Sandra Erwin
Sandra Erwin covers the military and national security beat as a Senior Staff Writer at SpaceNews. Sandra, based in Arlington, Virginia, specializes in Defense Department and Intelligence Community space programs, policy, budgets, technology and the industry that supports this sector. She joined SpaceNews in October 2017. Before coming to SpaceNews, Erwin covered the U.S. military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for over two decades as editor of the National Defense Industrial Association's National Defense Magazine and Pentagon correspondent for Real Clear Defense.
Latest articles by Sandra Erwin
The US Would Need a Mega-Constellation to Counter China's Hypersonic Weapons
By Sandra Erwin published
Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Michael Griffin: "Our response has to be a proliferated space sensor layer, possibly based off commercial space developments."
National Security Experts Throw Cold Water on Space Force Euphoria
By Sandra Erwin published
Brian Weeden: "At this moment I don't know what a space force is, it doesn't have a lot of definition to it."
Space Launch Vehicles Eyed by US Military to Move Supplies Around the World
By Sandra Erwin published
Air Mobility Commander Gen. Carlton Everhart is interested in the idea of moving supplies using space vehicles, and how that could transform military logistics.
US Army Troops Could Be Headed to the Space Force
By Sandra Erwin published
Army Space and Missile Defense Command's Brig. Gen. Tim Lawson: “Do we want to be part of the Space Force? That is yet to be determined"
SpaceX Wins $130 Million Military Launch Contract for Falcon Heavy Rocket
By Sandra Erwin published
Falcon Heavy's military contract win is for AFSPC-52, a classified mission projected to launch in late Fiscal Year 2020.
Space Force: Pentagon Navigates Way Ahead and Awaits Direction From Congress
By Sandra Erwin published
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will turn to his own policy advisers for options that he could present to the president.
Acquisition of Orbital ATK Approved, Company Renamed Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems
By Sandra Erwin published
Orbital ATK will become Northrop Grumman's fourth business sector.
DARPA to Begin New Effort to Build Military Constellations in Low-Earth Orbit
By Sandra Erwin published
Laying a path for the military to transition from huge satellites in geostationary earth orbit to constellations of smaller platforms in LEO has been a longtime pursuit at DARPA.
Defense Department Turning Over Space Traffic Control to Commerce, But Details Unclear
By Sandra Erwin published
DoD has deep expertise in "space situational awareness," or SSA, whereas Commerce faces a steep learning curve.
Missile-Tracking Satellites Are Part of the Plan to Foil Russia's Hypersonic Weapons
By Sandra Erwin published
Russia reportedly is testing hypersonic ballistic glider weapons that currently would be undetectable after the initial boost phase of their flight.
House Panel Lays Foundation for Future Space Force
By Sandra Erwin published
The House Armed Services Committee swiftly approved the recommendations of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee on military space reforms.
Artificial Intelligence Arms Race Accelerating in Space
By Sandra Erwin published
With so much data being gathered by remote sensing satellites, the "real future" is to move the computing to space.
Air Force Wants Help to Operate and Maintain Space Surveillance Telescopes
By Sandra Erwin published
Three sites provide nearly complete coverage of the Earth's geosynchronous orbital belt and deliver nearly 80 percent of all geosynchronous observations.
Omnibus Spending Bill Funds Big-Ticket Military Communications Satellites That DoD Did Not Request
By Sandra Erwin published
The satellite communications industry was shocked to see a $600 million addition for WGS-11 and WGS-12.
Is the Cost of Military Space Programs Going Up or Down? Depends on How You Count
By Sandra Erwin published
Defense Official: Trump is Serious About Creating a Space Force
By Sandra Erwin published
Rep. Mike Rogers: "I am so excited to have the support of President Trump as we work towards this goal" of creating a space force.
Air Force Awards Big Launch Contracts to SpaceX and ULA
By Sandra Erwin published
This is the fourth competition under the current Phase 1A EELV procurement where there has been more than one competitor for national security space missions.
DARPA Sees Clear Path to Faster Cheaper Space Technology
By Sandra Erwin published
DARPA Director Steven Walker: "Space is going to be one of my priorities."
US Intelligence: Russia and China Will Have 'Operational' Anti-Satellite Weapons in a Few Years
By Sandra Erwin published
New report by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence: China and Russia "would justify attacks against U.S. and allied satellites."
Pentagon Space Budget Shaped by Threats from Russia, China
By Sandra Erwin published
The Air Force's space budget is up by 8 percent, even though the service is cutting procurement of space systems by more than a billion dollars.
Military Certification the Next Big Test for SpaceX's Falcon Heavy
By Sandra Erwin published
The inaugural launch on Tuesday of the world's most powerful rocket sets the stage for SpaceX's Falcon Heavy to begin the qualification process to compete for lucrative U.S. government contracts.
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