Force Warns of ‘Mind-Boggling’ Build-Up of Chinese Capabilities” highlights remarks by General Chance Saltzman, head of U.S. Space Operations, about China’s rapid development of space-based military capabilities. Saltzman warned that China’s advancements in various types of space weaponry are occurring at a concerning pace, significantly elevating the risk of potential conflict in orbit. He described the expansion of China’s space capabilities as “very threatening,” underscoring the scale and speed of this military build-up. During a European tour aimed at increasing awareness about the threats in space, Saltzman emphasized the importance of international cooperation to counter the strategic risks posed by China and Russia. He noted that both nations have demonstrated advanced warfare capabilities in space over the last two decades, which contributed to the establishment of the U.S. Space Force in 2019. This military branch was created to protect U.S. interests in space, recognizing the growing threat of space as a potential theater of warfare. Saltzman pointed out that the U.S. Space Force’s mission goes beyond defensive operations, including deterrence through alliances and collaborations with European partners. His visit aimed to encourage allied countries to strengthen their own space defense capabilities, fostering a unified approach to mitigating threats from nations like China and Russia. The Space Force views these partnerships as essential in establishing a strategic deterrence posture that can prevent potential hostilities in orbit. In summary, the U.S. Space Force’s concerns reflect the evolving dynamics of space as a military domain, with China’s accelerated capability development posing a substantial threat to the stability of space operations. Saltzman’s call for allied collaboration underscores the urgency of establishing robust deterrence and defense mechanisms to protect against increasingly sophisticated space warfare tactics. The article illustrates the critical importance of international alliances in addressing these emerging threats to global security.

U.S. Space Force renews call for ‘reserve’ of commercial satellite providers Gen. Michael Guetlein said the military for centuries has relied on private sector contractors during wars, and the same should apply to operations in space - Guetlein was an early proponent of what the Space Force calls the “Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve,” or CASR.  - He said efforts to implement CASR are moving forward, fueled by the realization that when the U.S. military goes to war, the commercial satellites it uses for communications, surveillance or other purposes are considered legitimate military targets.  - “Russia has said anybody in space is going to be a target,” said Guetlein. “So I can no longer say that’s a commercial asset. Don’t touch it. That’s an international asset. Don’t touch it. That’s a DoD asset. Don’t touch it. We’re all going to be operating in the same domain fighting for the same real estate, subject to the same threats.” - And if that’s going to be a new reality, he added,”then we’d better learn how to partner.” - https://lnkd.in/ehAynVth