🚀 Space and Defense #24

Happy Monday 👋

This week in the global defense and space sector, the U.S. unveiled a $1T shipbuilding plan, while Japan secured approval for a $3.6B missile deal with the US Kratos won a $1.45B contract for hypersonic test beds, and Northrop Grumman was awarded $481M for missile defense software upgrades. India delayed its Space Docking Experiment again, while China launched the Shijian-25 satellite for in-orbit refueling tests. SpaceX is negotiating a $1.62B deal with Italy, and NASA is exploring partnerships for Mars mission cost reduction. Toyota invested $44.3M in Interstellar Technologies, strengthening its role in commercial space ventures.

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.

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🛡️ National Defense

⚓️ US Navy's $1T Shipbuilding Plan. The US unveiled a plan for its future fleet that would cost $1T over the next 30 years and require a significant increase in productivity at the nation's shipyards.

🤝 US approves $3.6B missile sale to Japan. The United States approved the sale of up to 1,200 air-to-air missiles to Japan in a $3.6B deal, strengthening the defense cooperation between the two countries.

🛫 Japan and Boeing Partner for Combat UAV Development. Japan is partnering with Boeing to develop combat unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), a strategic partnership that aims to enhance Japan's defense capabilities.

🚁 Drones and Weapon Systems

🚀 Kratos Awarded $1.45B Hypersonic Test Bed Contract. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions secured a five-year contract worth up to $1.45B to lead the development of the MACH-TB 2.0 Hypersonic Test Bed.

🛡️ Northrop Grumman Wins $481M Missile Defense Contract. The U.S. government awarded Northrop Grumman a $481.3M contract to enhance the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System software used for missile defense.

🛩️ California Startup Wins Major Drone Contract. The US Air Force awarded a $100M contract to Firestorm Labs, a California-based startup, for its small unmanned aerial systems.

🧑‍🚀 Space Launches and Propulsion

🛰️ India's Space Docking Experiment Delayed Again. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) delayed the docking of its Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) satellites for the second time in just over a week due to the delicate nature of the operation.

🌕 China Tests Satellite Refueling and Life Extension. China successfully launched the Shijian-25 satellite to test technologies for refueling satellites in orbit and extending their operational lifetimes.

🚀 Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket Launch. Jeff Bezos' aerospace company Blue Origin is set to launch its partially reusable New Glenn rocket this week, which could compete with SpaceX's rockets.

🪐 Space Innovation & Emerging Technologies

🧑‍🚀 SpaceX in Talks for $1.62B Deal with Italy. SpaceX, the space company owned by Elon Musk, is in advanced negotiations with the Italian government for a 1.5B euro deal to provide secure telecommunication services over five years.

🚀 NASA explores private partnerships to reduce Mars mission costs. NASA is considering partnering with SpaceX or Blue Origin to lower the costs of bringing Martian rock samples collected by the Perseverance rover back to Earth.

🛰️ Intelsat and OneWeb Expand Satellite Broadband Services in Alaska. Intelsat, a geostationary satellite operator, announced its first enterprise multi-orbit broadband deal with a telecommunications company in Alaska, expanding its partnership with OneWeb, a low Earth orbit satellite constellation.

🛠️ 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 Space Workforce Incubator for Texas (SWIFT) has launched in Austin as a nonprofit dedicated to cultivating a skilled workforce for Texas's growing space economy. Intending to fill 50% of new space industry jobs with Texans, SWIFT aligns with projections from Texas 2036 that the space industry could become a $1T sector within 20 years. Boosted by a $150M grant initiative and the Texas Space Commission, the state aims to solidify its leadership in the national space economy.

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

📡 Toyota Invests $44.3M in Interstellar Technologies. Toyota's subsidiary Woven by Toyota made a $44.3M investment in Interstellar Technologies as part of a strategic partnership.

🔋 MBDA acquires Roxel to strengthen tactical propulsion capabilities. MBDA, a European company specializing in missile systems, completed the acquisition of Roxel, a company focused on tactical propulsion systems. This move strengthens MBDA's position in the tactical propulsion market.

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