January 13, 2026

US Government Takes Stake in L3Harris (Source: US News and World Report)
The Pentagon will invest $1 billion in L3Harris Technologies' rocket motor unit, marking a significant move under the Acquisition Transformation Strategy and "Go Direct-to-Supplier" initiative. The investment aims to ensure a steady supply of rocket motors for missiles such as the Tomahawk and Patriot interceptor. The structure of the deal, which includes a government convertible security, is new for the defense sector. (1/13)

Portugal Becomes 60th Signatory to Artemis Accords (Source: Space News)
Portugal has become the 60th country to join the Artemis Accords, which outline space exploration best practices. The agreement was signed by Portuguese Space Agency Executive Director Hugo Costa and US Ambassador to Portugal John J. Arrigo. (1/12)

Belgium's Aerospacelab to Develop Spacecraft for Xona (Source: Space News)
Belgian satellite manufacturer Aerospacelab has won a contract to build eight spacecraft for California-based startup Xona Space Systems. The satellites will be part of Pulsar, a constellation Xona is developing to provide navigation services from low Earth orbit. The companies, in announcing the contract Tuesday, said that Aerospacelab will serve as Xona’s transition manufacturing partner while Xona develops its own production capabilities in California. Aerospacelab previously built Xona’s inaugural spacecraft, Pulsar-0, which launched in June 2025. Xona expects to launch four of the eight satellites later this year, with the remaining spacecraft projected to launch in 2027. (1/13)

Orbion Delivers Thrusters for York (Source: Space News)
Satellite propulsion company Orbion has delivered thrusters for York Space Systems satellites. Orbion said it provided 33 of its Aurora Hall-effect electric propulsion systems, designed for small satellites, for York. Orbion did not specify the end customer for the satellites, but York’s publicly disclosed production work is overwhelmingly tied to contracts with the Space Development Agency, making it likely the propulsion units support SDA missions. The announcement was the first time York has publicly identified Orbion as a propulsion supplier. (1/13)

Adkins Becomes NRO Deputy Director (Source: Space News)
A longtime House staffer is the new principal deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office. The NRO said Monday that Bill Adkins had joined the NRO in that role, replacing Troy Meink, who became Secretary of the Air Force last year. The principal deputy director oversees the agency’s day-to-day operations, including management of classified satellite programs, major acquisition efforts and partnerships with commercial space companies. Adkins served for years as a professional staff member on the defense subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, and earlier in his career worked on the House Science Committee. On the defense appropriations subcommittee, he focused on national security space, missile defense and advanced technology issues. (1/13)

Starlink Mission Launches From Florida on Monday (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites Monday afternoon. A Falcon 9 lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, deploying 29 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit. The launch is the fifth by SpaceX this year, including three of Starlink satellites. (1/13)

Japan's ispace Expands to Saudi Arabia (Source: ispace)
Japanese lunar lander company ispace is setting up a new business entity in Saudi Arabia. The company said it is creating ispace Saudi Arabia to take advantage of that country’s interest in space exploration and planned investments by Saudi Arabia’s Neo Space Group. An initial focus of the Saudi subsidiary will be on surface exploration technologies and operations, including in-situ resource utilization. Tokyo-based ispace currently has a European subsidiary based in Luxembourg and an American one in Colorado. (1/13)

Japanese Astronaut Assigned to ISS Mission (Source: NHK)
A new Japanese astronaut has been assigned to an International Space Station mission. The Japanese space agency JAXA said last week that Suwa Makoto will go to the ISS on a mission some time next year, although no exact date has been set. He is one of two astronauts selected by JAXA in 2023 and who completed training in 2024. (1/13)

Astronaut Hall of Fame Adds Two (Source: Collect Space)
Two shuttle-era astronauts are joining the Astronaut Hall of Fame. The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation announced last week that Tom Akers and Joe Tanner will be the 112th and 113th members of the hall of fame. Each flew on four shuttle missions, with Akers performing four spacewalks on his flights, including the first three-person spacewalk in 1992 and the first servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope in 1993. Tanner performed seven spacewalks on his flights, including a Hubble servicing mission and two assembly missions for the ISS. The two will be formally inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in a ceremony in May. (1/13)

Prescriptions for Space Medicine (Source: Space Review)
For the first time in NASA history, a crewed mission is being cut short because of a medical issue with an astronaut. Jeff Foust reports on the decision to bring Crew-11 back from the ISS early and its short- and long-term implications for the station and human spaceflight. Click here. (1/13)
 
Japanese Commercial Firms as Drivers of Japanese Space Policy (Source: Space Review)
Japan has developed a vibrant commercial space industry in the last several years, with startups pursuing radar imaging satellites, lunar landers, and spacecraft servicing. Owen Chbani examines how the industry has been affected by policy changes, and in turn influenced that policy. Click here. (1/13)
 
Building Empires in the Sky: Effectuating off-Earth Territorial Expansion Using Existing Legal Frameworks (Source: Space Review)
The Outer Space Treaty makes clear that countries cannot claim territory on the Moon or other celestial bodies. Camisha Simmons describes how other legal constructs could give companies and organizations some degree of property rights as they operate on other worlds. Click here. (1/13)
 
Safe Passage in the Stars: The Next Bretton Woods (Source: Space Review)
On Earth, control of the seas and thus of trade helped create the current financial system dominated by the US dollar. Alex Li argues that the reserve currency of the future will depend on who controls the lanes of space commerce. Click here. (1/13)

Will Budget Cuts Force NASA to Withdraw From Europe's Next Venus Mission? (Source: Space.com)
ESA is still in the dark about NASA's participation in its Venus exploration mission Envision despite the project's tight deadline. Envision, which began construction in 2025, will map the atmosphere and geology of Earth's closest neighbor, the fiery Venus. The spacecraft will rely on a NASA-made instrument called VenSar — a novel synthetic aperture radar — to map the planet's surface in three dimensions and with a resolution of up to 3 feet. (1/13)

Special Aerospace Services Rebrands as Aurex, Acquires Alpha 2 (Source: Aurex)
Special Aerospace Services (“SAS”) has officially rebranded as Aurex. The Huntsville-based company announced the acquisition of Alpha 2, a preeminent provider of advanced encryption, cybersecurity, and cryptographic engineering services. Aurex provides launch engineering, counter-hypersonic missile defense, mission-critical space communication, modeling and simulation, and precision machining. (1/12)

China Launches New Shepard Clone (Source: Douglas Messier)
CAS Space the successful launch and recovery of its Li Hong-1 suborbital spacecraft on Monday. The reusable rocket and capsule, complete with passenger windows, are a near copy of the New Shepard suborbital vehicle that Blue Origin uses for space tourism and microgravity experiments. Li Hong-1 will provide competition for Blue Origin’s New Shepard and Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo. (1/13)