The Week In National Security Air and Space
Congress / White House
Senate bill fails for 10th time. The Senate bill seeking to end the government shutdown failed in a 51-45 vote for the 10th time on October 16, falling short of the requisite 60 votes. The shutdown now enters its third week.
Military spending bill blocked in Senate. On October 16, the Senate failed to meet the 60-vote threshold to advance the annual defense appropriations bill. The vote was 50-44, with three Democrats joining all Republicans in favor of the effort that would have restarted some federal funding as the government shutdown continues. While the appropriations bill passed out of committee with a strong bipartisan vote, Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) stated, “I won’t vote just for the defense appropriations bill, even though that’s my bill, [. . .] The path out of this shutdown is meaningful negotiations.”
Space Force
Unknown future for Space Futures Command. Space Force’s plan to create a new Futures Command is on the chopping block with only rumors about a replacement agency, according to a handful of sources inside and outside of the Pentagon. “Futures Command is dead,” one Pentagon official said bluntly. A Space Force spokesperson told Breaking Defense on October 3 that the Department of the Air Force “is still exploring options and has not made an official decision to stand up Space Futures Command.” Should Space Futures Command receive the chop, several sources told Breaking Defense there has been internal discussion of a new structure to replace it, either a field command or a direct reporting unit, that would oversee the Space Warfighting Analysis Center (SWAC). The new organization, tentatively dubbed Innovation and Simulation, would in essence be a super-SWAC, two Pentagon sources said. It would include SWAC, but also, as one industry source put it, some other small organizational “cats and dogs” included. According to Breaking Defense, there is hallway chatter that the new organization could be headed by Maj Gen Stephen Purdy who is set to leave his acting position at the latest in January.
Air
Air Force dropping Integrated Capabilities Command. The Air Force is dropping its plans to create an Integrated Capabilities Command (ICC), instead consolidating those functions under a new Chief Modernization Officer, who will be part of the Air Force Futures organization. This shift, effective April 1, aims to streamline modernization efforts, reduce duplication, and accelerate decision-making. The ICC’s duties—originally meant to unify capability development across Major Commands—faced resistance and will now be absorbed into the A5/7 structure. The move supports broader goals to reduce general officer billets and enhance efficiency, aligning with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s directives.
DoD / Other Services
Army adds counterspace to top priorities and nears approval of new space branch. At AUSA 2025, Army leaders announced that counterspace capabilities are now a top priority in the service’s five-year budget starting in FY2027. COL Pete Atkinson said the move recognizes space as a “consequential” mission area alongside cyber and missile defense. The 2024 Space Vision focuses on integrating SATCOM, ISR, and PNT support while advancing counter-satellite and navigation warfare efforts. BG Donald Brooks said the Army’s new Space Branch is in the final approval process, following the December 2024 approval of the new 40D Space Operations Specialist MOS role, which activates in August 2026.
International
Insights to UK MOD SATCOM plans. The Strategies in Satellite Ground Segment event in London last week included a SATCOM-focused panel, featuring military leaders and industry partners who spoke on the risk and reward of using commercial solutions. Barry Austin, UK Ministry of Defense’s Defence Digital SATCOM lead, described the attraction to buying a load of LEO terminals from one supplier “but, there is the potential for a vulnerability,” and noted operational freedom as a key focus, with the U.K. looking at the critical technologies they need to own. Wing Commander Dave Black, UK Space Command, expressed concern on the threats the U.K. now experiences, pointing to the amount of range in SATCOM in recent years, and he noted that a focus item is “how we manage the spectrum to do all this, particularly in the ground segment.” On differentiating between MILSATCOM and SATCOM, Black shared, “We could do everything we do today with commercial services. But there is a value from having control of our own ground segment. That high level of assurance, managing cyber threats, the ability to reconfigure it to meet our own needs….you can control bandwidth allocation. The ‘mil’ in MILSATCOM is key.”
Threats
Surprise Chinese launch sends Shiyan-31 satellite into orbit. An unannounced and secretive Chinese launch recently orbited the Shiyan-31 experimental satellite. The satellite’s stated mission is testing experimental optical imaging technologies. Shiyan satellites are believed to be used to test new systems such as sensors, communications subsystems and environmental instruments, forming part of China’s efforts to validate new space technologies in orbit. Satellites in the series appear to have been used for a range of purposes, including technology demonstrations, space environment monitoring, electronic intelligence, remote sensing, space situational awareness and space operations such as rendezvous and proximity maneuvers.
The Week Ahead
Monday, 20 October
LATSAT. Oct 19-20. Bogotá, Columbia. (more)
Tuesday, 21 October
SASC: To receive a closed briefing on the Joint Interagency Task Force 401. Washington, D.C. (more)
NDIA 2025 Space Coast Contracting Summit w/ Rep. Mike Haridopolos, Col Shannon DaSilva, et. al. Oct 21-22. Patrick SFB, FL. (more)
2025 Missile Defense Agency Small Business Conference. Huntsville, AL. (more)
NRO Forum for Innovative Research in Science & Technology (FIRST). (more)
Wednesday, 22 October
WSBR Luncheon: China, Space, and Geopolitics. Washington, D.C. (more)
NDIA AI for Requirements: Modernizing DoD’s Requirements Process. Virtual. (more)
SFA October Rocket City Chapter Meeting. Huntsville, AL. (more)
7th Summit for Space Sustainability w/ Mariel Borowitz, et. al. Oct 22-23. Paris, France. (more)
Thursday, 23 October
CNAS Stuck in the Cul-de-Sac: How U.S. Defense Spending Prioritizes Innovation over Deterrence. Virtual. (more)
Friday, 24 October
Air & Space Warfighters in Action w/ Air Marshal Paul Godfrey. Virtual. (more)
Upcoming Events
(** = new additions)
October 2025
25-26: SmallSat Education Conference, Merrit Island, FL (more)
27-30: Silicon Valley Space Week / MILSAT Symposium, Mountain View, CA (more)
28-29: Defence in Space (DiSC) 2025, London, UK (more)
28-29: ESPI Europe as a Space Power – Directionality & Priorities of Strategic Action, Vienna, Austria (more)
**29: C4SIRNet The Role of Spacepower on the Modern Battlefield, Virtual (more)
November 2025
3-7: COSPAR Symposium 2025, Nicosia, Cyprus (more)
3-7: USSF WEPTAC Conference 2025 (TS//SCI), Colorado Springs, CO (more)
3-6: SMG Global MILSATCOM 2025, London, UK (more)
4-6: Indo-Pacific International Maritime Exposition, Sydney, Australia (more)
4-6: Security for Space Systems, Noordwijk, The Netherlands (more)
5-6: DSI Joint Space Operations, National Harbor, MD
6: SFA Guardian Industry Night 2025, Peterson SFB, CO (more)
**12-13: DSI Hypersonic Innovation Summit, Huntsville, AL (more)
13: Mitchell Institute 4th Annual Spacepower Security Forum, Arlington, VA (more)
13-14: 11th Annual AFA Schriever Space Futures Forum, Beverly Hills, CA
14: 5th Annual AFA Space Force Ball, Beverly Hills, CA
18: Defense One State of Defense Business Acquisition Summit, Washington, D.C. (more)
18: Space Foundation: FAGA Forum, Chantilly, VA (more)
18-20: MilCIS2025, Military Communications and Information Systems, Canberra, Australia (more)
19: Defense Talks, Washington, D.C. (more)
20: 11th Annual AFA Schriever Space Futures Forum (classified session), Redondo Beach, CA
20: NDIA U.S. & Japan Defense Industry Dialogue Series, Arlington, VA (more)
December 2025
2-4: Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab: Cislunar Security Conference 2025, Laurel, MD (more)
3: Schriever Spacepower Series: Maj Gen Chris Povak, Virtual (more)
3-4: Space-Comm Scotland, Glasgow, Scotland (more)
**5-6: Reagan National Defense Forum, Simi Valley, CA & Virtual (more)
9: SFA Spacepower Golf Tournament, Orlando, FL (more)
10: SFA Spacepower Conference 2025, Orlando, FL (more)
11: WIA Awards Dinner, Arlington, VA (more)
12: SFA Space Force T-10 Miler Pasta Dinner, Orlando, FL (more)
Congress / White House
Military spending bill blocked in US Senate as shutdown grinds on
Reuters, 16 October
Government shutdown: Senate bill fails for 10th time, Kelly tells Trump to get involved
CNBC News, 16 October
Judge blocks Trump admin from laying off federal workers during government shutdown
Politico, 15 October
Pentagon preparing to pull $8 billion from ‘unobligated’ R&D coffers to pay troops
Breaking Defense, 12 October
Space Force
No future for Space Futures Command, sources say
Breaking Defense, 17 October
Air
Air Force May Test New Counter-Drone Weapons Next Year: Industry Reps
Air & Space Forces Magazine, 16 October
Air Force Dropping Integrated Capabilities Command
Air & Space Forces Magazine, 15 October
Pentagon’s New Counter-Drone Task Force to Arm Future ACE Airmen
Air & Space Forces Magazine, 14 October
U.S. Army General in Europe Admits “We’re Behind” On Drones
TWZ, 14 October
CMSAF Flosi Says He Will Retire
Air & Space Forces Magazine, 14 October
AeroVironment eyes new factory, drone launches for Switchblade
Defense News, 13 October
Denmark to buy more F-35 jets, ships in $13.7 billion spending plan
Defense News, 13 October
Podcast: Air and Missile Defense – The Imperative for Golden Dome
Mitchell Institute, 11 October
China’s Stealth Sharp Sword Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles Deployed To Operational Airbase
TWZ, 10 October
DoD / Other Services
In surprise move, head of US military for Latin America to step down
Reuters, 16 October
Army budget prioritizes counterspace for first time
Breaking Defense, 15 October
Interagency / Other Departments
White House Takes Another Look at Issacman for NASA Administrator
Aviation Week Network, 16 October
Space Policy / Commentary
Op-Ed Hwang and MacDonald | Special economic zones for restoring American space dominance
SpaceNews, 13 October
Industry
Exclusive: Viridian Wins Air-Breathing DoD SBIR
Payload, 17 October
Planet Nabs $13 Million Award Under NGA’s Luno B Award for Data Analytics
Defense Daily, 16 October
‘Space Armor’ to challenge traditional metal shielding on satellites
SpaceNews, 16 October
Eagleview launches innovation center to expand AI-driven geospatial intelligence
Space Daily, 15 October
K2 Space Corp, SpaceX ink Falcon 9 rocket deal for 2027 mission
UPI, 14 October
Momentus and Solstar to offer communications, transportation and infrastructure in low-Earth orbit
SpaceNews, 13 October
International
Taiwan’s TASA teams up with Japan’s ispace for lunar payload mission
DigiTimes Asia, 15 October
PLD Space fast-tracks MIURA 5 and sharpens Europe leadership in space access
Space Daily, 15 October
European Defense Officials: Multi-Domain Warfare is Already Here and Impacting Space
Via Satellite, 15 October
Polish space company Scanway Space secures U.S., European deals amid international expansion drive
SpaceNews, 15 October
UK Defense Leaders Debate Starlink and Sovereignty in Military Satcom
Via Satellite, 14 October
JAXA to launch tech demo satellites on Electron rockets
SpaceNews, 13 October
Threats
China launches 12th group of Guowang broadband satellites as rocket milestone highlights accelerating launch rate
SpaceNews, 16 October
Surprise Chinese launch sends Shiyan-31 experimental satellite into orbit
SpaceNews, 13 October
Environmental Monitoring
Space Force Contract to Inform Commercial Weather Strategy
Air & Space Forces Magazine, 17 October
AI model sharpens solar forecasts to support satellite network stability
Space Daily, 15 October
Launch
Space Development Agency Launches 21 Data Transport Satellites
Air & Space Forces Magazine, 15 October