The next war will be in space – and Britain isn't ready
A small number of space systems carry a disproportionate share of the load, argued Shield Space CEO Graeme Ritchie.
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Hello, and welcome to this week’s edition of The View from Space.
🇨🇳 In The Scotsman, Shield Space CEO Graeme Ritchie argued that the first shots of the next war would be fired in space – and that Britain was underprepared:
‘One of the UK’s greatest weaknesses lies in its space architecture. A small number of systems carry a disproportionate share of the load, and many still depend on continuous control from the ground. In a contested environment, those links will be degraded or denied. When that happens, the satellites will still be there, but the system they support will break down.
Redundancy – having more spacecraft that can take over if one goes wrong – would change the picture. In air and maritime operations, we use a more dispersed system, with smaller and more numerous vehicles. This allows tasks to be shared, rather than concentrated in a few high-value assets. That usually stands up well under strain.
The same is true of space domain awareness. Knowing what is in orbit is one thing; understanding intent, and being able to act on it in time, is another. Systems that can process sensor data and respond quickly are therefore vital. In practice, that means we need systems with greater autonomy, if only because events move too fast for a human operator to address all the time.’
📸 SpaceWatch.GLOBAL reported that European company Simera Sense, the world leader in optical payload solutions, has launched a new imaging system designed to boost European space security and situational awareness:
‘Simera Sense has launched SSA Scape100 Full Motion, a next-generation imaging system designed to enable real-time space situational awareness and in-orbit security operations. Aligning with Europe’s growing emphasis on space security, resilience, and safeguarding critical space assets, the launch is at the heart of Simera Sense’s strategic investment in Europe.
Designed and manufactured in Toulouse by the company’s French subsidiary, SSA Scape100 Full Motion builds on Simera Sense’s space-proven flagship xScape100 optical camera. The xScape100 is operating in more than 35 payloads currently in orbit and has accumulated over 840,000 operational hours in space. …
“NATO and Europe are calling for resilience and autonomy in space infrastructure,” explained Kammy Brun, Managing Director, Simera Sense France. “Across Europe, demand is growing for SSA, however, there is still a gap where we do not yet have operational space-based SSA solutions, and SSA Scape100 Full Motion is a response to that. Space operators need responsive, reliable systems that can help them understand what is happening in orbit and act with confidence. That’s what we’re delivering.”’
🚫 Euractiv reported that Germany and Italy oppose harmonising space governance:
‘The industry should also make parts tougher, and we should be quicker about it. Space exposes electronics to constant radiation and electromagnetic interference, as both can disrupt signals or damage parts. We know how to reduce that risk. Engineers can use shielding, conductive coatings, and composite materials; select radiation-tolerant components; and design circuits that keep working when one element fails. …
Also needed: backup communication paths. Most satellite links still rely on radio frequencies, and their signals can be jammed or intercepted with the right equipment. Optical links provide an alternative. Laser communication between ground stations and satellites, or between satellites themselves, uses narrow beams that are harder to detect and disrupt. They also carry more data at higher speeds. If interference affects one channel, traffic can shift to another channel and service can continue. This is not duplication for its own sake – it is a thoroughly practical way to reduce vulnerability and maintain continuity under pressure.’
🍄🟫 The BBC reported that astronauts on the Space Station fed meteorites to a fungus, and ‘what happened next could revolutionise spaceflight’:
‘It has demonstrated, the science team say, that bacteria and fungi can ‘biomine’ platinum-group elements from asteroid material in microgravity – evidence that living systems could help astronauts harvest resources directly in space.
The microbes release metals by producing carboxylic acids, compounds that bind to minerals and dissolve them into solution.
Scientists observed that microgravity altered the microbes’ metabolism, increasing the production of these acids and boosting metal extraction compared with Earth‑gravity controls.
The implications for space exploration are significant. Transporting materials from Earth is costly and impractical for deep-space missions.’
🛡️ K2 will test laser-communications for missile defence, SpaceNews reported:
‘The U.S. Space Force plans to use satellites built by K2 Space to test a critical but unresolved piece of future missile-defense systems: how to move large volumes of data quickly between spacecraft and down to Earth.
The California-based company has been selected for the Pentagon’s “OPIR Space Modernization Initiative,” or SMI, a research-and-development program aimed at advancing technologies that could eventually underpin operational missile-detection systems. OPIR, short for overhead persistent infrared, refers to satellites that detect missile launches by tracking heat signatures from space.
“The flagship investment for SMI demonstrations in FY 2026 matures into FY 2027 as the orbital vehicles manufactured by K2 Space complete integration and are launched into MEO,” the Pentagon said in recently released budget documents.’
🦄 Skyroot has become India’s first space-tech unicorn, TNW reported:
‘Skyroot Aerospace, the Hyderabad-based private launch-vehicle developer, has crossed into unicorn territory with a fresh round backed by GIC and BlackRock-managed funds, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. The deal makes Skyroot India’s first space-technology company to reach a $1bn-plus valuation, the kind of milestone the country’s still-nascent private space sector has been working toward since regulatory liberalisation in 2020.
The trajectory is striking. Skyroot’s last priced round, a $51m Series B led by GIC in 2023, valued the company at roughly $519m. Reports of an imminent unicorn round began surfacing in April, with the new round structured to roughly double that figure.’
🚀 Aviation Week reported that Russia is rekindling its launcher ambition with Soyuz-5:
‘Russia and Kazakhstan have pulled off the much-delayed inaugural launch of the Soyuz-5 medium-lift rocket, which could play a pivotal role in Moscow’s effort to gain pace in the proliferated constellation business.
The rocket took off at 2 p.m. EDT on April 30 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The first stage burned for almost 3 min. before separation and second-stage ignition. The fairing opened about 6 sec. later, and the dummy payload deployed around 9 min. 32 sec. after liftoff. The payload then flew along a suborbital trajectory and splashed into the Pacific Ocean, Roscosmos said, noting that all stages performed nominally.
The mission marked the first launch of the new Russian-made rocket since the Angara-A5 in 2014. Russia has fallen far behind the U.S. and China in its annual launch cadence; it lofted a mere 17 missions last year compared with more than 90 for China and double that for the U.S.’
🧱 Finally, the New York Times sat down with the Artemis II crew to find out how they lived together in space: