Important Innovations

DARPA's Blackjack Satellite Program on a Space Rideshare Source:  DARPA Blackjack Satellite Program Small Sats, Low Cost, Low Earth Orbit Ridesharing is a growing megatrend in Space.  A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will fly on a ridesharing mission, early in 2021, carrying a Loft Orbiting satellite with a DARPA Blackjack Pit Boss mission system inside for a space demonstration.  Loft buys space buses (satellites) and rents space.  The US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) will be flying onboard the SpaceX rocket with many other customer payloads.  DARPA's Blackjack programs aims to deploy low cost, small, low earth orbit satellites into operation for the US Military. Space Experiment DARPA's testing of Blackjack will commence in early 2021.  The experiment is called Sagittarius A.  It's designed to demonstrate any risks or problems before the main Blackjack satellites go into production and launch in late 2021. Pit Boss Pit Boss

DARPA's Blackjack Satellite Program Source:  DARPA  - Artist concept of  Blackjack New Race to Space The US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA, is moving forward on an important project called Blackjack to launch large networks of small, inexpensive satellites into Low Earth Orbit to strengthen US defensive capabilities. The small satellites are more difficult targets to hit for enemy forces. It's an ambitious program that is showing a lot of promise.  For a news blog on it, go to Important Innovations Collection: DARPA's Blackjack Satellite Program : US Pentagon Concept:  Large Networks of Small, Cheap Satellites Source:  Artist Concept of DARPA's Small Sat System Blackjack Up ...

Constellations of Small Satellites Source:  Airbus Airbus Wins Blackjack Program Contract DARPA, the US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency, just awarded Airbus a contract to develop a satellite bus for its Blackjack program.  Blackjack is a satellite architecture for the US military.  Essentially, it is the utilization of constellations of small satellites in low orbit for the military. DARPA's New Small Satellite System DARPA plans on pairing the satellite buses with military sensors and payloads.  The buses will generate power for the satellites, provide propulsion and transmit spacecraft telemetry.  The use of small, inexpensive satellite constellations for military purposes is a concept DARPA has been developing over the past several years.  For more news stories on innovation, go to  amazon.com/author/ekane