Courtney Albon
Courtney Albon is the Space Editor at Air & Space Forces Magazine. She has been covering the U.S. military since 2012, with a focus on the Air Force and Space Force. During that time, she has reported on some of the Defense Department’s most significant acquisition, budget and policy challenges, including the F-35 fighter jet, hypersonic capability development and the creation of the Space Force.
Recent stories by Courtney Albon
How Vandenberg’s Range Is Scaling to Meet Launch Demand
In the last five years, the annual launch rate at the Space Force’s West Coast range has surged from a handful of missions to 66 in 2025. Now, Vandenberg Space Force Base in California expects to support 150 launches in the next five years and ...
Space Force Picks 14 Firms to Compete to Build Reconnaissance Satellites
The Space Force chose an initial pool of 14 contractors to compete to build a constellation of maneuverable satellites designed to observe and track activity in geosynchronous orbit.
Space Force Awards GPS Ground Contract amid OCX Uncertainty
The Space Force awarded Lockheed Martin a $105 million contract to continue supporting its interim GPS ground system as the Pentagon considers the future of a broader, long-delayed modernization effort.
New Report Highlights Global Trend Toward ‘Bodyguard’ Satellites
As the list of countries developing both kinetic and nonkinetic space weapons grows, more nations are investing in “bodyguard” capabilities designed to protect and respond to threats against their space assets, according to a new report.
Space Force Poised for 80 Percent Funding Boost in 2027 Budget
The Space Force is requesting $71 billion for fiscal 2027 in the White House's newly released budget proposal, a topline that would bring with it major funding increases for missile warning programs, launch procurement, and end strength.
Space Force to Create Futures-Like Group on HQ Staff
The Space Force plans to establish a new headquarters staff group focused on force design and analysis that will oversee and guide a number of future-oriented organizations, including the Space Warfighting Analysis Center and the Chief Science Officer.
Space Force Resets Modernization Plan for Its Aging Satellite Control Network
After canceling a program to modernize the network of antennas that track and manage Defense Department and other U.S. government satellites, the Space Force has issued a notice to industry seeking input on what existing infrastructure might be available to meet that need.
Saltzman: Space Force Guardians ‘Integrated Throughout’ Iran Ops
Space Force capabilities are deployed “inside the threat zone” and deeply integrated into joint operations against Iran, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said April 1.
How the Space Force Is Supporting NASA’s Artemis II Mission
In many ways, the Space Force’s role in NASA’s Artemis II mission, scheduled to lift off from the Eastern Range the evening of April 1, is the same as any other launch it supports. Space Launch Delta 45, which oversees operations at Cape Canaveral Space ...
NGA Launches New Small Sats to Measure Earth’s Magnetic Field
Small satellites meant to improve the way the U.S. measures Earth’s magnetic field—an option to expand the military’s position, navigation, and timing enterprise—launched March 30 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif.
Pentagon Eyes Canceling ‘Troubled’ GPS Ground System
Amid persistent development and testing delays, the Space Force is considering canceling a long-delayed effort to develop a ground system to manage its newest GPS satellites, a spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
Data Centers in Space Could Enable Golden Dome: Experts
The tech industry’s pursuit of space-based AI data centers could have positive implications for military space operations, potentially enabling faster communication speeds from multiple orbits for programs like Golden Dome, industry and defense officials said March 24.
Space Force Seeks Proposals for Physical Test and Training Range
The Space Force is moving ahead with plans to build a physical test and training range that will feature a mix of ground and space-based systems, releasing a formal solicitation for a multi-vendor contract worth $981 million to design, develop, integrate, and sustain those capabilities.
Space Force Exercise Aims to Solidify Responsive Space Processes
Space Systems Command just conducted its second Tactically Responsive Space mission, Victus Diem—but this time, instead of preparing and launching a live rocket and satellite on rapid timelines, the exercise was a simulation designed to refine its processes for repeatable rapid launch missions.
More Launches, More Cyber Threats: Space Force Stands Up Units to Defend Ranges
The Space Force this month established a squadron dedicated to defending against cyber intrusions at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., as concerns about threats to the service’s physical and digital launch infrastructure are on the rise.
