2026-W38 · 14 Sep – 20 Sep 2026 Makani Lab · Space Watch Orbital Warfare · SATCOM · SDA · PNT · Satellite Control · Missile Warning · ISR · EW
BLUF — The U.S. confirmed on 14 Sep that it has on-orbit space control weapons; the CSO tied the disclosure to Russian and Chinese advances, so expect PRC and Russian messaging or activity in response. The service laid out how it doubles in five years while FY27 new starts sit on hold and NDAA drafts would repeal SDA's founding law. USINDOPACOM acknowledged DPRK launches on 20 Sep. Attention item: custody of PRC payloads as two Long March launches come up 23 Sep.
Last 7 days by mission area · 178 items
Orbital Warfare 21SATCOM 11Space Domain Awareness 11PNT / Navwar 8Satellite Control 2Missile Warning 21ISR 21Electronic Warfare 3Space Enterprise 80
Rising terms · 7d vs prior
Space Force50 (+46.3)cyber30 (+29.4)contract27 (+26.1)commercial20 (+18.2)
By the numbers · 7d
Orbital launches 12 (6 PRC, 2 US, 0 failed) · max Kp 4 GPS NANUs 2 (0 unusable) · reentries 25 (22 payloads) Conjunctions < 1 km, next 7 d: 7,484 (4864 active pairs) Space-Track emergency-reportable CDMs 32, TIP reentries 16 (0 high-interest)
Counterspace spotlight — PLA Aerospace Force · PRC (PLA; the Aerospace Force stood up April 2024 from the Strategic Support Force) · PLA ASF, ex-PLA SSF Space Systems Department
Why now
The CSO said Russian and Chinese advances drove the U.S. decision to acknowledge on-orbit weapons; PLA space forces are the pacing threat behind the USSF growth plan briefed at AFA, and PRC flew 6…
Mentions, 30d · PACOM relevance
1 this week. Guam, Hawaii and the forward force are the objectives of PLA space-enabled targeting; SPACEPAC turns PLA space…
Capabilities / TTPs
Counterspace: direct-ascent ASAT (2007), GEO rendezvous and tow (SJ-21, 2022), on-orbit…
ISR: Yaogan EO/SAR/ELINT constellations that find and track U.S. and allied forces across the…
Navwar/SATCOM denial units with GNSS and SATCOM jamming, while BeiDou guarantees PLA access
Implications
GEO assets over the Pacific (WGS, OPIR, MUOS) are the likeliest targets of PRC RPO messaging after the U.S.…
PLA ISR growth shortens time from detection to targeting; every undisclosed PRC payload should be tracked to…
Orbital WarfareCounterspace threats and space superiority: ASAT tests and weapons, co-orbital a
SecAF Troy Meink told the AFA Air, Space & Cyber conference on 14 Sep that the United States has orbiting space control weapons; he did not describe the type or number of weapons.
So what: First official acknowledgment of U.S. on-orbit weapons; changes the declaratory posture briefed to…
Consider: Consider aligning SPACEPAC's partner talking points with the SecAF and CSO language now.
CSO Gen. Douglas Schiess said at AFA that 'it was time' to admit the U.S. has weapons in orbit and that Russian and Chinese advances led to it; experts quoted by Defense One expect overt action by China and Russia in…
So what: Adversary response, not the disclosure itself, is the theater's watch item.
Consider: Be aware that PRC or Russian RPO or messaging near U.S. GEO assets over the Pacific is the expected form of…
SPACECOMPACOMCounterspace threatOrganization & peoplePLA Aerospace ForceTactically Responsive Space (Victus)
Missile WarningMissile warning and tracking from space and ground: SBIRS and Next-Gen OPIR, res
USINDOPACOM stated on 20 Sep that it is aware of the recent DPRK missile launches and is consulting closely with allies and partners; no launch count, type or impact area was released.
So what: A live missile-warning event in the AOR in the week the U.S. disclosed its orbital weapons.
Consider: Consider confirming launch details with ROK JCS and Japan MOD statements before briefing.
PACOMSTRATCOMMissile launches & testsDPRK NATA / MalligyongSBIRS / Next-Gen OPIR
UNCLASSIFIED · open-source reporting only · 7 sources · built 2026-09-20 19:19 HSTSpace Watch · 2026-W38 · page 1 of 2
UNCLASSIFIED
Space Domain AwarenessKnowing what is on orbit and what the environment is doing: space surveillance a
USSF selected Lake Kickapoo, Texas, as the preferred site for the third and final Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability station, completing the US-UK-Australia network built for continuous, overlapping SDA of…
So what: Completes the DARC ring; Australia's Exmouth site already covers the Indo-Pacific GEO belt.
Consider: Recommend noting the Australian site's role when briefing partners on shared SDA.
SPACECOMNORTHCOMAcquisition & contractsAllies & partnersDARC / Space Fence / SSN
The Space Force and the Defense Innovation Unit chose two firms to demonstrate small satellites built with low-cost commercial technology that can track both friendly and adversary satellites in GEO.
So what: A cheaper GEO neighborhood-watch layer over the belt the theater's SATCOM and OPIR sit in.
Consider: Be aware the demo is a prototype; GSSAP and Silent Barker remain the operational GEO SDA capability.
As the Space Force prepares to launch the first Airborne Moving Target Indicator prototypes, it is also working on its Ground Moving Target Indicator constellation, now called the Resilient Radar System-Ground, per…
So what: Space-based AMTI/GMTI is the JSTARS-class tracking the joint force in the Pacific will depend on.
Consider: Consider tracking the AMTI prototype launch dates for the theater's ISR integration planning.
The War Zone reports new details on how the Space Force waged electronic warfare against Iran and the lessons the service drew about operations inside and outside the atmosphere from that campaign.
So what: First extended public account of USSF space EW in a real fight; a template for the theater's EW…
Consider: Consider reviewing the article's lessons against SPACEPAC's EW integration with the joint force.
CENTCOMSPACECOMExercises & trainingIRGC Aerospace Force / Iran spaceCCS / Meadowlands
Space EnterpriseThe service and the enterprise behind the mission areas: force design and organi
At AFA, USSF leaders detailed how the service plans to more than double in five years — about 10,000 additional Guardians per Defense News — with growth prioritized toward combat forces and space superiority.
So what: Component field commands are where the growth lands; SPACEPAC's manning plan should track the…
Consider: Consider capturing SPACEPAC's growth requirements before the FY28 build closes.
Drafts of the FY2027 NDAA would repeal the laws that established the Space Development Agency, which hopes to keep certain decision authorities, per DefenseScoop; Defense One reports FY27 new starts are on hold until…
So what: The agency delivering the Transport and Tracking layers may lose the authorities that made it fast.
Consider: Be aware that PWSA tranche schedules could shift if the conference bill changes SDA's status.