Defense

Space-based defense programs, procurement, and military space policy.

• Gravitics Wins Lockheed Martin Deal to Build Three Orbital Carriers for Golden Dome

  September 1, 2026

  Gravitics has been selected by Lockheed Martin to build three spacecraft for demonstrations of space-based missile defense technologies under the Pentagon's Golden Dome program. The selection, disclosed in regulatory filings, marks one of the first known industrial contracts tied directly to the Golden Dome architecture. The spacecraft, described as orbital carriers, are platforms designed to support space-based missile defense operations. Golden Dome has been discussed largely in policy terms,

• Lockheed Martin Ventures Backs Quantum Camera Startup Diffraqtion in Expanded Pre-Seed

  August 31, 2026

  Diffraqtion, a Massachusetts startup building quantum imaging cameras for space, announced more than $5 million in additional funding on Monday, more than doubling the pre-seed round it first closed in January. The new investment brings the company's total funding to over $10 million and adds Lockheed Martin Ventures and Sumitomo Corporation's Presidio Ventures to its backers. The company emerged from stealth earlier this year with a $4.2 million pre-seed round that included QDNL Participations

• Pentagon Seeks Software-Only Encryption to Bridge Post-Quantum Transition

  August 30, 2026

  The Defense Department is asking industry for interim, software-only cryptographic solutions that require no hardware changes to protect military systems during its shift to post-quantum cryptography. A request for information released Thursday sets operational baselines for vendors and signals the Pentagon is executing on its campaign to prepare for quantum threats to encryption. The RFI follows the DOD chief information officer's PQC strategy, published in June, one day after the White House

• Space Force Brings Digital Engineering to Its Nuclear Satellite Program

  August 28, 2026

  The U.S. Space Force has adopted a new collaborative digital engineering environment for its nuclear command, control, and communications satellite program. The move applies modern development methods to one of the most sensitive parts of the U.S. military satellite architecture. The tool is described as potentially changing how the Space Force, and possibly the broader Defense Department, designs and tests capabilities. By placing it on the NC3 program, the service is directing modern acquisit

• Pentagon Awards SpaceX Fleet Contract to Put Starshield on Military Aircraft

  August 27, 2026

  The Space Force has awarded SpaceX a fleet-level service contract to expand use of its Starshield satellite network aboard military aircraft, extending the government-focused system beyond ground terminals and into airborne platforms. The award, posted August 25 by the Space Force's Commercial Space Office, covers satellite subscription services for aircraft fitted with SpaceX's Starshield Tile and smaller Tile Mini terminals. The move reflects a broader Pentagon effort to integrate Starshield

• Army Names Five Vendors and Bases for Janus Nuclear Microreactor Program

  August 27, 2026

  The Army on Wednesday selected five companies to build and operate nuclear microreactors at five installations under its Janus program, committing about $2.2 billion across fiscal years 2027 through 2031. The move is intended to deliver resilient baseload power to major bases in the event that external power grids fail. The five vendors and their assigned installations are Antares Nuclear at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; BWXT Advanced Technologies at Fort Campbell, Kentucky; General Atomics Elect

• Polish Startup Ares Shield Lands $6 Million Deal to Defend Orbital Data Centers with Microwave Weapons

  August 25, 2026

  Florida-based Lonestar Data Holdings has contracted Polish startup Ares Shield to protect its space-based data centers using high-power microwave technology, in an agreement worth up to $6 million announced August 25. The deal calls for three satellites to be protected initially, with additional modules to follow as Lonestar builds out its constellation. The contract arrives as Lonestar prepares to field its first commercial space-based offering, a platform called StarVault that stores customer

• Ursa Major to Enter Public Markets in $2.3 Billion Deal

  August 25, 2026

  Rocket propulsion and hypersonics startup Ursa Major announced it will go public in a transaction valuing the company at $2.3 billion. Chief Executive Chris Spagnoletti framed the deal as the step that turns the company's current base into the production capacity its customers are asking for. The company builds propulsion for hypersonic weapons and rocket engines. Spagnoletti tied the going-public transaction directly to scaling manufacturing, saying it is intended to convert Ursa Major's exist

• Redwire Boosts Investment in Phased Array Antennas for Military Space Networks

  August 25, 2026

  Redwire Corporation announced a strategic investment in next-generation phased array antenna technology aimed at delivering faster, more resilient, and more scalable space-based data networks for global warfighter communications. The company said the move positions it in a rapidly expanding market where high-capacity, low-latency communication is essential for national security, civil, and commercial missions. The investment will accelerate the development and production of adaptable phased arr

• Space Force Expands AI Project Management Software as Multi-Billion-Dollar Programs Mount

  August 24, 2026

  The Space Force has awarded Seattle-based firm Integrate a multi-million dollar contract to deploy its AI-enabled project management software across the service's Space Systems Integration Office. The deal expands the company's role as the Space Force takes on major new national security programs and works to keep them on cost and on schedule. The Space Systems Integration Office, which sits within Space Systems Command and oversees its acquisition programs, has a growing list of national secur

• German Space Command Chief Details Mission to Protect Allied Assets in Orbit

  August 22, 2026

  Major General Michael Traut, Commander of the German Space Command, discussed his organization's role in protecting German and allied space assets in a fireside chat published on August 21. His public comments underscore how Germany's dedicated military space operations organization is positioning itself within an increasingly contested orbital environment. Germany has established the Space Command as a dedicated military space operations organization. Its remit extends beyond routine satellite

• Army Trains AI Agents to Fill Cyber Work Roles Alongside Soldiers

  August 21, 2026

  The U.S. Army is training artificial intelligence agents to perform defined cyber work roles alongside human personnel, a shift that moves AI from analytical tool to active participant in cyber operations workflows. The effort runs through Task Force Lexington, which houses all of Army Cyber Command's AI initiatives, and includes a dedicated AI red team. The program marks a departure from treating AI primarily as an aid for analysis. Instead, the Army is placing AI agents into structured operat