Sunday Report 2 November 25

The Week In National Security Air and Space

Congress / White House

Senate GOP, Democrats looking for “off-ramp” to end shutdown. As soon as this week, Senate Republicans and Democrats may strike a deal to reopen the government, as the now month-long shutdown continues. Key motivators to ending the shutdown are the expiration of SNAP benefits on November 1, rising health care costs, and potential political impact of the November 4 election. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) said bipartisan talks to end the shutdown have picked up significant momentum last week, stating, “There is a good group of folks who realize we are well past time to have this behind us. This is not good. This is not good from a governance perspective. This doesn’t reflect well on anybody and it is hurting real people [in] real time, so let’s figure out a way to end it.” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) have helped lead reopening talks on the Democrat side.

Space Command

Colorado sues to stop SPACECOM move. Colorado’s attorney general is suing the Trump administration in an effort to block the President’s decision to relocate U.S. Space Command headquarters from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama. The lawsuit, filed October 29 by attorney general Phil Weiser, alleges that President Donald Trump’s decision amounts to “retaliation” against Colorado for the state’s stance on mail-in voting, a violation of the state’s “exercise of its sovereign authority to regulate elections.” The suit also alleges the White House failed to issue the proper congressional notification or to follow standard site vetting procedures before announcing its basing decision. It calls for a stop-work order on all efforts to transition SPACECOM headquarters to Alabama.

DoD / Other Services

Berkowitz open to merging Space Force and NRO, calls for update to Commercial Space strategies. At the Senate confirmation hearing on October 28, Marc Berkowitz, nominee for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, said he is open to merging the Space Force and National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) to make national security space operations more efficient and reduce duplicate costs. He explained that past joint leadership between the NRO and Air Force worked well and could serve as a model if the merger moves forward. Berkowitz also said he plans to review the commercial space strategies used by the Defense Department, Space Force, and U.S. Space Command, since many of them were written years ago and no longer reflect the current pace of technological change and global threats. In earlier essays, he suggested aligning NRO and Space Systems Command acquisition authorities, which could even lead to the closure of Los Angeles Space Force Base. He said his top goals would be maintaining U.S. space superiority and advancing the Pentagon’s Golden Dome missile defense system.

Interagency / Other Departments

New FCC process driven by commercial space environment. The Federal Communications Commission voted October 28 to propose creating a modular “licensing assembly line” that would overhaul its satellite application process to accelerate reviews and cut red tape. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the Space Modernization for the 21st Century Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) will help the regulator “match the scale and dynamism of today’s space economy.” The NPRM would replace the FCC’s long-standing Part 25 satellite regulations with a Part 100 written from the ground up for today’s commercial space environment.

International

Japan’s new PM seeks to unleash defense industry and boost deterrence. Under Japan’s political realignment, with new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the helm, the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party plan to roll back restrictions on defense exports, build weapons factories and accelerate investment in the nation’s military. “I will boost the deterrence and response ability of our military alliance with the US,” PM Takaichi said in her first speech to Parliament as prime minister. On October 24, new Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi convened senior ministry officials to discuss a successor to the five-year defense spending plan that runs through 2027 and updates to both national security and national defense strategies. One of the identified priorities is to help Japanese weapons makers thrive as military budgets swell around the world. Last week PM Takaichi said she would bring forward by two years the plan to reach 2% [of GDP] and hit the goal during the current fiscal year ending in March 2026, with supplementary budget funding. Japan currently spends about 1.8%.

Threats

Non-Earth Imaging reveals details of secretive Chinese satellite. Xinjishu Yanzheng-7 (XJY-7), a remote sensing technology test satellite developed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) was officially described as a new technology verification satellite when it launched in December 2020. In recent weeks, Australian company HEO imaged the XJY-7 prior to atmospheric reentry, identifying key of the XJY-7 satellite through repeated observations and revealing previously unknown details about the spacecraft. These include a large radar dish and a SAR antenna, according to HEO. “There are many satellites like XJY-7 whose appearance, behaviour, size and purpose remain uncertain. High-frequency imaging is how we’re closing that gap,” HEO said in a statement.

Industry

Investors backing space companies with defense-related business lines. Growing government interest in commercial space is helping startups raise money among investors who previously shied away from defense-related businesses. At the Satellite Innovation conference this week, leaders at tech companies all shared enthusiasm for this move. “The fact that we’re in Silicon Valley and it’s normal talking about defense is great,” said Karl Schmidt, KippsDeSanto & Co. managing director. “That wasn’t always the case.” Shahin Farshchi, Lux Capital partner, also shared, “DoD is basically saying, ‘Hey, private sector, spend your equity dollars, do some preliminary work and that will help us decide what we want.’” Farshchi added that those with access to capital have an advantageous position and can guide purchasers in what is ultimately solicited; and while those actions do not create a level playing field, smaller companies can better compete with primes.

AI / Cyber / Data / Quantum

Cyber protections are the new imperative. Cybersecurity for years has been an afterthought in the commercial space industry. But that mindset is starting to shift as satellite networks grow more interconnected. Joe Bravman, chief engineer at Lynk Global, says, “The needs of the commercial sector and government sector are very different in terms of cyber security.” The government, for example, must harden systems for war whereas commercial companies that are not under a military contract are not going to spend money on cybersecurity if they don’t have to. Talbot Jaeger, founder and chief technologist of satellite manufacturer NovaWurks, said, “Commercial operators can no longer afford to treat cybersecurity as optional. The industry, he said, must find ways to make the cost of cybersecurity part of a system’s foundation. Threats are growing, and companies face a simple choice: pay now or pay later.”

The Week Ahead

Monday, 3 November

COSPAR Symposium 2025. Nov 3-7. Nicosia, Cyprus. (more)

USSF WEPTAC Conference 2025 (TS//SCI) w/ Lt Gen David Miller, et. al. Nov 3-7. Colorado Springs, CO. (more)

SMG Global MILSATCOM 2025. Nov 3-6. London, UK. (more)

Tuesday, 4 November

Indo-Pacific International Maritime Exposition. Nov 4-6. Sydney, Australia. (more)

Security for Space Systems. Nov 4-6. Noordwijk, The Netherlands. (more)

SASC Hearings to examine the nominations of Austin Dahmer and Robert Kadlec both to be an Assistant Secretary; and Michael Borders to be an Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, all of the Department of Defense. Washington, D.C. & Virtual. (more)

NDIA Mission-Critical Connectivity: Satellite Solutions for Defense Applications. Virtual. (more)

USGIF GEOINTeraction Tuesday. Herndon, VA. (more)

Wednesday, 5 November

USSF WEPTAC Conference 2025 (TS//SCI) w/ Lt Col Thomas Nix, et. al. Nov 3-7. Colorado Springs, CO. (more)

Thursday, 6 November

SASC Hearings to examine the nominations of Michael Payne to be Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation; Alexander Velez-Green to be a Deputy Under Secretary; and Timothy Dill and Maurice Todd both to be an Assistant Secretary, all of the Department of Defense. Washington, D.C. & Virtual. (more)

Mitchell Institute: A Broader Look at Dynamic Space Operations: Imposing Multi-Dimensional Dilemmas on Adversaries. Arlington, VA & Virtual. (more)

SFA Guardian Industry Night 2025. Peterson SFB, CO. (more)

Upcoming Events
(** = new additions)

November 2025

12-13: DSI Hypersonic Innovation Summit, Huntsville, AL (more)

**13: CSIS: Meeting the U.S. Defense Imperative: Challenges and Opportunities in the Development of the Defense Industrial Base Workforce, Washington, D.C. & Virtual (more)