Posted: Sun, Apr 20 10:21 AM ET (1421 GMT)
The U.S. Space Force has released a new document on its plans to both defend American satellites and target enemy space systems. The document, titled "Space Warfighting: A Framework for Planners" and released Thursday, outlines how U.S. forces might assert control of the orbital high ground through a range of offensive and defensive operations, reflecting an evolution in how the military thinks about warfare beyond Earth. U.S. defense planners now view space as an active battleground, one that underpins nearly every modern military function, from missile warning systems to precision navigation. A Space Force general said the release of the warfighting manual reflects the "normalization" of the Space Force as a military branch that plans and conducts warfare alongside the other services.

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•  SpaceNews article
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•  Defense News article
•  Breaking Defense article
•  Space Force press release

Posted: Sun, Apr 20 10:20 AM ET (1420 GMT)
For the first time in more than a decade, a Minotaur 4 rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Wednesday. The solid-fuel rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 8 at Vandenberg at 3:33 p.m. Eastern on the NROL-174 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office. The rocket placed multiple classified payloads into orbit, but the NRO did not disclose details on the mission. The launch was the first for the Minotaur 4, a rocket derived from the Peacekeeper ICBM, from Vandenberg since 2011, and the first for the rocket from any location since a July 2020 launch from Wallops Island, Virginia.

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•  SpaceNews article
•  Spaceflight Now article
•  Space.com article

Rocket Factory Augusburg replaces CEO
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German launch vehicle startup Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) has replaced its CEO. The company said last week that Stefan Tweraser, who had been CEO since...

Tournear returns to SDA
Posted: Sun, Apr 20 10:13 AM ET (1413 GMT)
Derek Tournear will return to lead the Space Force's Space Development Agency after a three-month administrative leave. The Department of the Air Force...

White House proposes steep cuts in NASA science
Posted: Sun, Apr 20 10:11 AM ET (1411 GMT)
A draft of the White House's proposed budget for NASA would slash its science budget nearly in half. The "passback" budget for fiscal year...