WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Ted Cruz introduced the Nodes, Enterprise Workloads, and Hybrid Operations, Resilience, Integration, Zero-Trust, Orbital Networks (NEW HORIZON) Act to establish a Department of Defense pilot program to test whether moving military data storage and cloud computing closer to satellites in space – using commercially available technology – could make those systems faster and improve national security.
“Space innovation and military preparedness are Colorado’s bread and butter,” said Hickenlooper. “As we venture deeper into the digital age, it’s critical we lead the way in next-generation technologies. It’s good for our economy and national security.”
“Data generated in space goes underutilized because of network bandwidth issues between satellites and ground stations. This legislation enables the Department of War to conduct operational testing on space-based data processing and storage, and will help to reduce latency, improve resilience, and enhance operational effectiveness across military and intelligence missions. I am proud to introduce this bill with Senator Hickenlooper,” said Cruz.
Specifically, the bill will:
- Establish a Defense Innovation Unit operational pilot program for orbital data center and space-based cloud computing services
- Authorize testing and limited operational employment in support of intelligence, space domain awareness, command and control, and other national security missions
- Direct the Department to assess operational integration, mission utility, resilience, and cybersecurity protections
- Require evaluation of protection and defense concepts for orbital infrastructure against cyber, electronic warfare, counterspace, and kinetic threats
- Ensure interoperability with existing command, control, communications, and intelligence systems
Full text of the bill can be found HERE.
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