A U.S. Air Force pilot flew with an artificial intelligence aboard the Lockheed Martin-built U-2 Dragon Lady aircraft during a test flight held Tuesday, the service reported Wednesday.

The AI algorithm, called ARTUu, was in charge of tactical navigation and sensor employment during a simulated missile strike as part of a reconnaissance mission. The algorithm used the aircraft’s radar in detecting enemy launchers, while the pilot was responsible for finding hostile aircraft.

The pilot transitioned the sensor control to the AI algorithm after liftoff. During the flight, the algorithm operated the sensor using learned insights from more than 500,000 computer simulated training iterations. 

“ARTUu’s groundbreaking flight culminates our three-year journey to becoming a digital force,” said Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics and a three-time Wash100 Award recipient, “Putting AI safely in command of a U.S. military system for the first time ushers in a new age of human-machine teaming and algorithmic competition. Failing to realize AI’s full potential will mean ceding decision advantage to our adversaries.” 

Researchers at Air Combat Command’s U-2 Federal Laboratory developed and trained the AI algorithm to carry out in-flight tasks.

Canada's space agency has officially agreed to provide an external robotics system and execute other efforts for NASA's Gateway, an orbiting space outpost that will support lunar exploration missions.

Canada will provide the Canadarm3 robotic arm and interfaces for robotic modules that would help Gateway personnel install instruments, NASA said Wednesday.

Space technology company MDA is in contract with Canada to produce Canadarm3 that will use artificial intelligence to autonomously support heavy-duty activities.

The U.S. ally will also send two Canadian astronauts to space under the Artemis program that aims to revive manned space exploration. One will go to Gateway, and the other will take part in the Artemis II lunar flyby mission scheduled for 2023.

Gateway's components include the Habitation and Logistics Outpost —the facility's initial cabin that will contain basic life supplies— and the Power and Propulsion Element that will generate solar electric power.

Gen. James Dickinson, leader of U.S. Space Command, said Russia is working on space systems despite claims of trying to prevent a space war. He said these direct-ascent anti-satellite systems threaten space assets belonging to the U.S. and allied forces, Washington Headquarters Services said Wednesday.

“Russia has made space a warfighting domain by testing space-based and ground-based weapons intended to target and destroy satellites," the general stated.

The systems Dickinson pertains to are a space-based weapon, which can strike satellites in orbit, and a DA-ASAT system designed to hit low Earth orbit targets.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also unveiled efforts to make a ground-based laser for his country's space force. Dickinson said these developments collectively do not align with Russia's claim to avoid warfighting in space.

HawkEye 360 has shipped its second cluster of satellites to the launch site at Cape Canaveral, the company reported on Thursday. The satellites are scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 no earlier than January 2021 as part of Spaceflight Inc.'s SXRS-3 rideshare mission. 

"These new satellites continue to push the boundaries of commercial RF sensing. Cluster 2 has up to ten times the collection capacity of our current cluster and improved geolocation accuracy,” said John Serafini, CEO of Hawkeye 360.

HawkEye Cluster 2 is the first of a series of next generation satellites HawkEye 360 is deploying to complete its baseline constellation. Cluster 2 will join the company's Cluster 1 satellites in orbit, following the launch. 

The three Cluster 2 satellites offer greater power and can collect multiple types of signals simultaneously for longer periods of time. These workhorse satellites will allow HawkEye 360 to offer increasingly robust space-based RF data insights to its US government, international government, and commercial customers across a wide range of frequencies.

Each Cluster 2 satellite contains a customized RF payload, developed by HawkEye 360. The satellite buses were manufactured by UTIAS Space Flight Laboratory. HawkEye 360 will complete development of satellites for Clusters 3 and 4, anticipating launch in the middle of 2021. Clusters 5, 6, and 7 are in development with anticipated launch over the next 18 months. 

HawkEye 360's constellation will identify and geolocate RF signals from emitters, including VHF marine radios, UHF push-to-talk radios, maritime and land-based radar systems, L-band satellite devices, and emergency beacons. HawkEye 360 has used proprietary algorithms to process and analyze data that delivers actionable insights. 

“Our customers are asking for more data over more regions, so these next generation satellites are critical to supplying our customers with relevant and timely RF geospatial intelligence for national security, maritime domain awareness, environmental protection, and countless other applications," Serafini added.