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
Space Force Weighs Options to Boost Supply Chain Amid Production Surge
As the Space Force eyes a possible fivefold increase in the number of satellites it operates on orbit, defense officials are looking for ways to shore up the industrial base to support that growth, which is expected over the next three to five years.
Space Force Seeks Maneuverable Spacecraft for On-Demand Launch
The Space Force may invest in a maneuverable space vehicle that can be available for an on-demand launch in response to “emerging threats,” according to a new industry notice.
SDA Seeks to Expand Ground Architecture for Future Missile Tracking Satellites
The Space Development Agency is opening a competition to expand its ground architecture to support a growing fleet of missile warning, tracking, and defense satellites.
Pentagon Picks 2 Companies for Reconnaissance Satellite Demo
The Space Force and the Defense Innovation Unit have chosen two firms to demonstrate the ability of small satellites built with low-cost, commercial technology to track both friendly and adversary satellites in geosynchronous orbit.
SPACECOM Boss Wants Better Domain Awareness to Target Threats on Orbit
The Space Force revealed this week that it has space control weapons on orbit, but the head of U.S. Space Command said the U.S. still has “a long way to go” in improving its ability to detect and target threats in the domain.
How the Space Force Is Preparing for Its New Moving Target Missions
As the Space Force prepares to field new fleets of satellites that can track moving targets in the air and on the ground, it’s working to ensure it has the organizational structures in place to onboard and operate those systems.
Space Development Agency Aims for Two More Launches This Year
The Space Development Agency wants to wrap up its Tranche 1 launch campaign by the end of spring 2027, flying six more batches of satellites to build out its tracking and data transport constellations, according to Director Gurpartap Sandhoo.
Budget Impasse Will Stall 10 Percent of Space Force Programs, Officials Warn
The Space Force estimates about 10 percent of its programs will be impacted under a continuing resolution for the coming fiscal year, according to Chief of Space Operations Gen. Douglas Schiess.
Schiess Highlights Space Force’s Role in Epic Fury
Guardians are playing a critical role in U.S. operations against Iran, providing electronic warfare effects to stifle enemy air defense and communication systems and other space capabilities vital to the war effort, Gen. Douglas Schiess said in one of his first appearances since swearing in ...
Meink Reveals Space Force Has ‘On-Orbit Space Control Weapons’
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink revealed Sept. 14 the Space Force has “space control weapons” on orbit today—the Pentagon’s most direct acknowledgement to date that the U.S. is operating offensive capabilities in space.
Space Force Expects to Spend $17B More on Launch as Demand Soars
The Space Force expects the scope of its main launch program to grow by 91 missions and nearly $17 billion by fiscal 2032 as demand for national security space capabilities soars.
Space Force May Export Launch Lessons to Foreign Partners
As U.S. allies look to establish sovereign military space launch capabilities, the Space Force is exploring ways to transfer lessons learned from its National Security Space Launch program to support its international partners.
Schiess Sworn in as New Space Force Chief: ‘We Must Grow with Intention’
Gen. Douglas Schiess assumed leadership of the Space Force on Sept. 3, succeeding Gen. B. Chance Saltzman as Chief of Space Operations during a change of responsibility ceremony here.
Pentagon Issues Contracts to Boost Manufacturing Capacity for Space Systems
The Pentagon is moving forward with plans to invest in manufacturing capacity for the space industrial base, awarding multiple contracts in recent weeks to companies who supply key space components and subsystems as well as firms with innovative manufacturing technology that’s ready to scale.
What to Watch from Trump’s US Space Academy Commission
As President Donald Trump’s commission to study a U.S. Space Academy formulates recommendations, experts say they’ll be watching for more detail on the academy’s mission and scope as well as efforts to garner feedback from members of Congress, who will ultimately get the final say ...