Recent years have demonstrated the growing prevalence of drones in surveillance and military operations. In 2024, unidentified drones flew over a military base in Langley, Virgina. In 2025, Israel used drones to take out Iranian air defense systems in a coordinated attack, while Ukraine launched “Operation Spiderweb,” using drones to damage and destroy aircraft deep within Russian territory. But a new Department of Defense Inspector General report uncovered a series of challenges for defending the United States’ military installations from similar drone incursions or attacks. These potential vulnerabilities have prompted the Joint Interagency Task Force 401, an Army-led organization tasked with the counter-Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) mission, to release updated policy guidance that requires military installation commanders to prepare their own counter-UAS defense plans within the next 60 days. 

In this month’s episode of "The Elara Edge," Lt Gen (Ret) David “Abu” Nahom and Dr. JP “Spear” Mintz break down the series of escalating events that demonstrate not only how unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are changing the nature of military operations, but also creating an imperative to find new and innovative solutions to address the emerging counter-UAS mission.  

Gen Nahom is the President of Elara Nova’s Aeronautics & Mission Systems (AMS) sector after serving for 36 years in the United States Air Force, culminating in his roles as Commander of Alaskan Command, the Alaskan NORAD region and the Eleventh Air Force. Dr. Mintz is a recently retired Colonel with the Air Force, where he commanded in the Air Force's Spectrum Warfare Wing and served as a Special Advisor to senior leaders at NORAD, U.S. Northern Command, and others.

"The Elara Edge" is hosted by Scott King and produced by Regia Multimedia Services. The full story can be found on Elara Nova's Insights page here. Music was produced by Patrick Watkins of PW Audio.

In response to evolving cyber threats that can manipulate and compromise a satellite’s data, the United States Space Force is heightening its focus on “space cyber,” or the cybersecurity of space systems on-orbit. One emerging solution toward this effort is the Cyber Reslience On-Orbit tool (CROO), a software program that focuses on not just securing the data links between satellites and their terrestrial networks, but on the cybersecurity of the satellite itself. Funded in part by an AFWERX Small Business Innovation Research Direct-to-Phase II contract, the CROO tool will leverage innovative technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning and digital twin modeling and simulation in a way that altogether demonstrates how the Space Force is adapting to a more dynamic and contested ‘space cyber’ environment.

In this episode of "The Elara Edge," Major General (Ret) Kim Crider, Founding Partner at Elara Nova, and Brigadier General (Ret) Chad Raduege, President of Elara Nova's Cyber, Data, and Communications sector, provide expert perspective on the significance of the Cyber Resilience On-Orbit tool and the broader emergence of the space cyber imperative. General Crider is the former Chief Technology and Innovation Officer with the United States Space Force and General Raduege is the former Chief Information Officer with Headquarters U.S. European Command. 

"The Elara Edge" is hosted by Scott King and produced by Regia Multimedia Services. The full story can be found on Elara Nova's Insights page here. Music was produced by Patrick Watkins of PW Audio.

Welcome to the inaugural episode of "The Elara Edge: International Insights Edition," where the leaders of the international space community join Elara Nova partners to share their insights and perspectives on the increasing strategic importance of space in joint force and alliance operations.

In today's episode, Brad Head, Managing Director of International Partnerships at Elara Nova, is joined by Air Marshall Sir Johnny Stringer, who at the time of this recording was retiring out of his role as the Deputy Commander of Allied Air Command at NATO. Together, they’ll be discussing NATO’s evolving approach to space since the military alliance first declared it an operational domain in 2019, as well as how commercial space providers should be considering opportunities to support NATO in its space warfighting efforts.  

"The Elara Edge: International Insights Edition" is a new, special edition series presented by "The Elara Edge," podcast. 

"The Elara Edge" is hosted by Scott King and produced by Regia Multimedia Services. The full story can be found on Elara Nova's Insights page here. Music was produced by Patrick Watkins of PW Audio.

Space Systems Command recently announced that the United States Space Force will have access to a working capital fund to buy commercial space services on-demand. But the fund, which is authorized to hold up to $1.2 billion in a given fiscal year, is not actually new money appropriated by Congress to the Space Force. Rather, it presents another flexible funding option to move money around in response to emerging mission requirements. 

But the timing of the announcement also coincides with the Acquisition Transformation Strategy, an initiative recently unveiled by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Together, these actions represent how the Space Force, and the Department of War at large, is actively reforming how it acquires commercial services from industry partners. 

In this episode of "The Elara Edge," Founding Partners Major General (Ret) Roger Teague and Mike Dickey share how the working capital fund fits into the broader acquisition reforms taking place across the Department of War. Major General (Ret) Roger Teague is the former Director of Space Programs for the United States Air Force, where he directed the development and acquisition of space programs for Air Force major commands and Mike Dickey is the former Chief Architect of Air Force Space Command and the United States Space Force.

"The Elara Edge" is hosted by Scott King and produced by Regia Multimedia Services. The full story can be found on Elara Nova's Insights page here. Music was produced by Patrick Watkins of PW Audio.

To better understand the space operational environment, the United States Space Force has traditionally relied on military-operated constellations like the Space Based Space Surveillance system (SBSS) and the Geosynchrnous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP), both of which provide space situational awareness (SSA) data that simply identifies and tracks man-made objects in orbit. But SSA is vital to a broader Space Force imperative known as space domain awareness (SDA), which goes another step further in not only identifying and tracking man-made objects in space, but understanding their intent and behavior, as well.

Now, the Space Force wants commercial space companies to provide their own SSA data to the SDA mission, through a new program, currently known as Geosynchronous Reconnaissance & Surveillance Constellation (or RG-XX). 

In this episode of "The Elara Edge," Col (Ret) Ken Bowling breaks down the opportunities and challenges of bringing SSA data to the SDA mission. A retired Colonel with the United States Air Force, Ken commanded units at both Group and Squadron levels, and brings with him over 25 years of satellite research and development experience, and space situational awareness expertise. 

"The Elara Edge" is hosted by Scott King and produced by Regia Multimedia Services. The full story can be found on Elara Nova's Insights page here. Music was produced by Patrick Watkins of PW Audio.

In today’s congested and contested space environment, commercial space companies must now prepare for a variety of threats that can compromise their systems on-orbit: from incidental collisions with space debris, to counterspace threats like cyber and electronic warfare attacks, as well as kinetic strikes. Meanwhile, the inherently dual-use nature of space systems, which often support both national security and economic purposes, further reinforces the imperative that the United States Space Force communicates threat information with its industry partners to ensure resiliency of our nation’s space capabilities. 

Now, a new Space Force program, Orbital Watch, aims to do just that: facilitate greater information-sharing with industry partners for both unclassified and classified threats.

In this episode of “The Elara Edge,” Col (Ret) Charlie McGillis explains how Orbital Watch, within the broader Space Force Front Door program, aims to enable better threat information-sharing with industry partners. Prior to becoming a partner with Elara Nova, Charlie served as the former Director of Intelligence at 14th Air Force (Space) and is a former senior vice president at Slingshot Aerospace. Today, she is an active member of the independent review board for the Office of Space Commerce’s Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS).

"The Elara Edge" is hosted by Scott King and produced by Regia Multimedia Services. The full story can be found on Elara Nova's Insights page here. Music was produced by Patrick Watkins of PW Audio.

With a projected $1.8 trillion space economy by 2035, regions around the world are looking to leverage the space  domain for a variety of use cases. Countries in Europe and the Indo-Pacific want space technologies for national security-related missions like missile warning and space domain awareness. Meanwhile, in other regions like the Middle East and the Global South, countries want to use space technologies for civil applications like environmental monitoring and economic growth. But despite this broad range of motivations for leveraging space, every country around the world has one, universal need: the need for space expertise.

In this episode of "The Elara Edge," Brad Head, Managing Director of International Partnerships at Elara Nova, takes us around the world of space to understand how each region of the world is looking to leverage space capabilities. A retired colonel with the United States Space Force, Brad has served in a series of high-impact roles: Director of International Affairs at Space Operations Command; Chief of Defense Planning at the U.S. Mission to NATO; and Chief of the Office of Defense Cooperation in Brussels.

"The Elara Edge" is hosted by Scott King and produced by Regia Multimedia Services. The full story can be found on Elara Nova's Insights page here. Music was produced by Patrick Watkins of PW Audio.

In a little over a year since the program’s announcement, two prototypes of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) have started ground testing and are expected to fly in the coming months. The achievement marks an impressive timeline for the aircraft’s development, which is designed to be an unmanned platform that will fly in tandem with, and in support of, manned platforms like the F-22, F-35 and the future B-21 and F-47. While the two prototype CCAs, being produced by Anduril and General Atomics respectively, will eventually be down-selected to one platform, they are expected to be a force multiplier for the warfighter by bringing a futuristic vision of manned-unmanned teaming to air warfare. 

In this episode of "The Elara Edge," Lt Gen (Ret) David "Abu" Nahom breaks down the rapid development of the United States Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) and the significance of manned-unmanned teaming in bringing about the next generation of air dominance. 

As the Executive Director of Elara Nova's new Aeronautics and Mission Systems sector, Gen Nahom will oversee an expansion of Elara Nova's consulting expertise into air domain technologies such as the CCA program. Prior to his current role, Gen Nahom's 36-year Air Force career culminated with roles such as Commander, Alaskan Command; Alaskan NORAD Region; and Eleventh Air Force.

"The Elara Edge" is hosted by Scott King and produced by Regia Multimedia Services. The full story can be found on Elara Nova's Insights page here. Music was produced by Patrick Watkins of PW Audio.

In General B. Chance Saltzman’s “Theory on Competitive Endurance,” the Chief of Space Operations for the United States Space Force listed three core tenets of the military’s approach to the space domain: avoid operational surprise, deny first-mover advantage, and undertake “responsible counterspace campaigning.” This third tenet, counterspace, has become increasingly relevant for a warfighting domain that has traditionally approached space capabilities with risk-averse language and restrictive classification policies.  

But now, adversaries have recognized that space capabilities are both a strategic advantage - and potential vulnerability - for the United States military. This emerging threat is driving an imperative to both understand and define how counterspace capabilities can preserve the space domain the global economy has come to rely on. 

In this episode of "The Elara Edge," Elara Nova partners Col (Ret) Stu Pettis and Col (Ret) Dave Morrow describe the types of counterspace threats the Space Force must prepare for and emphasize the role of counterspace campaigning in Gen Saltzman's "Theory on Competitive Endurance." Both Col Pettis and Col Morrow are graduates of the United States Air Force Weapons School.

Col Pettis served for 29 years in the United States Air Force supporting space operations and serving on the Secretary of the Air Force’s Space Force Planning Team, where he oversaw the establishment of the military’s newest service. Col Morrow served for 24 years in the United States Air Force before retiring as the Director of Testing and Evaluation for the United States Space Force. 

"The Elara Edge" is hosted by Scott King and produced by Regia Multimedia Services. The full story can be found on Elara Nova's Insights page here. Music was produced by Patrick Watkins of PW Audio.

A single week in early March saw two commercial companies, Intuitive Machines and Firefly Aerospace, land their respective spacecraft on the Moon’s surface to deliver scientific payloads on behalf of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which aims to facilitate rapid acquisition of lunar delivery services that both enable scientific exploration and commercial development of the Moon. 

These sequential landings demonstrate not only the substantial progress made by commercial space companies since the CLPS program’s inception in 2018, but also highlights the role commercial partners will serve in a new “space race,” that carries both civil and national security implications. 

In this episode of "The Elara Edge," Elara Nova partner Lt Gen (Ret) Bill Liquori breaks down the recent achievements of the CLPS program, as well as the civil and national security implications these achievements carry. Gen Liquori previously served as the first Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Strategy, Plans, Programs, and Analysis at the United States Space Force, and currently serves on several space-related advisory boards - including the Space Force Association, True Anomaly, and Intuitive Machines. 

"The Elara Edge" is hosted by Scott King and produced by Regia Multimedia Services. The full story can be found on Elara Nova's Insights page here. Music was produced by Patrick Watkins of PW Audio.