A Marine with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit walks with the children during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 24. U.S. Marine Corps / Sgt. Samuel Ruiz
The Air & Space Brief: 63,900 evacuated, Space Symposium is back, Satellite defenses
Hello and welcome to Defense One’s Air Force and Space Force newsletter. Here are our top stories of the week:
63,900 out so far: U.S. Air Force, commercial, and chartered planes have been able to airlift 63,900 Afghans, Americans, and allies out of Afghanistan so far, 21,600 alone in the latest 24-hour period, the Pentagon reported. The significant uptick is the result of more than 230 Air Force aircraft now involved and a quick 1-hour turnaround on the ground.
CRAF activated: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the Civil Reserve Air Fleet to activate, requesting 18 aircraft from six U.S. airlines to help in the evacuation of Afghans and Americans. It marks the third time in history that the military has mobilized U.S. airlines to help with a military evacuation.
Space Symposium launches: Two and a half years have passed since the last Space Symposium, but the 2021 version is up and running through Aug. 26 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Watch all our coverage, here:
LEO investments rising: New York-based ATL Partners has acquired Geost, a small Arizona firm that makes sensors that can watch and protect satellites from threatening spacecraft. Firm officials called it the first in a coming series of investments in a market that’s expected to grow exponentially as the Pentagon puts thousands of small satellites into orbit in coming years.
Sign up to get The Air & Space Brief every Tuesday from Tara Copp, Defense One’s Senior Pentagon Reporter. From Aug. 21 to Aug. 29, 1965, American astronauts Gordon Cooper and Pete Conrad, aboard the Gemini V, set a new time in orbit record of eight days.
From Defense One
US Has Evacuated 42,000 from Kabul; 16,000 in Last 24 Hours Alone, Pentagon Says // Tara Copp: The pace is still rising; Taliban have threatened “consequences” if U.S. forces remain beyond Aug. 31.
Defense Secretary Orders US Airlines to Help With Evacuation // Marcus Weisgerber and Tara Copp: It's only the third time in history that the U.S. airlines have been mobilized by the military.
Conference Wire: The Space Symposium Must Go On // Marcus Weisgerber: In this edition of Conference Wire, a preview of the conference's top agenda items.
Private Equity Firm Acquires Geost, Whose Sensors Protect Satellites // Marcus Weisgerber: It’s a play to capitalize on massive satellite orders from the Pentagon.