📰Top Stories

Pentagon Reveals Space and Cyber Forces as “First Movers” in Iran Operations

The Pentagon has disclosed that U.S. Space Command and U.S. Cyber Command played a leading role in recent operations against Iran, acting as offensive “first movers” before conventional forces engaged. Officials stated that the two commands “continuously layered effects to disrupt, disorient, and confuse the enemy,” marking one of the most explicit public acknowledgments of space-enabled warfare in a live combat context. The revelation underscores the growing importance of space domain awareness and orbital assets as integral components of modern military operations — not just as support tools, but as active instruments of warfighting.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

Iran Mission Drains US Munition Stockpiles, Lawmakers Eye Supplemental Funding

The military campaign against Iran has consumed hundreds of offensive and defensive munitions, raising serious concerns among defense analysts and lawmakers about near-term U.S. readiness. Defense experts warned Breaking Defense that the drawdown could create a “distressing vulnerability” if the U.S. faces another major contingency in the near future. Congressional leaders are now weighing supplemental defense funding to replenish stockpiles, though the timeline and scope of any emergency appropriation remain under debate. The episode highlights the real-world cost of integrating space and cyber capabilities with high-tempo conventional strikes.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

Space Force Overhauls Satellite Ground Station Strategy, Eyes Commercial Solutions

The U.S. Space Force is pivoting away from custom-built, government-unique satellite ground stations toward commercially derived alternatives as part of a broader push to modernize the Satellite Control Network (AFSCN). Rather than funding bespoke development programs, the service will seek off-the-shelf or lightly modified commercial ground systems — a move intended to cut costs, accelerate fielding timelines, and reduce dependence on a shrinking pool of specialized contractors. The Vandenberg Tracking Station, one of AFSCN’s key remote tracking sites, exemplifies the legacy infrastructure the Space Force is now looking to replace or augment with more agile commercial options.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

Space Force Modernization Stalled by Acquisition Workforce Shortfall

Even as the U.S. Space Force accelerates its transition to integrated warfighting systems, it is running into a significant bottleneck: a shortage of trained acquisition professionals capable of managing the shift. New training programs are being developed to retool program managers — historically focused on procuring hardware — to oversee complex, software-defined, and integrated warfighting architectures. Officials acknowledge the workforce gap is a genuine risk to modernization timelines, particularly as the service attempts to rapidly field next-generation satellite constellations, missile warning systems, and space domain awareness tools while competing with the private sector for talent.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

Trump Signals Navy Escorts for Tankers in Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Tensions

President Trump indicated that U.S. Navy vessels could be deployed to escort commercial oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil passes. The move would mirror Operation Prosperity Guardian, the naval escort mission previously employed in the Red Sea to protect civilian shipping from Houthi attacks. Any expanded naval presence in the region would likely require enhanced space-based maritime domain awareness, including satellite reconnaissance and communications assets, to monitor vessel movements and potential threats across the strategically vital waterway.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

Pentagon Policy Chief Faces Senate Grilling Over National Defense Strategy Direction

Pentagon policy head Elbridge Colby appeared before Senate lawmakers to answer sharp questions about the direction of the National Defense Strategy (NDS), with Sen. Roger Wicker criticizing the document for insufficiently highlighting China as the primary threat. “In effect, it obfuscates the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party, and they are our pacing threat,” Wicker stated during the hearing. The NDS shapes how defense resources — including space capabilities, satellite programs, and orbital warfighting investments — are prioritized across the services, making its framing a consequential policy debate for the Space Force and its stakeholders.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

🛰️ Satellite Spotlight

Satellite Name: YAOGAN-32 02B

NORAD ID: 49384

Launch Date: November 3, 2021

Mission: Intelligence gathering via signals intelligence (SIGINT) collection

Orbit: Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

Operator: China Academy of Space Technology (ZLZB)

Fun Fact: YAOGAN-32 02B is part of China’s Yaogan remote sensing satellite constellation, which operates in a sun-synchronous orbit at approximately 98.2 degrees inclination. This orbital configuration allows the satellite to maintain consistent lighting conditions over target areas, making it particularly effective for persistent surveillance and reconnaissance operations.

Track this satellite in real-time on our web app: Track YAOGAN-32 02B

🚀 Upcoming Space Launches

March 4

• Space One KAIROS:

  • KAIROS Flight 3 from Spaceport Kii, Japan (02:00 UTC) Third flight of the KAIROS launch vehicle, carrying five small satellites to Sun-Synchronous Orbit: TATARA-1R, SC-Sat1a, HErO, AETS-1, and Nutsat-3 (developed by TASA/Taiwan).

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:

  • Starlink Group 10-40 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida (06:58 UTC) A batch of 29 Starlink satellites to Low Earth Orbit, expanding SpaceX’s broadband internet mega-constellation.

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:

  • Starlink Group 17-18 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California (21:00 UTC) A batch of 25 Starlink satellites to Low Earth Orbit, expanding SpaceX’s broadband internet mega-constellation.

March 8

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
  • Starlink Group 17-31 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California (10:58 UTC) A batch of 25 Starlink satellites to Low Earth Orbit, expanding SpaceX’s broadband internet mega-constellation.

March 10

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
  • EchoStar 25 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida (03:14 UTC) A high-power direct broadcast satellite built on the Maxar 1300 series platform, delivering multi-spot beam content across North America for DISH Network. The satellite will be placed in Geostationary Transfer Orbit.

March 12

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:

  • Starlink Group 17-24 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California (02:37 UTC) A batch of 25 Starlink satellites to Low Earth Orbit, expanding SpaceX’s broadband internet mega-constellation.

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:

  • Starlink Group 10-48 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida (10:00 UTC) A batch of 29 Starlink satellites to Low Earth Orbit, expanding SpaceX’s broadband internet mega-constellation.

March 19

• Isar Aerospace Spectrum:
  • Onward and Upward from Andøya Spaceport, Norway (00:00 UTC) Second test flight of the Isar Aerospace Spectrum launch vehicle, carrying five cubesats and one non-separable experiment to Sun-Synchronous Orbit as part of the European Space Agency’s “Boost!” program. Payloads include CyBEEsat, TriSat-S, Platform 6, FramSat-1, SpaceTeamSat1, and the Let It Go experiment by Dcubed. (Status: To Be Determined)

March 22

• Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) Soyuz 2.1a:
  • Progress MS-33 (94P) from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan (11:59 UTC) An uncrewed Progress cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station, delivering supplies, fuel, and equipment to the crew. (Status: To Be Confirmed)

March 24

• Rocket Lab Electron:
  • Daughter Of The Stars (LEO-PNT Pathfinder A) from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand (00:00 UTC) This mission will deliver two LEO-PNT Pathfinder A satellites, built by Thales Alenia Space and GMV, to a 510 km polar orbit on behalf of the European Space Agency. The satellites will serve as a demonstration for a planned 10-satellite constellation designed to complement Europe’s Galileo and EGNOS navigation systems. (Status: To Be Determined)

Note: Launch dates and times are subject to change due to technical or weather considerations.