Lifeboat Foundation

HELSINKI — Chinese researchers are calling for improved space situational awareness, following an assessment of U.S. capabilities and trends.

An article titled “A Review of Space Situational Awareness Satellites: Silentbarker,” published in the journal ACMSR, provides an in-depth review of the development, status and future trends of space situational awareness (SSA) satellites.

It focuses in particular on four significant programs developed by the United States. These are the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX), the Space-Based Surveillance System (SBSS), the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) and Silentbarker.

A recently adopted United Nations treaty could lead to invasive digital surveillance, human rights experts warn.

By Kate Graham-Shaw

NEW YORK CITY —The United Nations approved its first international cybercrime treaty yesterday. The effort succeeded despite opposition from tech companies and human rights groups, who warn that the agreement will permit countries to expand invasive electronic surveillance in the name of criminal investigations. Experts from these organizations say that the treaty undermines the global human rights of freedom of speech and expression because it contains clauses that countries could interpret to internationally prosecute any perceived crime that takes place on a computer system.

A new robot bug that can live in the ocean for 100 years and feed off of bacteria has made its debut as DARPA’s latest surveillance tool.

With a vast amount of area to cover, the US government is funding research for new oceanic spy technology. Now, a Binghamton University team has developed what may become one of the most simple and effective tools in its arsenal.

Now, a new DARPA initiative is playing off of the idea of “the Internet of Things,” the term used for the many non-computer devices connected to the Internet in some way, from refrigerators to fish tanks, and seeking to develop an “Ocean of Things.” With many futurists’ eyes on space conflict and satellite warfare, it’s easy to forget that 71% of the Earth’s surface is water, and naval conflict is still an element in geopolitics.

The semiconductor industry has grown into a $500 billion global market over the last 60 years. However, it is grappling with dual challenges: a profound shortage of new chips and a surge of counterfeit chips, introducing substantial risks of malfunction and unwanted surveillance. In particular, the latter inadvertently gives rise to a $75 billion counterfeit chip market that jeopardizes safety and security across multiple sectors dependent on semiconductor technologies, such as aviation, communications, quantum, artificial intelligence, and personal finance.

Moreover, the concept of limitation, which dictates that the means and methods of warfare are not unlimited, can help prevent the escalation of conflicts in space by imposing restrictions on the use of certain weapons or tactics that could cause indiscriminate harm or result in long-term consequences for space exploration and utilization. Given a growing number of distinct weapons systems in orbit – from missile defense systems with kinetic anti-satellite capabilities, electronic warfare counter-space capabilities, and directed energy weapons to GPS jammers, space situational awareness, surveillance, and intelligence gathering capabilities – legal clarity rather than strategic ambiguity are crucial for ensuring the responsible and peaceful use of outer space.

Additionally, the principle of humanity underscores the importance of treating all individuals with dignity and respect, including astronauts, cosmonauts, and civilians who may be affected by conflicts in space. By upholding this principle, outer space law can ensure that human rights are protected and preserved, particularly in the profoundly challenging environment of outer space. Moreover, with civilians on the ground increasingly tethered to space technologies for communication, navigation, banking, leisure, and other essential services, the protection of their rights becomes a fundamental imperative.

The modern laws of armed conflict (LOAC) offer a valuable blueprint for developing a robust legal framework for governing activities in outer space. By integrating complementary principles of LOAC or international humanitarian law with the UN Charter into outer space law, policymakers can promote the peaceful and responsible use of outer space while mitigating the risks associated with potential conflicts in this increasingly contested domain.

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – U.S. Army electronic warfare (EW) experts are reaching out to industry for new ways to design electronic payloads that counter enemy positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT).

Officials of the Army Contracting Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., issued a request for information (W56KGURTI-24-R-1001) on Friday for the Counter-PNT Navigation Warfare Defeat project.

Counter-PNT seeks to defeat enemy satellite navigation and timing systems, such as the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS), which are essential for navigation, communications, weapons guidance, surveillance, transportation, and financial transactions.

D.C. police will start using drones to respond alongside officers to some calls, including barricade situations and large-scale public gatherings, bolstering a broader government effort that has increased video surveillance of the District.

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Researchers have developed a new 3D method that can be used to track fast-moving objects at unprecedented high speeds. The real-time tracking approach, which is based on single-pixel imaging, could be used to improve autonomous driving, industrial inspection and security surveillance systems.

LOS ANGELES — Redwire announced a contract June 17 to serve as prime mission integrator for a DARPA satellite with a novel propulsion system for very low Earth orbit (VLEO).

SabreSat, Redwire’s VLEO satellite for government intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, will house “air-breathing” electric propulsion systems being developed through DARPA’s Otter program.