🚀 Space and Defense #22

Happy Monday 👋

This week in the global defense and space sector, India ordered 12 locally-built Su-30MKI jets for $1B from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Poland signed a $1B deal for 80 upgraded Rosomak vehicles. ASC, BAE Systems, and the Australian Government advanced AUKUS submarine efforts. NASA's Lucy spacecraft performed an Earth gravity assist for its asteroid mission. Australia selected the ELO2 consortium to develop its first lunar rover. SpaceX relocated its HQ to Texas, planning to establish Starbase as a city. Europe committed $11.4B for the IRIS2 satellite constellation. Chinese astronauts completed a Tiangong spacewalk, and Australia invested $25M in IoT satellite company Myriota.

What's new?

HolonIQ’s new Green Skills Map and Workforce section reveal industry-wide sustainability skills and jobs, as well as workforce development initiatives, supporting upskilling for a sustainable economy.

HolonIQ's new skills newsletter is here! Get updates on emerging skills, workforce shifts, and industry insights across impact sectors. Subscribe now to stay ahead.

🛡️ National Defense

🛩️ India Orders 12 Locally-Built Su-30MKI Fighter Jets for $1.B. The Indian government contracted state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to produce 12 Su-30MKI fighter jets for the Indian Air Force for $1B.

⚓️ ASC, BAE Systems, and Australian Government Agree on AUKUS Submarine Program. The Australian Submarine Agency, ASC, and BAE Systems signed an agreement to support the construction and delivery of the Royal Australian Navy's future nuclear-powered submarine fleet under the AUKUS partnership.

🌌 US and India Strengthen Space Partnership. The United States and India agreed to collaborate on space exploration initiatives and will conduct joint training for upcoming space missions.

🚁 Drones and Weapon Systems

🛡️ Poland Signs $1B Deal for Upgraded Rosomak Fighting Vehicles. Poland signed a $1B deal to deliver 80 upgraded Rosomak armored fighting vehicles equipped with advanced weapon systems.

🛫 Northrop Grumman Secures $801M US Air Force Training Contract. Northrop Grumman secured an $801M contract to supply operations training support for the US Air Force.

🚢 US Navy Awards Contract for Next-Gen Surface Search Radar to Ultra Electronics. The US Navy awarded Ultra Electronics Ocean Systems Inc. a contract worth up to $420.5M to produce next-generation surface search radar systems.

🧑‍🚀 Space Launches and Propulsion

🌎 NASA Spacecraft to Slingshot Around Earth for Asteroid Hunt. The NASA spacecraft Lucy will perform a gravity assist maneuver around Earth tonight as it continues its journey to study asteroids in the solar system.

🌙 Australia Selects Consortium to Build First Lunar Rover. The Australian Space Agency (ASA) chose the ELO2 consortium to build Australia's first lunar rover, with plans to launch it.

🚀 Japanese Startup Space One's Rocket Launch Failure. Japanese startup Space One's Kairos 2 rocket exploded shortly after liftoff, marking its second launch failure of 2024 due to an unknown issue.

🪐 Space Innovation & Emerging Technologies

🚀 SpaceX Moves HQ to Texas, Plans to Establish Starbase as a City. Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, announced that the company is moving its headquarters to Texas and plans to establish its Starbase facility in Boca Chica as a fully incorporated city.

🛰️ Europe Commits $11.4B for IRIS2 Satellite Constellation. Europe allocated $11.4B to develop IRIS2, a constellation of 290 satellites aimed at providing secure and resilient communications.

☀️ Satellites Creating 'Solar Eclipses on Demand'. Aerospace Corporation launched two new satellites that can create artificial solar eclipses by temporarily blocking sunlight, allowing scientists to study the sun's corona without waiting for a natural eclipse.

☄️ Space Activity

🧑‍🚀 Chinese astronauts conduct a spacewalk outside Tiangong station. The crew members of the Shenzhou XIX mission conducted their first spacewalk outside China's Tiangong space station, working for nearly nine hours in a significant technological achievement.

☄️ Astroscale's ADRAS-J Demonstrates Key Proximity to Space Debris. Astroscale Japan Inc., a subsidiary of Astroscale Holdings Inc., announced that its debris inspection demonstration satellite, Active Debris Removal by Astroscale (ADRAS-J), demonstrated a key 15-meter proximity to space debris.

🚀 NASA to Broadcast Roscosmos Spacewalk Outside International Space Station. NASA will provide live coverage as two Russian cosmonauts conduct a spacewalk outside the International Space Station on December 19th.

🛠️ Skills and Workforce

With reskilling and upskilling playing a key role in closing workforce gaps, HolonIQ is now tracking these impactful initiatives shaping the space industry. Read on for this week’s insights, and discover more in HolonIQ's latest Skills newsletter.

🛰️ The UK Space Agency's CPD Programme addresses critical skills gaps in the space sector by equipping mid-career professionals with software, data, and AI expertise. Delivered by Space South Central universities, the course offers lectures, practical exercises, and mentoring to enhance technical and strategic capabilities. With industry support, it helps participants navigate funding opportunities and innovation demands. Targeting professionals in space and adjacent sectors aligns with the National Space Strategy to support the UK’s $20B space industry.

✨ Daher opened the Daher Learning Centre in Colomiers, France, to address the aerospace industry’s growing need for technical skills and support rapid industrial programs. The 1,000 m² facility, featuring a 650 m² technical workshop, offers tailored training for roles like mechanics, assembly fitters, and cabin integrators. With modules ranging from short courses to career transitions, it targets 1,300 trainees by 2025. This initiative strengthens Daher's industrial services leadership and supports aerospace growth through comprehensive skill development.

HolonIQ has launched the Green Skills Map, an open-source framework initiated to catalog, evaluate, and contextualize the components of the rapidly expanding field of green jobs. This comprehensive taxonomy will serve as a resource for understanding the full spectrum and complexity of green skills required across various sectors, thereby enabling a cohesive approach toward achieving net zero and decarbonizing the global economy. Green Skills Map spans 11 areas, 54 sub-areas, and 243 green skills clusters. A snippet of the map covering four areas has been included above. Explore the full map on greenskills.org.

💰 Space Deals

🛰️ Australian government invests $25M in IoT satellite company. The Australian government's National Reconstruction Fund invested $25M in Myriota, an Internet of Things satellite company, as part of Myriota's $50M funding round.

💰 Sidus Space Secures $14M in Private Funding Round. Sidus Space Inc., listed on the NASDAQ, secured approximately $14M in gross proceeds through a private placement financing round with accredited and institutional investors.

🤖 Comand AI Raises $8.9M for Battlefield AI Software. Comand AI, a startup with employees from OpenAI and Palantir, raised $8.9M to develop AI software for military officers.

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