Low Earth Orbit Is a High-Value Domain
By Rebecca Grant
April 11, 2024
Low Earth Orbit – known as LEO – is the future for communications satellites. It’s also a high-value domain for national security. And it’s getting crowded. Elon Musk’s Starlink has over 5500 satellites on orbit and just launched 23 more Friday morning. Amazon is putting $10 billion into its LEO constellation named Kuiper that will build out to 3,236 satellites. To get half the constellation up by 2026, Amazon just carried out the largest-ever block buy of satellite launches.
Then there is the Space Force. Hundreds of new, smaller satellites in LEO are taking over many critical functions from missile warning to tactical targeting and communications. The project is called the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. Tranche 1 of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture is being launched now, with 172 satellites for regional coverage, to be followed by another 216 satellites in Tranche 2 that will give warfighters complete global access. Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and York Aerospace have all built Tranche 1 satellites and won contracts for more in Tranche 2. SDA says Tranche 3 won’t launch until 2028, leaving room to define new capabilities.
Just as the United States Navy ensures freedom of navigation for maritime trade, the Space Force and commercial companies are going to find themselves working together. In fact, important aspects of US national security may rest on how well the Space Force and its commercial partners learn to work together to keep data flowing in LEO.
https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2024/04/11/low_earth_orbit_is_a_high-value_domain_1024394.html
