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The Space Force has canceled its contract with one of the four companies developing designs for its Resilient GPS program following an initial design review, Defense News has learned.
Last September, the service’s acquisition arm, Space Systems Command, awarded L3Harris, Sierra Space, Astranis and Axient — which has since been acquired by Astrion — each $10 million contracts to draft early concepts for a constellation of small, low-cost, resilient GPS satellites. In December and January, after early design reviews with each firm, SSC opted to “discontinue” Astrion’s contract, according to Cordell DeLaPena, program executive officer for military communications and positioning, navigation and timing.
“There was one vendor that wasn’t quite at the level of maturity, so we discontinued that vendor and we’re going to harvest the remaining dollars and invest those in the three remaining vendors,” DeLaPena told Defense News in an interview Thursday.
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The Space Force will play a “central role” in the Pentagon’s efforts to develop a homeland missile defense shield, or Iron Dome for America, according to the service’s top officer.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order in late January calling on the Defense Department to develop an “Iron Dome for America” — a more advanced version of Israel’s Iron Dome, designed to counter a range of missile threats, including hypersonic weapons.
The order highlights several space-based elements of this architecture that build on existing capabilities like the Missile Defense Agency’s Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor program and the Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, which includes a constellation of missile warning and tracking satellites.
Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman told reporters Monday that given the executive order’s emphasis on space systems, it’s natural the service would play a ke..

The Space Development Agency should put its next launch of data transport and missile tracking satellites on hold until it demonstrates required laser communications capabilities with the spacecraft already in orbit, according to a government watchdog report.
The Government Accountability Office on Wednesday issued a deep-dive review of the Space Development Agency’s progress toward demonstrating that its satellites can connect in space via a laser link. The complex technology allows satellites to share data amongst themselves and with users on the ground using optical communications terminals installed on the spacecraft. The result is much faster, higher-volume data transmissions than traditional systems, which rely on radio frequency beams to send information.
Because the satellites in SDA’s constellation are built by multiple vendors, compatibility among terminals and the ability to communicate across a network of hundreds of satellites is key for their vision of high-speed da..

Air travelers who fear flying reveal their top rituals before boarding a plane’I say a prayer and order a drink every time’Flight passengers have shared some of the rituals they practice before boarding a plane, such as calling a loved one, praying, or tapping the aircraft itself as they board. (iStock)
Many nervous fliers have shared the rituals they use to try to calm themselves before and during air travel. One person mentioned bringing a blanket along — while another spoke about prayer. (iStock)
Some people clutch their loved ones during ther plane’s takeoff — while some travelers say or read prayers. (iStock)

Ancient tomb of Pharaoh Thutmose II unearthed by archaeologists in EgyptThis is the first royal tomb discovery since 1922

Costco expands travel benefit by rolling out use of artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence through Travelport to be offered to help with faster, more convenient booking

Carnival crowds and travel gridlock make life ‘difficult’ as social media users chime inVenice Carnival attracts an estimated 3 million visitors each yearA Venice photographer recorded a TikTok to capture the massive crowds attending Carnival. Above, a screenshot from her video. (@gazellastudio)
Social media users post videos of Venice crowds as Carnival commences. The City of Canals is looking to curb overtourism. (Stefano Mazzola/Getty Images)
Three million people travel to Venice every year for Carnival. (Stefano Mazzola/Getty Images)
Venice has implemented a tourism fee on select days in order to prevent overtourism. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)

Crushed Titanic chandelier that hung in first-class smoking lounge heads to museumChandelier spent decades on ocean floor after RMS Titanic sank in 1912