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The Space Force plans to reform its acquisition processes, including more use of fixed-price contracts. Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, the Space Force's acting acquisition executive, said Tuesday that the service is "more aggressively" pursuing reforms started by former space acquisition chief Frank Calvelli to streamline programs and control costs. That includes addressing underperformance by companies and government managers alike, he said. He added that Space Force officials were "big fans" of proposed legislation by Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, to drive efficiency and accountability in defense programs. [SpaceNews]
NASA and SpaceX have agreed to swap Crew Dragon spacecraft to reduce the delay in the next mission to the International Space Station. NASA said Tuesday that the Crew-10 mission will use an existing Crew Dragon spacecraft, Endurance, that had been scheduled to fly the Ax-4 private astronaut mission this spring, rather than a new Crew Dragon spacecraft. Delays in completing that new Crew Dragon had already pushed back the Crew-10 launch from February to late March with the risk of additional delays. The mission is now scheduled to launch no earlier than March 12, delivering astronauts from NASA, JAXA and Roscosmos to the station. That will allow the return shortly thereafter of the Crew-9 mission that will include NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who arrived on the station in June on the Starliner mission. [SpaceNews]
A new report recommends that the United States pursue both deterrence and strategic dialogue with China in space. The report by the Council on Foreign Relations, released Tuesday, called on the U.S. to make space a "top national priority and commit to revitalizing U.S. leadership in space." That report recommended investment in resilient satellite networks but also maintaining lines of communications with China, such as a direct communication hotline to reduce the risk of miscalculation in orbit. [SpaceNews]
Redwire will build an additional satellite for a Space Force orbital refueling project. The company said Tuesday that the Space Force ordered a third Mako satellite bus for the Tetra-6 in-orbit refueling experiment scheduled for 2027. The prime contractor for the experiment, Arcfield, had previously ordered two Mako platforms for the Tetra-5 experiment, scheduled for later this year. Fuel delivery satellites from Orbit Fab or Northrop Grumman will attempt rendezvous, docking and propellant transfer operations with the Arcfield-built satellites in geostationary orbit. [SpaceNews]
Astroscale and ClearSpace have passed the halfway mark in de-risking key technologies for potential satellite deorbiting missions for the U.K. Space Agency (UKSA). Astroscale's U.K. subsidiary announced Tuesday that it has successfully completed the Mid-Term Review of Phase 2 for UKSA's Active Debris Removal (ADR) mission, while ClearSpace said it completed its own Mid-Term Review of Phase 2 in December. Once the companies complete the Phase 2 work, scheduled by the end of March, the agency is expected to select one company to lead a consortium for Phase 3. That period would cover manufacturing, assembly and testing of the spacecraft, which will attempt to remove multiple U.K.-licensed spacecraft from low Earth orbit. [SpaceNews]
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