How AI could reshape intelligence satellites

FROM SPACENEWS

Register to join SpaceNews and RTX on Thursday: Satellite operations are growing more complex. For national security missions, that means faster decisionmaking, greater resilience and the ability to adapt on orbit is needed. Join us on Nov. 5 for a conversation exploring how emerging technologies and commercial capabilities are transforming satellite operations and enabling more dynamic, resilient and affordable national security space missions. Register now.

Top Stories

The Space Force is not moving quickly enough on a program to develop a new series of space surveillance satellites, industry claims. At a conference last week, companies criticized the Space Force for its management of the Geosynchronous Reconnaissance and Surveillance program, known as RG-XX, where the service aims to replace a small fleet of expensive, custom-built surveillance satellites with a larger network of commercially derived spacecraft operating in geosynchronous orbit. Companies say the first orders under the program may be considerably smaller than industry had hoped, reducing the economies of scale they had expected. They also criticized the pace of the program, with the Space Force expected to order the next RG-XX satellites in 2027 for delivery in 2030. [SpaceNews]

Vantor says it has demonstrated the ability to deliver satellite imagery to Ukrainian troops within just seven minutes of a request. The company completed a demonstration in which imagery was delivered directly to a handheld tablet on the battlefield seven minutes after the satellite was tasked, the geospatial intelligence company said last week. The company has previously reported delivery times of approximately 12 to 15 minutes under favorable conditions, although imagery can take several hours to reach users depending on circumstances. [SpaceNews]

Intelligence agencies may design future satellites around the needs of AI rather than human analysts. Didi Kuo, principal deputy director for geospatial intelligence at the NRO, said advances in AI could challenge longstanding assumptions about the image quality required from intelligence satellites. The NRO, which builds and operates U.S. intelligence satellites, has demanding image-quality requirements intended to support human analysts that affect the design and cost of satellites. Designing around AI needs could alter those designs, resulting in cost savings. [SpaceNews]

A combination of a computer glitch and a faulty gyro likely caused the demise of a NASA Mars orbiter last year. NASA lost contact with the MAVEN spacecraft last December and declared the mission over in June after failing to restore contact. The final report of an anomaly review board, recently released by NASA with no fanfare, said the most likely cause was a single-event upset in the spacecraft's flight computer or a software issue that caused the computer to reboot. When it rebooted, it relied on data from a gyro that had previously been turned off because of degrading performance. The gyro provided faulty information to the computer, causing it to fire thrusters and spin up. Investigators said they could not definitively prove this was the root cause of the failure but noted that other possibilities, like an impact from a micrometeoroid or debris, were far less likely. [SpaceNews]

Thermal imaging company Hydrosat announced a new high-resolution midwave infrared imaging program for European governments and allied defense customers. Hydrosat announced Monday Nyktòs, a new program to develop high-resolution imaging capabilities for government and defense applications. Nyktòs will use midwave infrared sensors to examine smaller thermal features in greater detail, although the company did not disclose its resolution or development schedule. Nyktòs is designed to complement Osiris, a constellation that will provide wide-scale thermal infrared observations for government and commercial customers. [SpaceNews]

The recently retired commanding general of the Space Force is joining a Voyager Technologies board. The company announced Monday that Chance Saltzman will chair its board of advisers, providing strategic advice on Voyager's space and defense programs, customer needs and the changing security environment. The appointment comes two months after Saltzman stepped down as chief of space operations, the Space Force's highest-ranking uniformed position. For Voyager, Saltzman's appointment comes as the firm expands into military space and defense markets. [SpaceNews]

Other News

An Electron launched a Japanese radar-imaging satellite Monday on the rocket's last double-digit launch. The Electron lifted off from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 11:41 a.m. Eastern and placed into orbit the QPS-SAR-20 satellite for Japanese company iQPS. This was the 10th launch for iQPS with eight more Electron launches under contract. The next Electron launch will be the 100th for the vehicle since its introduction in 2017. That launch, also for iQPS, is scheduled for no earlier than Nov. 14. [SpaceNews]

A commercial Chinese rocket launched a set of Qianfan satellites Monday. The Lijian-2, or Kinetica-2, lifted off from the Dongfeng commercial launch complex at Jiuquan at 7:15 p.m. Eastern. It carried 18 satellites for the Spacesail constellation. This was the second flight of the rocket, which is capable of placing up to 8 metric tons into sun-synchronous orbit. [Xinhua]

Amazon is betting that the deployment of its broadband constellation will soon accelerate. The company has launched less than 400 Amazon Leo satellites because of delays and setbacks with the Ariane 6, New Glenn and Vulcan Centaur rockets. The company is expecting that deployment pace to speed up as New Glenn and Vulcan return to flight, with Vulcan launching a set of Amazon Leo satellites as soon as Nov. 13. Analysts say 2027 could be an "inflection point" for Amazon Leo if those vehicles can increase their flight rates. [SpaceNews]

Hardware for an upcoming test of systems for China's human lunar exploration program has been spotted at a Chinese spaceport. Video posted to Chinese social media Saturday showed large containers being lifted from a cargo ship at Wenchang. The accompanying caption said the year's major national hardware had arrived and tagged China's crewed lunar landing program. The hardware may be components of the Long March 10A rocket and Mengzhou crewed spacecraft for an uncrewed test flight to the Tiangong space station. A launch date has not been announced but could be in early 2027. [SpaceNews]

Europe is examining its options for life after the International Space Station. The agency has outlined three possible paths: relying largely on commercial space stations developed by others, using those commercial platforms while contributing European infrastructure and transportation, or pursuing a European-led orbital outpost. ESA has made progress on all three, including agreements with commercial space station developers and awarding study contracts to examine the feasibility of a European-led station. Member states are expected to debate those plans at an intermediate ministerial meeting in Rome in mid-December. [SpaceNews]

The next Cygnus mission to the ISS will be named after James Lovell. Northrop Grumman said last week that the Cygnus spacecraft for its NG-25 mission to the ISS, scheduled to launch later this month on a Falcon 9, will be named the S.S. James A. Lovell after the former NASA astronaut who died last year. Lovell is best known as the commander of the Apollo 13 mission in 1970, but also flew on Gemini 7, Gemini 12 and Apollo 8. The announcement continues a company tradition of naming Cygnus spacecraft primarily after deceased astronauts. [collectSPACE]

📨 Don't miss what's next. Sign up for other SpaceNews newsletters:

SpaceNews.com | Advertise with SpaceNews
Contact us | Privacy policy | Terms and conditions

© 2026, SpaceNews, 100 Fillmore Street, 5th Floor, Denver, CO 80206, United States