March 2019 Space News

Remarks by Acting Secretary Shanahan at U.S. Special Operations Command Change of Command Ceremony, Tampa, Florida DoD 29 Mar 2019 -- Acting Secretary Of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan
DOD Official: Maintaining Space Dominance 'Pivotal' for U.S. Warfighters DoD News 29 Mar 2019 -- The United States was the first – and still the only – nation to put a man on the moon. Nobody will forget that. But come July, that first manned lunar landing will have been exactly 50 years ago.
Don't Make A 'Mess' In Space, U.S. Warns Countries After Indian Test Launch RFE/RL 28 Mar 2019 -- India says it has successfully test-fired an antisatellite weapon in a move that brought a warning from the United States that countries around the world should avoid making a "mess" in space from all the debris.
India successfully conducts anti-satellite missile test All India Radio News 27 Mar 2019 -- Defence Research and Development Organisation, DRDO, on Wednesday successfully conducted an Anti-Satellite (A-SAT) missile test, under Mission Shakti from Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha.
India shoots down own satellite, declares self 'space power' Press TV 27 Mar 2019 -- India shot down a satellite of its own with a missile on Wednesday, joining the world's most advanced space superpowers; and prompting its arch rival Pakistan to urge avoiding militarization of space.
Pakistan Decries Militarization Of Space After Indian Missile Test RFE/RL 27 Mar 2019 -- Pakistan has spoken out against the militarization of space after neighboring India said it had successfully managed to shoot down a low-orbit satellite in a missile test.
India Claims Successful Anti-Satellite Weapon Test VOA 27 Mar 2019 -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi says the country has shot down a satellite in low orbit, entering an exclusive club of nations that have developed anti-satellite weapons.
White House Sets New Daring Deadline for Lunar Comeback Sputnik 27 Mar 2019 -- Since the success of the American Apollo programme, no other nation has successfully pursued the goal of carrying out a manned landing on the Earth's natural satellite, with the Soviet Union and China having conducted unmanned landings on its surface.
First 2019 Launch From Vostochny Space Centre Slated for 27 June - Roscosmos Sputnik 27 Mar 2019 -- The blastoff of the Meteor-M meteorological satellite number 2-2 by the Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket with the Fregat upper stage from the Vostochny space center is scheduled to take place in three months, Russian state space corporation Roscosmos told Sputnik.
Remarks by Vice President Pence at the Fifth Meeting of the National Space Council | Huntsville, AL The White House 26 Mar 2019
President Donald J. Trump Is Boldly Putting Americans Back on the Moon The White House 26 Mar 2019
Israeli Missile Defense Chief: 1st Test of Arrow 3 Over Alaska Coming Soon VOA 26 Mar 2019 -- Israel's missile defense chief says his nation will soon use U.S. airspace for the first time to conduct a flight test of a system designed to protect the Jewish state from a long-range Iranian missile strike.
China successfully conducts linkage test of Long March-9 rocket engine Global Times 26 Mar 2019 -- China has successfully completed a gas generator-turbopump test of the Long March-9 heavy-lift rocket engine, laying the foundation for future development of its heavy-lift launch vehicle programs, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) announced Tuesday.
LandSpace successfully tests rocket generator Global Times 26 Mar 2019 -- LandSpace, a Chinese private-sector aerospace enterprise, conducted a successful test of the semi-system generator called TQ-12 on Monday, laying the foundation for its whole-system generator test in the first half of 2019 and the launch of its first liquid oxygen methane rocket in 2020.
US tests missile defense system Putin once said threatens global strategic balance Press TV 26 Mar 2019 -- In a move that is expected to stir more tensions with Russia, the US military has test-launched a ground-based missile defense system that Russian President Vladimir Putin once famously said would "destroy" the strategic balance in the world.
Pentagon to Assemble Nuclear Rocket in Orbit by 2020 - Reports Sputnik 26 Mar 2019 -- According to the report, the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has requested at least $10 million for its Reactor on a Rocket (ROAR) programme.
Homeland Missile Defense System Successfully Intercepts ICBM Target MDA 25 Mar 2019 -- The U.S. Missile Defense Agency, in cooperation with the Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense, U.S. Northern Command, and elements of the U.S. Air Force Space Command's 30th, 50th, and 460th Space Wings, conducted a successful test today against an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) class target.
India to Launch Military Satellite to Detect Enemy Radars, Sensors and Devices Sputnik 25 Mar 2019 -- The satellite will be launched into orbit to help India's intelligence agencies keep an eagle eye on other countries.
Sino-European joint space mission to send satellites in 2023 People's Daily 23 Mar 2019 -- The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) announced that a Sino-European joint space mission known as SMILE was launched Friday.
US DOD Warns Space Force's Tiny Budget May Grow to $13 Billion Sputnik 22 Mar 2019 -- Acting US Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan hinted Wednesday that the budget for the incipient US Space Force could grow significantly as it becomes more functional.
Shanahan: Space Force to Preserve Margin of Dominance, $19 Trillion Economy DoD News 20 Mar 2019 -- If the gap is to be maintained between what the United States has in space technology and capability and what its closest competitors have -- a gap that's closing fast -- it'll be the recently approved Space Force that maintains it, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick M. Shanahan said here today.
New rocket engines in making for moon, Mars People's Daily 20 Mar 2019 -- Chinese engineers are pushing forward with the research and development of engines to be used on the country's next lunar probe and its first Mars probe, a project leader said.
US Space to Counter Alleged Hypersonic Weapons Threat - Shanahan Sputnik 20 Mar 2019 -- The United States will use its new space force military branch to counter the alleged threat of hypersonic weapons systems that are being developed by China and Russia, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Wednesday.
IMDO and MDA Successfully Complete David's Sling Weapon System Intercept Test Series MDA 19 Mar 2019 -- The Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) of the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D) and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) yesterday successfully completed a test series of the David's Sling Weapon System, a missile defense system that is a central part of lsrael's multilayer antimissile array.
US, Japan to Develop New Aegis Radar to Counter Chinese, Russian Missiles Sputnik 17 Mar 2019 -- The new radar is reported to provide 360-degree coverage for US missile defense systems, with no blind spots.
Russia's Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft docks to ISS People's Daily 15 Mar 2019 -- The Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft carrying three crew members successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday, Russia's space corporation Roscosmos said.
Pentagon Hopes to Test Neutral Particle-Beam Weapon in Next Six Months Sputnik 15 Mar 2019 -- The Pentagon wants to explore the utility of a neutral particle-beam weapon in orbit as a missile defense weapon, according to its 2020 budget proposal. It's just one of many ways the US is rushing to become the first nation to introduce weapons into space.
Pentagon Establishing New Agency to Oversee US Weaponization of Outer Space Sputnik 15 Mar 2019 -- The Department of Defence (DoD) is creating a new Space Development Agency (SDA) oversee the development of sensors and weapons to counter advances by Russia and China, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said in a memo published on Thursday.
US Awards Northrop Grumman Contract to Install Missile Defence System in Poland Sputnik 14 Mar 2019 -- The US Army has awarded Northrop Grumman with a $349.4 million contract to provide Poland with its Integrated Air and Missile Defence Battle Command System, the Department of Defence said in a press release.
US Army Inks $714Mln Contract for Poland Air Defence Controls - Northrop Grumman Sputnik 14 Mar 2019 -- A $714 million US Army contract aims to produce a ground-based battle command system in Poland for an advanced air- and missile-defence network (IBCS), Northrop Grumman announced in a press release on Thursday.
IBCS to provide leap-ahead capabilities for Poland's national air and missile defense program while increasing NATO security efforts Northrop Grumman 14 Mar 2019 -- The U.S. Army has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) a $713 million contract for the production of Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS) for the first phase of Poland's WISŁA air and missile defense program.
China's quantum satellite able to meet basic demands of secure communication: scientist People's Daily 13 Mar 2019 -- China's Micius, the world's first quantum communication satellite, is able to preliminarily meet the demands of secure communication of relevant departments, said Pan Jianwei, a leading Chinese quantum scientist and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
Frequent launch of manned spacecraft possible in China around 2022 People's Daily 13 Mar 2019 -- A deputy to the 13th National People's Congress and chief designer of the space program of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation said that China will realize frequent launch of manned spacecraft like flights after the country establishes its space station around 2022.
Department of Defense Press Briefing on the President's Fiscal Year 2020 Defense Budget for the Missile Defense Agency DoD 12 Mar 2019 -- Missile Defense Agency Deputy Director Rear Adm. Jon Hill; Missile Defense Agency Director of Operations Michelle Atkinson
China's OneSpace preparing for first orbital launch end of March Global Times 12 Mar 2019 -- Beijing One Space Technology Group (OneSpace), a Chinese private rocket producer, has completed preparations for its first orbital launch scheduled later this month, the company announced on Tuesday.
NASA targets lunar exploration at cost of space science People's Daily 12 Mar 2019 -- The U.S. space agency NASA detailed its budget proposal for fiscal year 2020 on Monday, showing its priority on the country's lunar exploration missions while reducing funding for basic sciences.
US Should Verify China's Activity on Moon Not Military Related - Army Official Sputnik 12 Mar 2019 -- The United States should monitor China's activity on the far side of the Moon to ensure there is no military activity, US Space Integrated Planning Element chief Joseph Guzman said during a panel discussion on space support to air and missile defence on 12 March.
Pentagon Requests $13.6Bln for Missile Defence in Fiscal Year 2020 – Dept Sputnik 12 Mar 2019 -- President Donald Trump has requested $13.6 billion to upgrade existing missile defence and begin developing space-based weapons to counter hypersonic missile threats, the Defence Department has said in a statement.
China's Long March rockets complete 300 launches People's Daily 11 Mar 2019 -- With a Long March-3B rocket putting a new communication satellite into orbit on Sunday, China's Long March carrier rocket series completed 300 launches, having sent more than 500 spacecraft into space since 1970.
China launches new communication satellite People's Daily 10 Mar 2019 -- China Sunday sent a new communication satellite into orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province.
China developing key technologies on heavy-lift rocket People's Daily 10 Mar 2019 -- China has made significant progress in the development of the key technologies of the heavy-lift carrier rocket, the Long March-9, which is expected to make its maiden flight around 2030.
SpaceX Dragon Capsule Splashes Down In The Atlantic RFE/RL 08 Mar 2019 -- The SpaceX Dragon capsule has successfully splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean after spending more than six days in space, the U.S. space agency, NASA, said on March 8.
China's Largest Solid-Fuel Carrier Rocket Scheduled For Maiden Launch in 2019 People's Daily 07 Mar 2019 -- Chinese legislators have urged the country to formulate its own space law to boost the development of commercial space sector and pay more attention to the outflow of talents.
China's lunar rover studies stones on moon's far side People's Daily 07 Mar 2019 -- China's lunar rover has conducted scientific detection on some stones on the far side of the moon, which might help scientists find out whether they are from outer space or native to the moon.
China preparing for space station missions People's Daily 05 Mar 2019 -- The China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) announced Monday that the core module of the country's space station, the Long March-5B carrier rocket and its payloads will be sent to the launch site in the second half of this year, to make preparations for the space station missions.
Pentagon awards Lockheed Martin nearly $1billion for Saudi THAAD missile system Press TV 05 Mar 2019 -- The Pentagon has awarded its top weapons supplier Lockheed Martin Corp nearly $1 billion on behalf of Saudi Arabia for the installation of the US military giant's THAAD missile system in the kingdom.
Lockheed Martin Wins $945Mln Contract to Provide THAAD System to Saudi Arabia Sputnik 05 Mar 2019 -- Lockheed Martin has received an almost $946 million Missile Defence Agency Foreign Military Sale contract to provide the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system to Saudi Arabia, the Department of Defence said in a release.
Committed to Tel Aviv regime, US deploys THAAD to Israel for 1st time Press TV 04 Mar 2019 -- The Pentagon has for the first time deployed its most advanced missile system in Israel, hailing the move as Washington's "continued commitment" to the security of the regime in Tel Aviv.
US Deploys THAAD Missile System to Israel Sputnik 04 Mar 2019 -- The United States military deployed a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile battery to Israel, European Command (EUCOM) said in a statement on Monday.
With 15,000 Personnel, Trump's Space Force Would Be Smallest Service Yet Sputnik 04 Mar 2019 -- Legislation proposed by the Pentagon to establish a framework for the creation and development of the US Space Force shows the service would have a budget of $2 billion over the next five years and employ about 15,000 service members ‒ by far the smallest US service branch.
Russian Military Mulls Angara-A5 Heavy Rocket for Satellite Launches - Source Sputnik 04 Mar 2019 -- The Russian Defense Ministry is planning to use the Angara-A5 heavy-class carrier rockets to launch satellites from the Vostochny space center in Russia's Far East, a Russian space industry source told Sputnik.
Australia to Expand Military Activity in Space – Report Sputnik 04 Mar 2019 -- An Australian Air Force chief said Canberra should exploit its geography to increase its presence in space, admitting however that the country lags behind the world's superpowers.
SpaceX Dragon 2 Successfully Docks With ISS - NASA Sputnik 03 Mar 2019 -- Dragon 2, also known as Crew Dragon, atop a Falcon 9 rocket, was launched at 2:49 am EST (07:49 GMT) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center for its first unmanned test mission to the ISS.
Space X Crew Capsule Reaches Space Station VOA 03 Mar 2019 -- The first American commercially built-and-operated crew spacecraft in eight years docked successfully Sunday at the International Space Station.
Statement from Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan and Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson on the Delivery of the Legislative Proposal to Congress for the U.S. Space Force DoD 01 Mar 2019 -- The Pentagon announced today the delivery of the legislative proposal to Congress on the establishment of the Space Force.
DOD Sends Space Force Legislation to Congress DoD News 01 Mar 2019 -- The Defense Department has proposed legislation that would create the U.S. Space Force as the sixth branch of the armed forces.
Officials Explain U.S. Space Force Need, Culture DoD News 01 Mar 2019 -- The U.S. Space Force will allow the Defense Department to deliver space capabilities and results faster, better and ahead of adversaries, Pentagon officials said today.

NEWSLETTER

Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list