Today’s Tidbits: June 5, 2018 – UPDATE

Here are SpacePolicyOnline.com’s tidbits for June 5, 2018: Northrop Grumman-Orbital ATK merger gets government approval; CSIS and SWF talk counterspace threats. Be sure to check our website for feature stories and follow us on Twitter (@SpcPlcyOnline) for more news and live tweeting of events.

Northrop Grumman – Orbital ATK Merger Gets Government Approval

Northrop Grumman announced today that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has approved its acquisition of Orbital ATK.  Northrop Grumman said it plans to complete the merger tomorrow after markets close. [https://tinyurl.com/y8skzyzm]

Orbital ATK will become a fourth business sector within Northrop Grumman, known as Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems (NGIS).

The two companies announced the merger last September.  The deal is for $9.2 billion: $7.8 billion in cash plus the assumption of $1.4 billion in net debt.  It already has been approved by the Boards of Directors and shareholders, so the FTC approval was the final step.

Northrop Grumman is probably best known in the space business for building large civil and national security space systems including NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (which is having some difficulties these days) and DOD’s Space-Based InfraRed System (SBIRS) of missile warning and surveillance satellites.  The acquisition of Orbital ATK will give the company a foothold in small- and medium-sized satellites as well as space launch systems.

UPDATE, June 6:  The merger closed on June 6 as indicated.  The press release was issued at 4:56 pm ET. Blake Larson is the new President of Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems and a corporate vice president.  [https://tinyurl.com/y8428w3q]

CSIS and SWF Talk Counterspace Threats

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Secure World Foundation (SWF) joined forces today to discuss their recent reports on global counterspace threats.  SWF’s Global Counterspace Capabilities: An Open Source Assessment was published on April 11.  CSIS issued its Space Threat Assessment 2018 a week later.   Speakers today were Brian Weeden and Victoria Samson from SWF and Todd Harrison, Thomas Roberts, and Kaitlyn Johnson from CSIS.  Here are some of the highlights from our tweets.

Todd Harrison (CSIS): shouldn’t get too focused on kinetic ASATs etc when real threat is cyber. Adversary might ramp up jamming so much that they cross a line the US won’t tolerate — US needs to communicate what that line is.

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) June 5, 2018

Q- update on Code of Conduct?
Victoria Samson (SWF) – US supported it, but many nations felt left out. No action since UN mtg in July 2015. Diplomatic failure, but even if no document, just having the conversation was helpful. 1/2

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) June 5, 2018

2/2 Harrison (CSIS): don’t really need a document. Can lead by example. Demonstrate how you want other nations to act through your own actions.

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) June 5, 2018

Q-what new capabilities from adversaries would worry you the most?
Brian Weeden (SWF):: addl rendezvous & prox ops that look like co-orbital ASAT, esp at GEO.
Kaitlyn Johnson (CSIS): seeing these capabilities proliferate to non-state actors. 1/2

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) June 5, 2018

2/2
Harrison (CSIS): electronic attacks, or other non-physical attacks, from on orbit assets.
Samson (SWF): anything that creates more debris.

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) June 5, 2018

Weeden and Harrison on complexities of military use of cmrcl sats.
Crmcl sector thinks things are great; milspace sector talks about war in space.
See no evidence they’re talking to each other about the risks.
Harrison-shld govt indemnify company if cmrcl sat is attacked?.

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) June 5, 2018

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