December 8, 2025

Starlink Competition is Coming (It Might Never Catch Up) (Source: The Verge)
In addition to Amazon Leo, there are several private and government-backed entities trying to compete with Starlink. The Eutelsat OneWeb constellation of about 650 satellites has been operating in low Earth orbit for years, but it doesn’t sell directly to individual consumers. There’s lots of talk about the debt-laden service one day competing with Starlink, but it only ever amounts to talk. Likewise, China’s Spacesail Constellation (aka Qianfan/G60) has launched just 108 of the 648 satellites it had targeted by the end of 2025. Operational issues and a lack of reusable launch vehicles have hindered deployments that are supposed to yield a constellation of up 15,000 satellites by 2030.

Europe’s IRIS² constellation is also in the works, with plans to launch 290 satellites into LEO (with an additional 18 in medium Earth orbit) by 2030. But the sovereign space internet service is expected to be restricted to EU citizens, businesses, and government entities. As we roll into 2026, Amazon’s Leo space internet service is looking like the best near-term hope for consumers to break free from their Elon Musk dependency. But it’s going to take a few more years for the Leo constellation to grow into a viable Starlink competitor. And with no immediate exit strategy, I’ve subjected myself to what I’m calling an “ethical offset tax” by donating to the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH). Musk hates the CCDH, and that helps me sleep better at night no matter where I lay my head. (12/7)

Guetlein Driving Engagement with Industry on Golden Dome (Source: Space News)
The general overseeing the Golden Dome pushed back against criticism regarding a lack of details about the missile defense initiative. Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein said his office has held extensive private engagements with industry, meeting with more than 200 companies. He said he is using those interactions to share information rather than through public forums. Reporting directly to Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, Guetlein said he has been granted wide authorities to draw resources from across the military and sees Golden Dome as a test case for closer industry partnerships. He added he hoped to be able to share more details about Golden Dome next year. (12/8)

Castelion Raises $350 Million for Hypersonics (Source: Space News)
Castelion, a startup working on hypersonic missiles, has raised $350 million. The company said Friday it raised a Series B round from several venture capital firms, which it will use to scale up production of hypersonic missiles. The company last month unveiled plans for a 1,000-acre campus in New Mexico dedicated to next-generation hypersonic systems, including production and testing of solid motors. The company was founded two and a half years ago by several former SpaceX employees who wanted to pursue a “clean sheet” approach to hypersonic missile development. (12/8)

Congressional Hearing Focuses on China's Rise While US Falters in Space (Source: Space News)
A hearing about China’s space capabilities focused much of its attention on American policy shortfalls. The hearing Thursday by the House Science Committee’s space subcommittee looked at China’s growing space capabilities, including plans to land astronauts on the moon by the end of the decade. Some committee members, though, noted that the ability of the United States to compete with China is hampered by policy changes such as layoffs and proposed budget cuts at NASA. One witness, former NASA administrator Mike Griffin, argued that NASA’s current approach to return humans to the moon won’t work, citing challenges with SpaceX’s Starship, and he called on NASA to dump that architecture. Other witnesses expressed varying degrees of concern that China would land humans on the moon before NASA returns. (12/8)

EU Space Act Could Drive Revenue Losses (Source: Space News)
The proposed European Union Space Act could result in hundreds of millions of euros in lost revenue for European and American space companies. A study released last week by the Progressive Policy Institute found that the increased costs companies will face to comply with provisions of the act would result in higher prices and decreased demand, resulting in 245 million euros ($285 million) in reduced annual revenue for European companies. American companies exporting to Europe, who would also be bound by the legislation's provisions, could lose 85 million in annual revenues. The act could also result in as much as 3.4 billion euros in reduced long-term investment in European space companies. The European Commission, which released a draft of the act in June, is working on a revised version after receiving more than 100 comments on the draft. (12/8)

China Launches Two Missions Within 24 Hours (Source: Xinhua)
China conducted two launches less than 24 hours apart. A Kuaizhou-1A rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 4 a.m. Eastern Friday and put into orbit two VHF Data Exchange System satellites. A Long March 8A rocket lifted off from the Wenchang spaceport on the island of Hainan at 2:53 a.m. Eastern Saturday, placing into orbit an unspecified number of satellites for the Guowang broadband constellation. Previous Long March 8A launches for Guowang have each carried nine satellites. (12/8)

SpaceX Launches California Starlink Mission on Sunday (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites on Sunday. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 12:58 p.m. Eastern and deployed 28 satellites into low Earth orbit. The launch was intended to be the first in a doubleheader that day, but weather postponed another Falcon 9 launch of Starlink satellites from Florida. (12/8)

China's Spacesail Megaconstellation to Serve Airbus Aircraft (Source: Xinhua)
Chinese broadband megaconstellation company Shanghai Spacesail Technologies said it has struck an agreement to incorporate broadband services on Airbus airliners. Spacesail said it signed a “market cooperation agreement” with Airbus to explore incorporating Spacesail’s services on Airbus aircraft, but provided few details on schedules or where those services will be offered. Spacesail is developing the Qianfan, or “Thousand Sails,” constellation. (12/8)

SSC is Now SSC Space (Source: SSC)
Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) is changing its name to SSC Space. The company announced Monday the name change, which will take effect at the beginning of next year. SSC says the new name “better reflects the company’s global presence and business focus,” noting that it already operates as SSC Space in several markets. (12/8)

Cobham Satcom to Acquire Gatehouse Satcom (Source: Via Satellite)
Cobham Satcom has made a significant acquisition in the 5G satellite infrastructure arena with a move to acquire an interesting software company. Cobham Satcom’s Network Division will merge with Gatehouse Satcom, a 5G NTN software company. The new entity will operate as a subsidiary within the Cobham Satcom Group. The deal is subject to regulatory approval. The two companies announced the deal, Dec. 8. (12/8)

Iceye’s Latest Raise Values Company at $2.8 Billion (Source: Via Satellite)
Iceye raised 150 million euro in new funding led by General Catalyst, with the latest raise valuing the satellite company at 2.4 billion euro ($2.8 billion). The new funding announced Dec. 5 also included a 50 million euro ($58 million) secondary placement. (12/8)

Canada Seeks Cubesat Business (Source: SpaceQ)
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is looking to better understand what CubeSat performance and capabilities are available from potential suppliers in Canada. To that end they have issued a Request for Information (RFI) with a series of questions. The RFI is open December 23, 2025 at 16:00 EST. (12/8)

AI Finds and Fixes Satellite Cyber Flaw (Source: Space.com)
Communications between Earth and NASA spacecraft were critically vulnerable to hacking for years until an AI found the flaw and fixed it in just four days. The vulnerability was sniffed out by an AI cybersecurity algorithm developed by California-based start-up AISLE and resides in the CryptoLib security software that protects spacecraft-to-ground communications. The vulnerability could have enabled hackers to seize control over countless space missions including NASA's Mars rovers, according to the cybersecurity researchers. (12/8)

ispace Teams Up for Lunar Water Exploration (Source: Payload)
The next generation of companies heading to the Moon are going in search of water—a requirement for setting up shop long term on the lunar surface. Japanese lunar infrastructure company ispace has just notched a new partnership in service of that goal. Last week, ispace announced a partnership with Kurita Water Industries, a company that focuses on water extraction and treatment. (12/8)

Exercising in the Artemis 2 Orion Capsule (Source: SpaceQ)
In this video from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen explains the use of a flywheel exercise device in microgravity to maintain muscle and bone mass during space missions. The device allows astronauts to perform a variety of exercises: rowing, squats, deadlifts, curls, and high pulls with adjustable resistance. CSA exercise specialists help design exercise programs to keep astronauts healthy in space. (12/3)

Astronaut Urges Poland to Build Plan for Space Tech Hub (Source: TVP World)
Astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski has urged Poland’s astronomy sector to ensure that ambitions for a new ESA center in the country are turned into reality. Uznański-Wiśniewski became only the second Pole to ever venture into space when he completed a two-week-long mission to the ISS this summer. Since his return, the Polish authorities have pledged a €731 million investment in ESA and signed a letter of intent with the continental agency, outlining a common goal of establishing a new ESA security hub in Poland. (12/7)

Government Invests €265.1m for Space Programs (Source: Delano)
The new public investments required for the ongoing implementation of Luxembourg’s space strategy for the period 2026–2029 amount to €265.1m, including €149.3m for ESA programs and €115.8m for LuxImpulse. The government has tabled Bill 8633, authorizing it to finance Luxembourg’s contributions to the programs of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the national LuxImpulse program, implemented with the latter’s assistance, for the period 2026–2029. All this with a planned maximum budget of €265.1m, €66.59m more than for the period 2020–2024. (12/8)

Some Golden Dome Details Emerge (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The Golden Dome air and missile defense shield to protect the United States will have some “operational capability” in 2028, the program’s leader said. “It will not be the final capability. But we will have the ability to protect and defend the nation against advanced threats by the summer of 2028,” Space Force Gen. Michael A. Guetlein, the officer in charge of the program, said of the ambitious effort championed by President Donald Trump. (12/7)

Virgin Galactic Mothership Makes Inaugural Flight in Arizona (Source: AZ Family)
Virgin Galactic’s mothership, EVE, completed its inaugural flight from Spaceport America in New Mexico to Mesa Gateway Airport in November, where the company operates its only spaceship factory. The mothership, described as looking “like two planes welded together,” drew a lot of attention. The flight was a rehearsal for EVE as Virgin Galactic prepares to ferry new spaceships from Mesa to Spaceport America. A new class of spaceships is being built at the Mesa Gateway facility as Virgin Galactic competes with companies like SpaceX to get paying customers to space. (12/7)

Why is Belgium Investing So Much in Space Exploration? (Source: Brussels Times)
Belgium has got behind Europe's efforts in the global space race at a time when it is cutting costs at home – but what is feeding this interest in extraterrestrial projects? At last month’s ESA council meeting in Bremen, the 23 member states pledged a total of €22.1 billion to research and defense projects over the next three years.

Belgium will provide €1.1 billion of that budget via 'subscriptions' to the ESA's various programs. The country is contributing €114 million for the design and development of a European launcher, €113 million for Earth observation programs, €205 million for scientific programs, and €110 million for space exploration. Another €316 million will be allocated to defense-related projects, such as telecommunications satellites, with just over half of the contribution coming out of the country's defense budget. (12/7)

Korean Air and Hyundai Rotem to Develop Reusable Methane Rocket Engine (Source: Korean Air)
Korean Air and Hyundai Rotem have launched a joint initiative to develop a reusable 35-ton-class methane rocket engine, a core technology for next-generation launch vehicles. Backed by a KRW 49 billion budget and overseen by the Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology Planning and Advancement (KRIT), the program will run through October 2030. (12/8)

Solestial Signs Space Act Agreement with NASA’s Glenn Research Center (Source: Solestial)
Solestial announced a Space Act Agreement with NASA’s Glenn Research Center to advance the performance and resilience of ultrathin silicon solar arrays in space environments. The collaboration will leverage NASA’s expertise in spacecraft charging and Solestial’s leadership in ultrathin silicon solar technology to better understand and mitigate the effects of spacecraft charging on thin film solar arrays. (12/3)

HawkEye 360 Launches Vessel Custody ID to Strengthen National Security and Intelligence Operations (Source: HawkEye 360)
HawkEye 360, the global leader in signals intelligence data and analytics, today announced the introduction of a new feature that improves maritime awareness by maintaining custody of high-interest vessels across multiple satellite collections. The capability uses artificial intelligence to assign unique tracking identifiers, allowing organizations to maintain custody of high-interest vessels across time and space. (12/2)