The United States must consider alternatives in future satellite constellations as adversaries develop systems that challenge our way of life, said Gen. William Shelton, commander of Air Force Space Command. “As I look at the next 20 years in space, we have a difficult, uphill climb ahead of us,” said Shelton during a Jan. 7 speech at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. “These alternatives must balance required capability, affordability, and resilience.” AFSPC is considering many options, particularly the notion of disaggregation, states a Pentagon release. That means, “moving away from the multiple payload, big satellite construct into a less complex satellite architecture with multiple components,” he said. Shelton emphasized the importance of satellites, saying they are essential to 21st century American life and fundamental to today’s military operations.
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
