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
Meet the Task Force Trying to Turn Golden Dome Into Reality
A Golden Dome task force established under U.S. Northern Command earlier this year has a broad remit, which includes fielding the capability to defend the U.S. against missile and drone attacks, its leaders said this week. Some of the primary focuses right now are ensuring ...
Army Building Up New Space Operations Branch
The Army has long been dependent on space capabilities to navigate terrain, communicate in hard-to-reach areas, and identify and strike targets. Now, the service wants to deepen its space operations expertise and is making plans to expand its own cadre of operators in the coming ...
AFRL Partners with Virgin Galactic to Gather Data on Space Weather
Space tourism company Virgin Galactic announced a new partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s space warfare directorate to collect and share space weather data from the company’s suborbital spacecraft, due for its first commercial flight next year.
Space Force Activates Component Under Special Operations Command
The Space Force has officially established its component to U.S. Special Operations Command, creating a ninth component charged with presenting space expertise to commanders in the field.
Watchdog Urges Better Alignment Across Pentagon’s Planned GPS Backups
All of the U.S. military services are pursuing capabilities to complement GPS amid concerns that the constellation is increasingly vulnerable to interference, but a new government watchdog report calls for better coordination and prioritization among those efforts to avoid delays and duplication.
With OCX Axed, Space Force Moves Forward with New GPS Ground Plan
After scrapping a long-delayed program to build a next-generation GPS ground system earlier this year, the Space Force and prime contractor Lockheed Martin are pushing toward delivery of the capability in time to support the first launch of the newest GPS satellites, currently planned for ...
Vandenberg Eyes New Launch Support Facilities, Possible On-Site Manufacturing
The Space Force is looking for industry feedback on its plans to create a new “Mission Development Zone” at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., to support launch providers with space for additional payload processing capacity, test and assembly facilities, and potentially rocket and spacecraft manufacturing ...
Space Development Agency to Launch 21 More Data Transport Satellites Next Week
The Space Development Agency is set to launch 21 Tranche 1 data transport satellites on Oct. 5—its fourth Tranche 1 mission since last fall and the first to carry Northrop Grumman-built satellites.
Lawmakers Push for Bipartisan Solution to Golden Dome’s Funding Crunch
Some lawmakers in the Senate are advocating for a more bipartisan approach to paying for the Pentagon’s $185 billion Golden Dome missile defense project, arguing that the effort’s goal of bolstering homeland defenses has support across ideological lines but the process for funding it has ...
Space Force Sunsets 1970s-Era Missile Warning Satellite Constellation
More than 50 years after the U.S. military launched its first Defense Support Program satellite, the Space Force has officially decommissioned the missile warning constellation as it prepares to start fielding its next-generation architecture.
White House Taps Miller to Lead US Space Command
The White House nominated Lt. Gen. David Miller to lead U.S. Space Command, replacing Gen. Stephen Whiting, who is expected to retire by January 2027.
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.