October 24, 2025

Group Releases Study Addressing Spaceport-to-Spaceport Suborbital Flight (Source: IFG-GSA)
The IFG-GSA Point-to-Point Working Group has released a white paper that provides the initial guiding principles necessary to enable safe, reliable and scalable suborbital spaceflight operations to connect airspace “corridors” linking licensed Spaceports to Spaceports (S2S) across the US, and in the future, globally. As of today, S2S corridors lack clear definitions, characterization and protocols to enable them to be used for practical spaceflight operations that are scalable and ideally profitable for their operators. Click here. (10/24)

Pentagon R&D Spending Up, But Fielding Lags (Source: National Defense)
A report from the Center for a New American Security says the Department of War is increasing research and development spending but facing challenges in fielding weapons systems in a timely manner. The report highlights that while R&D and testing expenditures have risen over the past 15 years, the time and cost to deploy major systems have also increased, resulting in a smaller, older and less capable force. (10/23)

Iridium Reduces Revenue Forecast in D2D Race with Starlink (Source: Space News)
Iridium is revising its financial forecasts because of competition from SpaceX in direct-to-device (D2D) services. The company said in earnings released Thursday that it expects 3% service revenue growth for 2025, down from 3-5% previously and well below its earlier 5-7% range. It has also withdrawn a target of reaching $1 billion in revenue by 2030. Iridium CEO Matt Desch said in an earnings call that SpaceX’s push into D2D services with its deal to acquire Echostar spectrum “will likely be disruptive to the status quo” and create new competition for Iridium. He said the company remains committed to making its satellite constellation compatible with 5G standards used by mass-market devices, enabling them to access messaging and alert services outside cellular coverage starting next year. (10/24)

SpaceX Launches Spanish Comsat on Thursday Mission From Florida (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
SpaceX launched a Spanish communications satellite on a rare expendable Falcon 9 flight. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 9:30 p.m. Eastern Thursday, placing the SpainSat NG 2 satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit. The launch was the 22nd and final flight of this Falcon 9 booster, which SpaceX expended because of the performance needed to place the 6,100-kilogram satellite into its transfer orbit. The satellite is the second of a pair of satellites that will provide secure communications for the Spanish military. (10/24)

India Plans Two LMV-3 Launches Before 2026 (Source: Republic)
India is planning two launches of its largest rocket before the end of the year. One launch of the LMV-3, also known as GSLV Mark 3, is scheduled for Nov. 2, carrying the CMS-03 communications satellite to support India’s navy. The second, planned before the end of the year, will carry the BlueBird-6 satellite for AST SpaceMobile, the first in a new line of satellites by the company to provide direct-to-device services. (10/24)

China's Galactic Energy and Space Pioneer Moving Toward IPOs (Source: Space News)
Two Chinese launch companies are getting closer to initial public offerings (IPOs). Galactic Energy officially launched its listing guidance this week, one of the first steps toward an IPO. Space Pioneer submitted its application for listing guidance earlier this month. Galactic Energy operates the Ceres-1 rocket and is nearing the first launch of its larger Ceres-2 rocket, while Space Pioneer is preparing for the first launch of the medium-lift Tianlong-3. Two other launch companies, Landspace and CAS Space, made their moves toward a listing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange’s tech-focused STAR Market in July and August respectively. (10/24)

ESA Readies Package of New Programs With $25.6 Billion Request (Source: Space News)
ESA is putting the finishing touches on a package of programs it will present to member states for funding at next month’s ministerial conference. At a briefing Thursday, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said that there are still a few loose ends to resolve on the package, valued at about 22 billion euros ($25.6 billion) over three years. ESA has removed one mission, an Earth science spacecraft called TRUTHS, because of what Aschbacher called “affordability reasons."

The British government reportedly withdrew its support for the mission recently. ESA is also dealing with funding uncertainty externally, with NASA yet to get a budget for fiscal year 2026, and internally, given upheavals in the French government. Aschbacher also said at the briefing that ESA will examine the impacts of the planned joint venture of the space businesses of Airbus, Leonardo and Thales, but was not worried about a potential loss of competition. (10/24)

India's SatLeo Labs Readies First Launch of Thermal Imaging Constellation (Source: Space News)
Indian startup SatLeo Labs is preparing to launch its first thermal-imaging payload early next year. The company has built its first experimental payload, called Thermal Access Platform for Analytics and Solution, or Tapas, slated for launch early next year. By the end of 2026 the company plans to launch the first of 12 operational smallsats with mid- and long-wave infrared imaging payloads. (10/24)

White House Unhappy with Duffy-Musk Spat, USDOT Overtures (Source: NOTUS)
The spat between NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is wearing thin at the White House. Duffy on Monday said he would reopen the Artemis 3 lunar lander contract to competition, complaining that SpaceX was behind, prompting a broadside of insults in response from Musk. Senior White House officials said they were “furious” at Duffy for instigating the dispute and also for pushing to incorporate NASA into the Transportation Department, allowing him to continue to run it as Secretary of Transportation.

The White House said Thursday there was no update on selecting a NASA administrator nominee, with any selection to be announced directly by President Trump. Editor's Note: An announcement on the NASA Administrator selection (rumored to be Isaacman) was anticipated on Friday but was pushed off the White House calendar due to other issues. (10/24)

Precision Laser Links Overcome Turbulence for Better Satellite Communications (Source: Space Daily)
The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), collaborating with the Nagoya Institute of Technology and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, has achieved a world-first demonstration using advanced error correction codes to mitigate atmospheric turbulence in ground-to-satellite laser communications.

Atmospheric turbulence during ground-to-satellite laser links results in fading, causing burst data errors. Leveraging next-generation error correction codes such as 5G NR LDPC and DVB-S2, the team transmitted data and successfully corrected these burst errors, leading to a marked improvement in communication quality compared to conventional methods. (10/23)

AST SpaceMobile Reveals Terms for One Billion Dollar Convertible Notes Offering (Source: Space Daily)
AST SpaceMobile, Inc., developer of the first space-based cellular broadband network that works directly with standard smartphones, has finalized pricing for a $1 billion private convertible senior notes offering due 2036. The offering, up from the previously announced $850 million, is scheduled to settle on October 24, pending customary closing conditions.

The convertible notes start with a price of roughly $96.30 per share, reflecting a 22.5 percent premium over the October 21, 2025 closing price. Purchasers of the notes may also acquire up to an additional $150 million in principal over a 13-day window after issuance. Net proceeds should reach approximately $981.9 million or up to $1,129.2 million if the additional option is exercised. Funds will support AST SpaceMobile's global satellite network deployment and expansion into new markets for both commercial and government applications. (10/23)

Glass Beads Found on Moon's Far Side Reveal Ancient Meteor Impact Diversity (Source: Space Daily)
Researchers have examined over 400 glass particles collected from the far side of the Moon during the Change-6 mission, identifying 178 impact glass beads to analyze their microstructures and composition. These beads, formed from meteor impacts and subsequent regolith gardening, preserve physical and chemical details of the lunar surface's evolution. Compared to similar samples from Change-5 on the nearside, beads returned by Change-6 present greater morphological variety and compositional diversity. (10/24)

Newly Found Rocky Super-Earth Could Become key Focus in Search for Life (Source: Space Daily)
An international scientific team, including Penn State researchers, has identified a super-Earth exoplanet named GJ 251 c orbiting a nearby dwarf star less than 20 light-years away. The planet is estimated to have nearly four times the mass of Earth and is likely rocky. "The exoplanet is in the habitable or the Goldilocks Zone, the right distance from its star that liquid water could exist on its surface, if it has the right atmosphere. "The planet's discovery relies on data from the Habitable-Zone Planet Finder. (10/24)

CSA Awards $5.4M Toward TICFIRE on HAWC Mission (Source: SpaceQ)
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) awarded two contracts totaling over $5.4 million to ABB Inc. and Honeywell (Canada) for the TICFIRE (Thin Ice Clouds and Far InfraRed Emissions) instrument on the HAWC mission. The HAWC mission is Canada's contribution to the NASA led Atmosphere Observing System (AOS) Earth observation (EO) constellation. The TICFIRE instrument will be integrated into a NASA satellite. (10/23)

China’s is On Track to Beat the US to Extract Lunar Water (Source: Payload)
Forget boots on the Moon. China looks like it’s going to beat the US to extract water from the lunar surface. Officials from the Chinese National Space Agency confirmed this week that its Chang’e 7 spacecraft is expected to launch in August—putting it on track to beat US lunar water ice exploration missions by a significant margin. (10/24)

Lockheed and Northrop  Q3 Earnings Roundup (Source: Payload)
Lockheed’s overall earnings are up and beating projections for the year, and its space business line is no exception. The key numbers: $18.6B in total sales, beating both last year’s revenue and expectations for the quarter; $3.4B in sales for the space division, up from $3.1B in Q3 2024; Operating profit of $331M for space, up from $272M in the same period last year. The increase in space earnings, Lockheed reported, could be tied to $160M in sales for “strategic and missile defense programs,” plus an additional $70M on national security programs.

Northrop is also reporting a bump over the same period last year—but not in its space business. Space segment sales rang in lower than in Q3 of 2024, while the company’s aeronautics, defense, and mission systems business lines saw boosts. Total sales of $10.4B across the whole company, up from $10B last year; $2.7B of those sales came from the space segment, which saw a decrease from $2.9B in the same quarter last year. The prime attributed its decreased earnings to a lower volume of SDA satellite contracts, and Next Generation Interceptor programs. A $100M contract from NASA for commercial resupply services helped to offset the dip. (10/24)

Kepler Receives $500K SpaceLEO Contract From DRDC (Source: SpaceQ)
Kepler Communications has received a $500K contract from the Defence, Research and Development Canada (DRDC) SpaceLEO initiative. Kepler is the third organization to be announced as receiving a SpaceLEO contract from DRDC. Other companies receiving contracts are Galaxia Mission Systems and C-CORE. (10/23)

ESA Is Simulating A Solar Storms For Satellite Operator Training (Source: Universe Today)
The European Space Agency (ESA) has started requiring the operational crew of new satellites, which would be on the frontlines of any solar storm catastrophe, to simulate how they would handle such an event. In one example, the Sentinel 1-D team had to deal with a simulated solar storm just after the planned launch of their spacecraft, which is currently scheduled for Nov. 5. Sentinel 1-D is part of ESA’s Copernicus Program to monitor Earth’s surface in radar and provide updated maritime and land conditions. (10/24)

Space Cargo Unlimited and COMAT to Deliver In-Space Manufacturing Capacity to Private Industry (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Space Cargo Unlimited and COMAT are collaborating on the design, development, and commercialization of in-space manufacturing and science services for private industry. The partnership aims to make the unique weightless environment of space accessible to sectors such as materials science, pharmaceuticals, electronics, and advanced manufacturing. (10/24)

UK Military Says Russia Targets its Satellites on a Weekly Basis. What Can Be Done About It? (Source: Space.com)
Russia is targeting UK space infrastructure, and in particular military satellites, on a weekly basis, according to the head of UK Space Command. In an interview with the BBC, Maj Gen Paul Tedman said that Russia was "shadowing" UK satellites. Shadowing involves orbiting and aligning a satellite close to the target satellite, in order to be near enough to jam communications or intercept signals to steal critical information. (10/23)

China Expands Classified Geostationary Satellite Series with Long March 5 Launch (Source: Space News)
China launched the latest in a series of clandestine satellites Thursday, using the country’s most powerful rocket to send the spacecraft to geosynchronous transfer orbit. The TJS-15 used China's most powerful rocket, the Long March 5, to send it into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. The launch was part of a series of satellites aimed at expanding China's capabilities in secure communications. (10/23)

Vision, Discipline, Capital and How Government Can Help (Source: SpaceQ)
Yes, Canada should spend more on space, but it actually does not need to be that much more. But the money needs to be spent differently. The goal should not be to just spend more money on new systems to meet specific needs. It should also be to build capability — to strengthen the ecosystem of founders and firms that can both serve Canada’s needs and compete globally.

Take for example the goal of building a sovereign launch capability.  It is an idea whose time has finally come (after 60 years), but the objective should not be limited to developing a launcher and a launch site on Canadian soil. It should be seen as an opportunity to leverage those requirements to develop a launch capability that is not only Canadian, but that also addresses the increasingly critical need for accessible launch. (10/23)

ESA Concludes Budget Review for $25.5 Billion in Project Spending (Source: Space Intel Report)
The European Space Agency (ESA) has put the entire package of program proposals for the next three years through a detailed review to determine cost, schedule and technology risk and has returned with 22 billion euros ($25.5 billion) in program proposals to be presented to its governments in November. The review is the first detailed all-of-agency assessment of ESA’s projects by the Independent Program Authority (IPMA), created in mid-2023 in response to a request from its 23 member governments. (10/23)

Powerful NVIDIA Chip Launching to Orbit Next Month to Pave Way for Space-Based Data Centers (Source: Space.com)
An NVIDIA GPU is heading toward its record-setting orbital debut, a trip that will test how data centers could work in the final frontier. The NVIDIA H100 GPU, which is about 100 times more powerful than any processor that has flown in space to date, will fly aboard the Starcloud-1 satellite, which is expected to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket next month. (10/23)

Space Force Plans $905 Million for Maneuverable GEO Program (Source: Air & Space Forces)
The Space Force expects to award $905 million in contracts over the next five years through a new Maneuverable GEO program, which aims to form a commercial fleet of communication satellites that can shift around in geosynchronous orbit. 

The projection is part of the Commercial Satellite Communications Office’s fiscal 2026 forecast to industry, an annual document that lays out requirements and contract opportunities within CSCO, which is responsible for procuring commercial SATCOM for the entire military. (10/23)

Cyprus joins European Space Agency as an Associate Member (Source: ESA)
The Republic of Cyprus has signed an Associate Agreement with the European Space Agency, and is expected to become an Associate Member in the coming months. ESA and Cyprus have cooperated successfully for a decade, with Cyprus becoming a European Cooperating State in 2017. (10/23)

Object That Hit United Flight's Windshield Likely a Weather Balloon (Source: ABC)
Data from flight tracking website Flight Radar24 shows the plane was 36,000 feet in the air when an object hit the windshield. The flight then descended to a lower altitude, following standard protocol, before making an emergency landing at Utah's Salt Lake City International Airport. The pilot had initially thought the impacted item was falling space debris. (10/22)

SpaceX Says it Has Cut Starlink Services at Myanmar Scam Compounds (Source: NBC)
SpaceX has disabled more than 2,500 Starlink devices in and around scam centers in Myanmar, following warnings from activists that mainly Chinese syndicates were using the technology to defraud people worldwide. The company “proactively identified and disabled over 2,500 Starlink Kits in the vicinity of suspected ‘scam centers,’” Lauren Dreyer, SpaceX’s vice president of business operations, wrote on X. (10/23)

Musk Doubles Down in Fight with Trump Administration (Source: Washington Post)
Musk has acknowledged his ambitions require overcoming regulatory hurdles, roadblocks presented by NASA, USDOT, FAA, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Throwing caution to the wind, Musk took aim at the man overseeing each one of those agencies in X posts this week — Transportation Secretary and acting NASA administrator Sean P. Duffy — igniting a new public feud with the Trump administration through an official who possesses direct oversight of his business empire. (10/23)

Port Canaveral’s $8M Crane Hit With Hefty Tariff (Source: WFTV)
Port Canaveral’s latest investment - a new mobile harbor crane - is now in service but not without a hefty tariff price tag. The new mobile crane, manufactured by Liebherr in Germany, cost the port a total of $8,059,875. Additionally, the port paid a $731,306 tariff. The crane was needed to support growing space operations at the port. Had the crane arrived just one day earlier, Port Canaveral officials say no tariff would have been imposed. (10/22)