Quentin Donnellan

More strong news from HawkEye 360 this week. The NRO and CSPO have expanded their support with new dedicated funding, reinforcing HawkEye’s role as a critical provider of commercial RF intelligence for US national security. This continued partnership, first established in 2022, highlights how vital commercial space capabilities have become for real-time operational decision-making. The new funding will drive further advances in satellite technology, broader signal coverage, and deeper AI integration, directly supporting EUCOM and allied mission readiness. This comes just days after HawkEye 360 unveiled its new AI-enabled maritime monitoring capability, strengthening its ability to deliver precise, actionable intelligence across increasingly contested domains. Congratulations to the entire HawkEye 360 team. Full story: https://lnkd.in/eqiJcbX9 #SeraphimSpace #DualUse #Space #NationalSecurity #SpaceTech #Intelligence #DefenseTech

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A new copper alloy developed by Army Research Laboratory and Lehigh University researchers has significant implications for defense contractors in the aerospace and weapons systems space. The Cu-Ta-Li alloy demonstrates exceptional heat resistance and strength at high temperatures - properties that directly address a critical failure point in current materials used for hypersonic applications and advanced propulsion systems. The data is compelling: this material maintains structural integrity at temperatures above 80% of copper's melting point while delivering superior mechanical properties. For contractors working on next-gen defense systems, this represents a potential solution to thermal management challenges that have limited performance and durability. Strategic opportunity: Defense contractors positioning themselves as early adopters of this technology could gain competitive advantage in upcoming DoD solicitations focused on hypersonic and advanced propulsion capabilities. Defense contractors positioning themselves as early adopters of this technology could gain significant competitive advantage in upcoming DoD solicitations focused on hypersonic and advanced propulsion capabilities, with Standup helping them identify these opportunities as soon as they're published to capture first-mover advantage.

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New research published in Icarus reveals that glaciers across Mars are remarkably pure, composed of over 80 percent water ice, hidden beneath a thin layer of dust and rock. Scientists led by Yuval Steinberg used the SHARAD radar instrument aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to peer beneath the surface and consistently find this high ice content in glacial formations around the planet. This overturns earlier assumptions that such features were mostly rocky or heavily debris-covered and highlights that clean ice deposits are widespread. The uniform purity suggests either a single, global glaciation event or multiple similar ones shaped Mars’s climate history. Beyond rewriting our understanding of Martian geology, the discovery carries major implications for human exploration, as easily accessible ice could support drinking water, breathable air, and fuel production for future missions. Galaxy Aerospace Ghana

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You’ve solved Initial Orbit Determination (#IOD) from three positions. But have you ever tried solving it from three velocities? 🚀 One of the classic IOD problems we teach to undergraduates is the “#Gibbs problem”: estimate a two-body orbit from three known position vectors. This just requires you solve for one (or more) of the unknown velocities. But there’s a dual problem we almost never talk about. What if we simply flip the knowns and unknowns? 👉 Given three velocity vectors, can we solve for one (or more) of the unknown positions? This idea occurred to me years ago while teaching an undergraduate astrodynamics course at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In 2019-2020, I worked with Courtney Hollenberg (then an #RPI graduate student) to develop a few different solutions. Here’s the surprising part: ⭐ The IOD solution for three velocities is even simpler than for the classical three-position Gibbs problem. Why? Because the time history of velocity (the orbital #hodograph) is always a circle for a two-body orbit. So recovering the hodograph is nothing more than finding the circle passing through three known points (the tips of the three known velocity vectors). Once you have the hodograph, there’s a one-to-one mapping back to the orbit, which makes it straightforward to recover one (or more) of the unknown positions. I provide a short derivation in Section 6.1 of my #StarNAV paper: https://lnkd.in/eHVg2xGC And I expand on this in Chapter 8 of my forthcoming #OpNav textbook: https://lnkd.in/e2ftXBg8 What started out as a purely academic exercise has become a very practical tool. It’s amazing what applications you find once you’re aware that velocity IOD is possible. In fact, many classical IOD problems (Lambert’s problem, angles-only IOD, etc.) can be reimagined in velocity space. For example, in a 2023 paper I explored how angles-only IOD has a close cousin in heading-only IOD: https://lnkd.in/eZCTvYQz I keep wondering: 💡 What other classical IOD problems can be reimagined with velocity-based quantities as the unknowns? Would love to hear thoughts from those working in astrodynamics and orbit determination.

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Great article from Aviation Week Network on the US's efforts to keep up in a new dynamic space domain, including some features on us at Portal Space Systems. "The U.S. wants satellites that can 'maneuver without regret' to support space domain awareness missions and to build on-orbit interceptors within the next half decade" https://lnkd.in/dcQJf3cD

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Rhode Island-based defense startup HavocAI has formed a strategic partnership with Lockheed Martin Ventures to accelerate the development and production of medium unmanned surface vessels (MUSVs). The collaboration aims to combine HavocAI’s low-cost, high-rate manufacturing of autonomous vessels with Lockheed Martin’s advanced weapons integration capabilities. The announcement comes amid growing congressional support for unmanned naval programs, as billions in new funding have been approved for the U.S. Navy. The partnership reflects an increasing push from both startups and major defense firms to secure a foothold in the evolving unmanned maritime domain. Lockheed Martin Ventures VP Chris Moran described the MUSV as a “game-changer,” emphasizing its range, payload capacity, and mission flexibility. HavocAI CEO Paul Lwin called the partnership a major step forward in meeting the needs of modern warfighters with innovative and scalable solutions. https://lnkd.in/eBBTDJdC #DefenseTech #Autonomy #NavalInnovation #UnmannedSystems #MaritimeSecurity #StartupsInDefense #LockheedMartin #HavocAI #MUSV #NationalSecurity #InnovationInDefense #VentureCapital #EmergingTech #USNavy #StrategicPartnership

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Tamas Rev, PhD provides some great insights on stray light in space in the latest podcast on satsearch. This conversation is covering: The causes and effects of stray light in today’s space missions How it can be reduced, mitigated, or protected from entirely The nuances in stray light impacts in different mission profiles (e.g. LEO vs. deep space) https://lnkd.in/gBfZprHR

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In a new op-ed for SpaceNews, Slingshot Aerospace CEO Tim Solms outlines the growing risk of GPS jamming and spoofing, and what must be done to protect one of our most critical systems. Protecting positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services demands advanced technology, global coordination, and real-time insight into an increasingly congested space domain. At Slingshot Aerospace, we’re delivering the AI-powered space domain awareness capabilities that help mission partners to detect GPS interference fast and stay ahead of evolving threats. “The only way to solve issues pertaining to GPS — with worldwide ramifications and an extraterrestrial infrastructure — is to work together.” - Tim Solms, CEO, Slingshot Aerospace Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/g8tXiE2M

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Rocket Lab $275 million acquisition of Geost marks a strategic leap toward becoming a full-spectrum defense contractor. No longer just a small satellite launcher 🛰️, Rocket Lab is positioning itself as a vertically integrated “disruptive prime” for U.S. military satellite programs. With five acquisitions since 2020—and more on the horizon—the company is building a foundation to control key components of satellite production, reduce schedule risk, and meet the growing demand for rapid, cost-effective deployments. CEO Peter Beck makes it clear: this is just the beginning.

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Recognizing the contributions of Joshua B Kethan for his work on the Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) Program Manual. This guide aims to enhance access to structured HUMS practices for organizations without a formal program framework, while promoting safer, more effective health monitoring across diverse fleets. For more details, check out the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/eDUMdyUY

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A March 2025 memo instructs United States Department of Defense components to prioritize Other Transaction Authority agreements (OTAs) and Commercial Solutions Openings (CSOs) as preferred methods for acquiring software capabilities. A "non-traditional" government partner, Cesium has served Navy users via Undersea Technology Innovation Consortium OTA since 2019. Read about the combination of OTAs and open source: https://hubs.li/Q03vpzND0

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Groundbreaking Advancement: NIST Selects FAU’s HQC Algorithm to Shape Future Encryption Introduction In a landmark move, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has tapped Florida Atlantic University’s (FAU) Hamming Quasi-Cyclic (HQC) algorithm to help define the next generation of encryption standards. As quantum computing threatens to upend decades of data security, this selection marks a pivotal moment in the global race to safeguard sensitive information against quantum attacks. Key Details 1. Why This Matters Now • Quantum computers are rapidly advancing and could break today’s encryption systems, leaving financial data, communications, and national security vulnerable. • Current encryption methods, which have protected sensitive information for decades, are no match for the computational power quantum machines promise. 2. The Role of HQC • Developed at Florida Atlantic University, the Hamming Quasi-Cyclic (HQC) algorithm is designed specifically for Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC). • HQC provides a secure key exchange mechanism, allowing two parties to generate a shared secret key—crucial for encrypting and decrypting communications. • Its design makes it resilient against the kinds of attacks quantum computers will likely deploy, setting it apart from legacy systems. 3. NIST’s Decision and Global Impact • NIST’s official recognition of HQC represents a major milestone in the development of quantum-resistant standards. • This selection places FAU at the forefront of international efforts to create encryption tools that can withstand future quantum threats. • It also signals to governments, industries, and cybersecurity experts that the time to modernize encryption infrastructure is now. 4. Looking Ahead • As HQC is integrated into global standards, it will influence the design of secure software, hardware, and communication systems. • This advancement not only strengthens digital security but also positions the U.S. as a leader in shaping the post-quantum cryptographic landscape. Conclusion: Why It Matters FAU’s HQC algorithm being selected by NIST is more than a research win—it’s a crucial step toward protecting the world’s digital infrastructure from the coming wave of quantum disruption. As we stand on the edge of a quantum future, HQC offers a blueprint for building encryption systems that can secure everything from personal privacy to global security for generations to come. Keith King https://lnkd.in/gHPvUttw

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