U.S. Space Force
Every Cosmic Herald story on U.S. Space Force — missions, launches, discoveries, and the business of space, newest first.
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Military Space
The Space Force is quietly replacing its aging satellite backbone. Here's what's new.
GPS III, Next Gen OPIR missile warning satellites, and the Evolved Strategic SATCOM program are replacing Cold War-era systems that have been showing their age. The upgrades are designed to survive a contested space environment that didn't exist when the original satellites were built.
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Military Space
What the Space Force actually does — and why it matters more than most people realize
The US Space Force is the world's first independent space military branch. Its missions — protecting GPS satellites, tracking debris, watching for missile launches — are largely invisible but underpin nearly every aspect of modern warfare and daily civilian life.
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Commercial
ULA's Vulcan rocket is flying. What it means for the launch market.
United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur has completed its certification flights and is entering regular commercial service. The rocket is designed to handle everything ULA's Atlas V and Delta IV carried — and it's arriving at a moment when the launch market is more competitive than it has ever been.
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Commercial
New Glenn flew. Now Blue Origin has to prove it can do it again.
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket reached orbit on its first attempt — a significant achievement for a company that spent years being compared unfavorably to SpaceX. But a single successful launch is a beginning, not a business. What comes next will define whether New Glenn becomes a serious player.
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Commercial
America's new national-security rocket is grounded by a recurring booster glitch
ULA's Vulcan Centaur was certified to launch the Pentagon's most sensitive satellites — and then a solid rocket booster misbehaved on two flights in a row. The Space Force has now paused Vulcan missions until the problem is understood.