Space

Thousands of people are virtually gathering this week as the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) kicks off its annual conference focused on the future mission. The pandemic has forced the event to go all-virtual for the first time this year and presenters are expected to discuss a number ...

The United States has enjoyed unchallenged dominance in the space domain for years, but it appears that time has come to an end. China has been increasing its space activities, which will have strategic consequences for the U.S. The Cipher Brief spoke with Bruce MacDonald, a former White House National Security ...

Space may be infinite, but it’s starting to get crowded around Earth. As more nations have gained the ability to send assets into orbit, a new space race has started to emerge. But rather than focus on merely reaching space, the goal now is to leverage dominance in space into ...

One sign of how important space is to military operations, particularly U.S. military operations, is that the countries who are our most likely military opponents, particularly China and Russia, are investing tens of millions of dollars in a range of technologies intended to degrade or destroy satellites and space capabilities.  ...

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency may be the most massive intelligence organization you’ve never heard of.  While rarely making headlines, NGA is the lead federal agency providing geospatial intelligence (think maps and imagery) to both the Department of Defense and the U.S. Intelligence Community.  NGA played a significant role in the ...

Sue Gordon’s mission to help forge the future of The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is no small task.   Consider that she leads a team of some fourteen thousand cartographers, geographers and others as they deliver a comprehensive understanding of time and space to decision makers in the military and intelligence ...

Q&A with Walter Scott, Founder of DigitalGlobe One of the major commercial satellite companies is DigitalGlobe.   The Cipher Brief sat down with its founder, Walter S. Scott, who discussed the universal availability of imagery today and the dramatic changes impacting both the industry and the U.S. government. The Cipher Brief: ...

Q&A with NGA Director Robert Cardillo on “Succeeding in the Open” The Cipher Brief sat down recently with NGA Director Robert Cardillo to ask about the specific challenges his Agency is facing given today’s complex threat environment and how partnerships will be a critical and evolving part of NGA’s future.  ...

There may be water on Mars, but there’s definitely liquor in orbit. Over the last couple of years, there have been a number of people and businesses working hard to blend the grandeur of space with the simple joy of a well-made drink. There are basically three groups pursuing this ...

The U.S. depends heavily on military and commercial satellites.   If a less satellite-dependent opponent launched an anti-satellite (ASAT) attack, it would have far greater impact on the U.S. than the attacker.  However, it’s not as simple as that – for the following reasons:  An ASAT attack would likely be part ...