HELSINKI — #China launched its first Yaogan-42 satellite late Tuesday, adding to the country’s growing military #satellite reconnaissance capabilities.

A Long March 2D rocket lifted off from Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 6:56 p.m. Eastern (2256 UTC) April 2. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) announced launch success within the hour. CASC’s statement also revealed the previously unknown payload to be Yaogan-42 (01) (“remote sensing-42 (01)”).

The satellite was later tracked by the U.S. Space Force’s 18th Space Defense Squadron (SDS) in a roughly 500-kilometer-altitude orbit inclined by 35 degrees.

SAN FRANCISCO – Orbital Sidekick released first-light imagery April 3 from two hyperspectral satellites launched March 4.

The Global Hyperspectral Observation Satellites (GHOSts) launched on the SpaceX Transporter-10 rideshare flight began gathering data March 18. Both satellites are healthy and going through commissioning, Tushar Prabhakar, OSK co-founder and chief operating officer, told #SpaceNews.

The new satellites, the fourth and fifth in OSK’s constellation, gather data in 468 spectral bands from 400 to 2,500 nanometers with 8-meter resolution.

A sixth #satellite is expected to launch within the year. A #GHOSt constellation of 14 to 20 satellites to provide weekly global monitoring is OSK’s goal

#WASHINGTON — The Defense Department on April 2 unveiled its first-ever strategy to integrate commercial space technologies into its national security architecture. The move signals the Pentagon’s intent to take advantage of private space sector investments rather than rely solely on custom-built government systems.

The Pentagon’s strategy, however, also recognizes there are structural, procedural and cultural impediments the DoD must clear to shift from its traditional model of developing proprietary space systems meant only for military use.

#DoD historically has favored bespoke, custom-designed government systems over commercial off-the-shelf technologies, creating barriers to the adoption of commercial space products and services, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin noted in introducing the strategy.

#Military, #Russia, #China catching up to U.S. in space weaponry, new report finds. Russia has ramped up its space warfare capabilities over the last decade as it seeks to regain Soviet-era military advantages that were lost after the Cold War

#Military, #Satellite terminal supplier #CopaSAT storms into military market. The company designed a ruggedized satellite internet terminal that uses the #Starshield antenna built by SpaceX

#TAMPA, Fla. — #Canada is prepared to invest 50% more than initially planned to help flagship geostationary operator #Telesat fund its #Lightspeed low Earth orbit (LEO) #broadband constellation.

Telesat said it received a letter from the Canadian government last week that agreed terms for a loan worth 2.14 billion Canadian dollars ($1.6 billion) for Lightspeed, nearly half the 198-satellite network’s $3.5 billion budget.

The terms also include an exchange of warrants enabling the government to buy 10% of Lightspeed for $300 million, valuing the constellation at $3 billion ahead of satellite deployments slated to get underway in 2026 via SpaceX.

#WASHINGTON — The Office of Space Commerce has selected Parsons Corporation to develop key elements of its civil space traffic coordination system.

The office, located within the National Oceanic and #Atmospheric Administration, said March 18 it awarded a $15.5 million contract to Parsons to provide system integration and cloud management services for its Traffic Coordination System for Space, or #TraCSS. The one-year contract includes an option for another year that would increase its total value to $26.9 million.

Under the contract, Parsons will develop what the office calls the “software backbone” for TraCSS, incorporating both the OASIS repository for space situational awareness data and the SKYLINE application layer. The contract also covers cybersecurity, cloud management and system administration.

#WASHINGTON — Two bills recently introduced into the Senate would reform regulation of commercial space activities, including putting into motion an eventual end of the “learning period” limiting human spaceflight safety rules.

The Commercial Standards Paramount to Accelerating Cosmic Exploration (SPACE) Leadership Act was introduced March 22 by Sens. Krysten Sinema (I-Ariz.) and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), the chair and ranking member, respectively, of the Senate Commerce Committee’s space subcommittee

#Cosmonauts prepare to swap #spaceships at #ISS. The crew of the #Soyuz MS-24 #spacecraft includes Oleg Novitsky, Marina Vasilevskaya, and #NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara.