November 7, 2025

The Threat of Space Terrorism is No Longer Science Fiction (Source: Space Daily)
Though under-reported, space terrorism is not a new phenomenon. In 1999, the UK's Skynet military satellite was allegedly targeted by hackers demanding ransom. While the Ministry of Defense remained tight-lipped, reports suggested communication channels were compromised, hinting at a sophisticated breach of national security. More recently, Russia has been accused of persistently jamming UK satellites. This tactic disrupts communications and poses serious risks to both civilian and military operations.

These incidents have intensified concern that satellite attacks - whether through hacking, jamming or physical destruction - will become more frequent and sophisticated in the coming years. Groups and individuals once considered insignificant in the realm of space security are now capable of launching cyber attacks on satellites and ground stations. In March 2022, Network Battalion (NB65), a group affiliated with Anonymous, allegedly hacked the Russian civilian space agency Roscosmos in protest of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The group claimed control over several satellites, prompting Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin to declare that disabling another country's satellites could be considered a "casus belli" - a cause for war. (11/6)

BlackSky Signs Contract Exceeding 30 Million to Supply Gen-3 ISR for Defense Client (Source: Space Daily)
BlackSky Technology Inc. has secured a multi-year contract worth over 30 million dollars to integrate its Gen-3 high-cadence tactical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) services into the secure operational environment of a strategic international defense customer. The program aims to boost sovereign space-based intelligence capacities by leveraging BlackSky's commercial technologies for high-frequency, low-latency Gen-3 tasking and AI-supported analytics. Through this integration, the company's commercial high revisit satellite constellation will function within the customer's secure workflows, enabling autonomous and secure operations for intelligence delivery. (11/5)

After Russian Spaceport Firm Fails to Pay Bills, Electric Company Turns the Lights Off (Source: Ars Technica)
One of Russia’s most important projects over the last 15 years has been the construction of the Vostochny spaceport as the country seeks to fly its rockets from native soil and modernize its launch operations. However, the initiative has been a fiasco from the start. After construction began in 2011, the project was beset by hunger strikes, claims of unpaid workers, and the theft of $126 million. Additionally, a man driving a diamond-encrusted Mercedes was arrested after embezzling $75,000. Five years ago, there was another purge of top officials after another round of corruption.

Through it all, there has been some progress. In 2016, a Soyuz-2 rocket launched from the first pad, “1S.” And eight years later, a second pad, “1A,” opened with a successful Angara rocket launch. Eventually, the Russian space corporation, Roscosmos, would like to operate seven launch pads at the Vostochny in the far eastern area of Russia, so development work continues. And therein lie the current problems.

The latest bit of skullduggery involves the non-payment of sizable electric bills by the primary contractor building the spaceport, the Kazan Open Stock Company (PSO Kazan). According to the Moscow Times, the Far Eastern Energy Company cut off electricity supplies to the areas of the spaceport still under construction after PSO Kazan racked up $627,000 in unpaid energy charges. The electricity company did so, it said, “to protect the interests of the region’s energy system.” (11/6)

Florida's Seagate Space Hires Puente to Develop Sea Launch Business (Source:  Seagate Space)
St. Petersburg based Seagate Space was formed earlier this year to develop offshore platforms that will unlock the possibility of launch at sea. This week the company announced that Melodie Puente will serve as its vice president for business development. Click here. (11/6) 

Starlink Signs Global Direct-to-Cell Deal with Veon (Source: Reuters)
Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX, secured its largest direct-to-cell deal yet with telecoms group Veon , granting access to over 150 million potential customers, both companies said, as competition in satellite-to-smartphone connectivity intensifies. Direct-to-cell technology allows smartphones to connect to satellite networks in space that beam telephone signals back to Earth. (11/6)

BlackSky Revenue Hit by US Budget Cuts, Shifts Focus to International Users (Source: Space News)
Satellite imagery company BlackSky said Nov. 6 that revenue fell short of expectations in the third quarter as U.S. government spending slowed following the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to a key intelligence contract. But executives said growing international demand for Earth-observation data is helping offset the downturn and could soon make foreign sales the company’s largest source of revenue. (11/6)

D-Orbit and mhackeroni Conduct In-Orbit Cybersecurity Competition (Source: Space News)
D-Orbit and mhackeroni just concluded CTRL+Space, Europe's first in-orbit Capture-the-Flag (CTF) cybersecurity competition. This groundbreaking event saw teams of ethical hackers trying to find and exploit vulnerabilities in a real satellite in space. This was Europe’s first in-orbit cybersecurity competition and the first live CTF contest involving multiple satellites. (11/6)

Sceye Wins NASA Award for Stratospheric Earth Observations (Source: Space News)
Sceye, a company specializing in high-altitude platform systems (HAPS), has received a $850,000 NASA award to partner with Spectral Sciences, Inc. for environmental monitoring using its stratospheric platform. The award is for a Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, which will fund the development and demonstration of a hyperspectral sensor on Sceye's HAPS for continuous environmental monitoring. This initiative aims to provide persistent, high-quality data for various applications, including detecting methane super-emitters, monitoring wildfires, and tracking storms. (11/6)

Arianespace Aiming for As Many as Eight Ariane 6 Launches in 2026 (Source: European Spaceflight)
Arianespace is aiming to double its Ariane 6 launch cadence in 2026, with between six and eight missions planned. The European launch provider will open its 2026 manifest with the first flight of the more powerful four-booster variant of the rocket. The inaugural flight of the Ariane 6 rocket took place in July 2024, followed by its first operational mission in March 2025, which carried the CSO-3 spy satellite to orbit for the French Armed Forces.

With the successful launch of Sentinel-1D earlier this week, Ariane 6 has now flown three times in 2025, with a fourth mission expected before the end of the year. By comparison, the United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket, which also debuted in 2024, has flown only once so far in 2025. Following an unfortunate failed launch in March 2023, the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H3 rocket managed three flights in 2024 and, to date, has completed just two missions in 2025. (11/6)

EchoStar Selling More Spectrum to SpaceX (Source: Space News)
EchoStar is selling more spectrum to SpaceX for $2.6 billion. EchoStar announced Thursday it would sell 15 megahertz of nationwide, unpaired AWS-3 uplink spectrum licenses to SpaceX. The spectrum would improve SpaceX direct-to-device services in the United States. EchoStar sold a larger block of spectrum to SpaceX in September for $17 billion in cash and stock; SpaceX will pay for the new spectrum in stock. EchoStar announced a new division Thursday called EchoStar Capital, which will hold its equity in SpaceX and be responsible for investing in complementary growth opportunities as an “asset-light” company. (11/7)

FAA Limits Commercial Launches to Overnight Hours During Shutdown (Source: Space News)
The FAA is temporarily limiting the hours commercial launches can take place because of the effects of the government shutdown. In an order Thursday, the FAA said that, effective Monday morning, commercial launches can only take place between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. local time. The restriction is intended to reduce strain on the air traffic control system as controllers, unpaid since early October, fail to report for work. The order also requires airlines to reduce flight operations at 40 major airports nationwide by 10%. The order could affect several Falcon 9 launches next week, as well as Blue Origin’s second New Glenn launch if it slips from Sunday. (11/7)

FCC Commissioner Warns U.S. Influence on Satellite Spectrum Debates Could Wane (Source: Space News)
An FCC commissioner said declining American “soft power” could make it difficult to win support for key satellite spectrum priorities at international meetings. Speaking by video at the Economist Space Summit Thursday, Anna Gomez said she was concerned that moves like the elimination of USAID could affect American influence with other nations when it comes time to seek their support at the next World Radiocommunication Conference in 2027. Much of the agenda of that meeting is focused on satellite spectrum issues, and she said other countries could take advantage of any decline in American influence to block U.S. priorities at the conference. Gomez said that, domestically, she supported FCC efforts to streamline satellite licensing processed but wanted to ensure the FCC maintained a “pro-competitive system.” (11/7)

SpaceX Launches Starlink Mission on Thursday From California (Source: Noozhawk)
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites Thursday from California. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 4:13 p.m. Eastern carrying 28 Starlink satellites. This was the 61th launch so far this year of missiles or orbital rockets from Vandenberg, with Falcon 9 accounting for all but six of the launches. (11/6)

ULA Atlas Mission Scrubbed Again for Valve (Source: Spaceflight Now)
For the second day in a row, a valve problem scrubbed an Atlas 5 launch. United Launch Alliance called off the launch of the ViaSat-3 F2 satellite, scheduled for 10:16 p.m. Eastern Thursday from Cape Canaveral, after a liquid oxygen valve problem that scrubbed Wednesday’s launch reoccurred. ULA did not immediately reschedule the launch, saying it would first evaluate hardware. (11/6)

SES Reports Quarterly Loss After Intelsat Acquisition (Source: Luxembourg Times)
SES reported a loss in the first quarter after completing its acquisition of Intelsat. The company reported Thursday a loss of 69 million euros ($79.8 million) in the third quarter on revenues of 769 million euros. SES blamed the loss in part on delays with U.S. government contracts caused by the reassessments of those contracts, exacerbated by the government shutdown. SES shares, which had rebounded from all-time lows last December, fell sharply Thursday. (11/6)

Astronaut Hauck Passes at 84 (Source: Collect Space)
Rick Hauck, the NASA astronaut who commanded the shuttle’s return to flight mission after Challenger, has died. Hauck became a NASA astronaut as part of the famous 35-person class in 1978. He was pilot on STS-7 in 1983, a mission whose crew included the first American woman in space, Sally Ride, and also commanded STS-51A in 1984. He is best known as commander of STS-26, the first shuttle mission after the Challenger accident. He left NASA after that 1988 mission and later worked in industry, including as CEO of space insurer AXA Space. Hauck was 84. (11/7)

In-Q-Tel Invests in Vast (Source: Space News)
An In-Q-Tel investment in commercial space station developer Vast is not necessarily a sign of military interest in human spaceflight. Vast announced last week that In-Q-Tel, a fund affiliated with the U.S. national security community, made an investment of undisclosed size in Vast and would become a board observer. An In-Q-Tel partner said at the Economist Space Summit that the investment did not mean it saw dual-use applications for commercial stations, noting that many investments by the fund “are purely for insight, to understand how markets are evolving.” Vast, which hosted Space Force procurement chief Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy earlier this year, has previously said it could see roles for Space Force personnel in space. (11/7)

Data Management a Major Challenge for Orbital Situational Awareness (Source: Space News)
The challenge of monitoring satellites and debris in orbit is less about collecting data than analyzing it. Growing demand to monitor space objects has created a crowded, fragmented market of space domain awareness platforms built on different sensors, catalogs and analytics. That results in overlapping data streams and inconsistent alerts that risk confusing operators rather than clarifying decisions. Rather than another proprietary map, space trackers increasingly see the way forward as some kind of air traffic control for space, built on shared data standards, interoperable systems and federated networks that would respect national sovereignty while enabling real-time coordination. (11/7)

Space Force Prepares Plan for Dynamic Space Operations (Source: Defense Daily)
The US Space Force is in the process of developing a 15-year plan that is expected to address dynamic space operations, including satellite refueling, on-orbit maintenance, and modernization. According to retired Col. Charles Galbreath, this approach aligns with recent Space Force strategies and leadership discussions, signaling a shift toward more versatile and responsive space capabilities. (11/6)

Former Florida Lt. Gov. Retains Space Florida Board Seat After Taking Leadership Role at FIU, Creates University Role in Latin American Space Policy (Source: Space Daily)
Jeanette Nunez continues to serve as chair of Space Florida, a position to which she was reappointed by the governor following her resignation as lieutenant governor. In her new role as president of Florida International University, Nunez has hired space policy specialist Laura Delgado Lopez as a senior fellow at FIU's Jack Gordon Institute for Public Policy. Delgado Lopez's work at JGI centers on space governance and security, with a particular focus on Latin America. (11/5)

Globalstar Expands Satellite Infrastructure Across Brazil with Eight New Antennas (Source: Space Daily)
Globalstar has begun installing eight new six-meter C-3 tracking antennas at its ground stations across Brazil to enhance its mobile satellite services. Three Globalstar-owned stations in Manaus, Petrolina, and Presidente Prudente will each receive two additional antennas. In Sao Paulo, the company is working with Ascenty Data Centers e Telecomunicacoes S.A. to add two more antennas at Ascenty's teleport facility. (11/5)

OlmoEarth AI Platform Released to Expand Access to Planetary Data and Insights (Source: Space Daily)
Ai2 has introduced the OlmoEarth Platform, an open end-to-end solution designed to transform satellite and sensor data into real-time environmental insight. The platform builds on OlmoEarth, a new family of state-of-the-art multimodal foundation models, trained on millions of Earth observations and integrating radar, optical, and environmental data. OlmoEarth is designed to make environmental AI accessible to governments, NGOs, and communities without requiring specialized AI expertise or infrastructure. Key applications include monitoring deforestation, assessing crop health, and predicting wildfire risk. (11/5)

Robotic Exosuit Designed to Assist Astronaut Movement Tested in Simulated Lunar Mission (Source: Space Daily)
A soft robotic exosuit created at the University of Bristol is engineered to boost astronaut mobility and reduce muscle fatigue while allowing natural movement. The lightweight garment, which incorporates fabric-based artificial muscles, is designed to be worn underneath a standard spacesuit. The exosuit features two-layer artificial muscles, with an outer nylon component and an inner thermoplastic layer that inflates to provide motion support. Kevlar components are used for the waistband and knee straps to ensure high strength and resistance to tension. (11/5)

Satys Expands North American Footprint on Florida’s Space Coast (Source: EDC of FSC)
The Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast welcomes Satys, a world leader in aerospace painting and sealing, to Florida’s Space Coast bringing $1.5 million in capital investment and 40 high-wage jobs. The company chose Melbourne to expand in North America through a strategic partnership with Dassault Aviation, among others. Satys introduces its state-of-the-art paint hangars with high-tech solutions such as remote-controlled gondolas and aircraft scanning. Painting and sealing activities will be carried out for major U.S and France-based aerospace players located on Florida’s Space Coast. (11/6)

Safran Defense & Space Names Christopher Keeler President of Space Solutions (Source: Safran)
Safran Defense & Space has named Christopher Keeler president of Space Solutions, where he will lead the company’s expanding U.S. space business focused on spacecraft propulsion systems, onboard communications, ground systems and space domain awareness. (11/6)

New Zealand Plans Space Mission, Satellite Fleet (Source: Space Daily)
New Zealand is planning a national space mission which could see a small fleet of state-owned satellites launched into the skies over the Pacific nation, a minister said. "Actions to progress to a large-scale mission are being advanced," Minister for Space Judith Collins said. The mission would involve sending up "one or more government-owned satellites" for "regular coverage of areas of national interest, such as humanitarian and disaster response or monitoring for illegal fishing". (11/5)

Jacksonville's Star Catcher Aces Record-Breaking Power Beaming Demo at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Star Catcher)
Star Catcher Industries has set a new world record for wireless optical power transmission, surpassing the previous benchmark set by DARPA. Star Catcher completed a series of historic optical power beaming tests at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport to validate core technologies for its orbital energy grid, the Star Catcher Network.

Using an advanced suite of multi-wavelength lasers, the team delivered more than 1.1 kW of electrical power to commercial off-the-shelf solar panels at Space Florida's Launch and Landing Facility. The most recent record high was 800 watts set by DARPA in May 2025. Star Catcher delivered more than 10 megajoules of energy throughout the test campaign.

To date, Star Catcher has signed six Power Purchase Agreements collectively valued in the tens of millions of dollars in annual recurring revenue through the end of the decade. These agreements have been signed with organizations operating across core markets including orbital data infrastructure, remote sensing, and satellite platforms. (11/4)

Continuous US Presence in Orbit Questioned (Source: Space News)
The space industry, or at least a vocal contingent of it, breathed a collective sigh of relief last year when Pam Melroy, then NASA deputy administrator, announced that the agency would pursue a “continuous heartbeat” — a permanent human presence in LEO — rather than merely maintaining the “continuous capability” to send humans into orbit on the International Space Station’s commercial successors. But now, it appears there may be gaps in humanity’s presence in orbit after all. 

A July 31 memo signed by Sean Duffy, NASA’s acting administrator, said that the “Full Operational Capability” — defined by NASA as having four crewmembers including two NASA astronauts on the ISS at all times — “required by NASA will no longer be binding.” Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said “it would be catastrophic from a diplomatic presence if we didn’t have a permanent human presence in space. It would be catastrophic from a science perspective.” (11/5)

South Korea Set to Join Space Data Center Race (Source: Business Korea)
Space data centers, which refer to data centers built in outer space to maximize efficiency, have emerged as a new field of hegemonic competition, with Korea launching full-scale countermeasures following the United States and China. The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) plans to conduct research to secure core technologies for space data centers in the first half of next year. KASA plans to apply for budget as an R&D project for 2027. (11/6)

Space is America’s Next Frontier, Not EU’s Next Bureaucracy (Source: Asia Times)
When the United States (US) publicly condemned the European Union’s (EU) proposed Space Act as “unacceptable,” it wasn’t merely a diplomatic disagreement — it was a fundamental clash of philosophies over who gets to govern the final frontier. The EU, through its ambitious legislative framework, seeks to regulate satellite services, orbital debris management and space sustainability, even beyond its borders. The US, in contrast, insists that space remains an arena of freedom and innovation, not bureaucracy and overreach. (11/6)

China to Debut Space Tourism Project Next Week (Source: China Daily)
Officials from the Shenzhen municipal government announced that the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) will introduce a Chinese space tourism initiative at the 27th China International High-Tech Fair (CHTF), set for Nov 14 to 16. (11/6)

India Gears Up for Mangalyaan-2 Mission to Mars in 2030 (Source: Business Today)
Twelve years after India’s remarkable achievement with the Mangalyaan mission, the Indian Space Research Organization has officially announced its plans to land on Mars for the first time. The Mangalyaan-2 mission, set for launch in 2030, was confirmed by ISRO Chairman Dr. V Narayanan during a recent address. (11/6)

ExoMars Rover Ramp Built by Poland’s Astronika (Source: European Spaceflight)
A pair of ramps that will allow ESA's Rosalind Franklin rover to roll from its landing platform onto the surface of Mars has passed a key testing milestone. Polish space-mechanics specialist Astronika appears to have begun work on the egress system. (11/5)

US Slams ‘Discriminatory’ Draft EU Space Law as Imperiling NATO Cooperation (Source: Breaking Defense)
The US has come out swinging against a draft law by the European Union that Washington claims would establish restrictive market barriers, impose costly environmental protection requirements, and create regulatory hurdles for US commercial firms — thus undermining bilateral, as well as NATO-wide, cooperation. The US “expresses deep concern regarding measures in the proposed Act that would impose unacceptable regulatory burdens on U.S. providers of space services to European customers,” the State Department charges in a document submitted to the EU on Tuesday. (11/5)

NASA Has Lost Thousands of Workers. Here’s What That Means for Science (Source: Washington Post)
For 13 consecutive years, NASA has been named the “Best Place to Work in the Federal Government” among large agencies. But since the Trump administration took over and proposed deep budget cuts, there has been an exodus from the agency — with many of those who remain feeling demoralized and unsure about the future of their work. The low morale may be an unanticipated challenge for billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, should he be confirmed as NASA administrator.

A dozen current and former employees, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, described months of turmoil and sweeping changes that, if fully implemented, could transform NASA and American science beyond the Trump years. “I think NASA has always been an exceptional agency, filled with exceptional people doing exceptional things. And yet we are just getting decimated,” one NASA employee said. “What was so fundamentally broken that we needed to get to this point?”

Among the initiatives that have lost support and significantly slowed, one NASA worker noted, are programs that help respond to floods, track fires and forecast what will happen long-term to the world’s oceans, ecosystems and crops as the planet warms. In the aeronautics division, a project designed to test and develop a new generation of hybrid electric-powered aircraft is being phased out, according to staff. Other aeronautical and astrophysics projects are being phased out or are in limbo. (11/6)

China Reached Out to NASA to Avoid a Potential Satellite Collision (Source: Space.com)
China recently reached out to NASA over a maneuver to prevent a possible collision between satellites, a space sustainability official said, marking a first for space traffic management. "For years, if we had a conjunction, we would send a note to the Chinese saying, 'We think we're going to run into you. You hold still, we'll maneuver around you,'" Alvin Drew, director for NASA Space Sustainability, said on Oct. 2.

A big shift had come a day earlier, Drew revealed. "Just yesterday, we had a bit of a celebration because, for the first time, the Chinese National Space Agency reached out to us and said, 'We see a conjunction amongst our satellites. We recommend you hold still. We'll do the maneuver.' And that's the first time that's ever happened," Drew said. (11/6)

Isaacman on His "Athena" Plan for NASA (Source: NASA Watch)
"While the full plan exceeded 100 pages, it centered around five main priorities. [...] There is the question–why not release the entire document? Well, one party is clearly circulating it, so I am sure it is only a matter of time before it becomes public–in which case, I will stand behind it. I think there are many elements of the plan that the space community and NASA would find exciting, and it would be disappointing if they never came to fruition." Click here. (11/6)