January 20, 2026

Space Foundation to Host Innovate Space: Finance Forum in Partnership With Texas Space Commission (Source: Space News)
Space Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1983 to advance the global space community, will host Innovate Space: Finance Forum, an executive-level conference focused on how capital is shaping the future of the space economy. The forum will take place Feb. 18–19, 2026 in Dallas. (1/20)

Asia-Pacific Operator Signs $11M Order for Gilat SkyEdge Platform (Source: Via Satellite)
An unnamed satellite operator in the Asia Pacific region has contracted Gilat Satellite Networks for $11 million for its SkyEdge platform to deliver advanced mobility services. Gilat reported the SkyEdge platform was selected for its performance in high-capacity networks, flexibility to support diverse service profiles, and ability to scale with market demands. Announcing the deal on Tuesday, Gilat said the platform will be deployed to deliver services over very high throughput satellites (VHTS) supporting multiple applications. Deliveries are expected over the next 12 months. (1/20)

Elliott Invests in Hypersonic-Flight Company Stratolaunch (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Elliott Investment Management has made an investment in Stratolaunch, a privately held hypersonic-flight company, according to people familiar with the matter. Elliott will also gain board representation at Stratolaunch, the people said. Elliott’s investment is worth several hundred million dollars; the exact size couldn’t be learned. (1/19)

French President Urges Faster Military Space Development, Promises Funding; CNES Space Agency Confronts Budget Challenges (Source: Space Intel Report)
French President Emmanuel Macron promised to find supplemental funding to ensure development of the French-German missile-defense system, whose first element is geostationary-orbit satellites launched by each nation. The program, called Joint Early Warning for a European Lookout (JEWEL), was approved by the two nations’ defense ministries in October. JEWEL is a component of a future European program called Odin’s Eye. (1/19)

In 2025, China Launched Nearly 400 Satellites….But Who Built Them? (Source: Spacewatch Global)
In the past year, China launched almost 400 satellites, with 201 (just over half) satellites built and developed by CAST (and its subsidiaries) and SECM. With SatNet and ThousandSails NGSO Comms as the beneficiary constellations, CAST and SECM roughly doubled their output compared to 2024 as the constellations ramped up. (1/19)

Damaged DSN Antenna Out of Service Until May (Source: Space News)
NASA's critical 70-meter DSS-14 antenna at the Goldstone Deep Space Network (DSN) site in California, damaged last September (2025) by over-rotation stressing its structure and fire suppression system, is expected back online by May but will soon be taken offline again for major upgrades, impacting deep space communications and planetary radar for asteroid characterization until fully restored. (1/19)

Operationalizing an International Space Traffic Management Organization (Source: RAND)
Strong consensus exists on STM objectives (e.g., safety, sustainability), but significant divergences in implementation approaches (e.g., concepts and resources) necessitate the development of common technical standards and protocols, particularly for space object tracking, conjunction assessment, emergency response, and collision avoidance.

There are differences among the United States, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific region regarding policy, governance, capabilities, and levels of development. Among the issues shaping perspectives and progress toward an ISTM system are the choice between voluntary cooperation or enforceable standards, the preference for centralized or distributed systems, and the option for market-friendly or more-regulatory-centric approaches.

The fragmentation among major STM systems (i.e., European Union Space Surveillance and Tracking, U.S. Traffic Coordination System for Space, and Indo-Pacific systems) creates operational inefficiencies, an incomplete operating picture, a lack of inclusivity of perspectives, and complexity for commercial operators. This highlights the need for harmonization. (12/30)

Samara Raises $10M for Satellite Stability and Maneuvering (Source: Payload)
San Francisco-based Samara Aerospace has closed a $10M seed round to help bring more stability to sats in orbit. Samara's Hummingbird satellite will use solar panel hinges to move panels up, down, left, and right in a way that can maneuver the sat. Cofounder and CEO Patrick Haddox says his tech can make platforms 1,000x more stable than traditional systems—and cut satellite size and weight without dinging performance. (1/20)

An Analysis of Potential Artemis III (and Artemis Base Camp) Lunar Sites (Source: Roberto Moraes)
A geotechnical screening of the Artemis III candidate landing regions has identified the Mons Mouton Plateau as a favorable site. This preliminary finding is based on a proxy ground-mechanics framework (OCR*), calibrated against Apollo, Luna, and Chang’e landing-site observations, and engineering judgment. From a ground-mechanics perspective, Mons Mouton Plateau stands out due to the continuity and extent of mechanically favorable terrain within plausible landing ellipses, rather than isolated peak values alone. Variability and terrain continuity are first-order drivers of landing and emplacement risk.

This assessment is not intended to replace in-situ characterization or ongoing programmatic site analyses. It is a first-order engineering screen, applied early, to highlight differences in landing reliability, foundation response, and early surface operability that are not always explicit in geology- or illumination-driven comparisons. As a parallel application, the same framework was applied to Blue Ghost Mission 3 at the Gruithuisen Domes, illustrating how proxy geotechnical screening can inform mobility expectations, dust behavior, and contact-surface assumptions at previously unvisited sites. Click here. (1/19)

Palladyne AI to Support Portal Maneuverable Spacecraft (Source: Palladyne AI)
Palladyne AI is proud to announce that our subsidiary, GuideTech has secured a new contract with Portal Space Systems to support the development of next-generation, maneuverable spacecraft platforms. Under this agreement, GuideTech will deliver engineering capabilities spanning: Navigation & guidance systems, Spacecraft modeling, Embedded software, and Avionics integration & support. (1/20)

Radome Services Acquired by Washington Harbour (Source: Space News)
Washington Harbour Partners has acquired Radome Services, a New Hampshire–based provider of inspection, repair and maintenance services for ground facilities that protect satellite, radar and communications antennas at military and government sites. (1/20)

The First Commercial Space Station, Haven-1, is Now Undergoing Assembly for Launch (Source: Ars Technica)
NASA’s plan to replace the International Space Station with commercial space stations is running into a time crunch. The sprawling ISS is due to be decommissioned less than five years from now, and the US space agency has yet to formally publish rules and requirements for the follow-on stations being designed and developed by several different private companies.

Although there are expected to be multiple bidders in “phase two” of NASA’s commercial space station program, there are at present four main contenders: Voyager Technologies, Axiom Space, Blue Origin, and Vast Space. At some point later this year, the space agency is expected to select one, or more likely two, of these companies for larger contracts that will support their efforts to build their stations. Vast is furthest along in terms of development, choosing to build a smaller, interim space station, Haven-1, capable of short-duration stays. Eventually, NASA wants facilities capable of continuous habitation, but it is not clear whether that will be a requirement starting in 2030.

Until today, Haven-1 had a public launch date of mid-2026. However, that launch date is no longer tenable; the new target is the first quarter of 2027. Says Vast CEO Max Haot: "We are not launching Haven-1 with crew inside. It’s a 15-ton, very valuable and expensive satellite, [...] launching on a Falcon 9. So then we have a period that we can monitor it and control it uncrewed and confirm everything is functioning perfectly. [...] At the end of it, we have to basically convince SpaceX, both contractually and with many verification events, that it will be safe to dock Dragon. (1/20)

ExoAnalytic Tools to Power FireSat Wildfire Monitoring Constellation (Source: Space Daily)
ExoAnalytic Solutions Inc. has been selected to develop advanced software and visualization tools for the Earth Fire Alliance FireSat program, an emerging satellite constellation designed specifically to serve the global wildfire community. The company, which focuses on space and defense technologies, will provide capabilities aimed at improving how FireSat data is presented and used by frontline users and decision-makers.

Earth Fire Alliance (EFA) is a global, community-led nonprofit coalition that aims to deliver transformative, real-time data from wildfires worldwide through FireSat, a purpose-built multispectral satellite constellation for wildfire detection and monitoring. By focusing on near real-time, high-fidelity wildfire observations, EFA seeks to make critical information accessible and actionable for fire agencies, researchers, and communities across multiple continents. (1/19)

Australia's Gilmour Raises $146 Million for Eris Launch Vehicle (Source: Space News)
Australian launch and satellite manufacturer Gilmour Space Technologies has raised $146 million. Gilmour said the funding will be used to continue development of its Eris rocket, which made its first, but unsuccessful, test flight last July. It will also support scaling up production of the rocket as well as its ElaraSat satellite bus, the first of which was launched on a SpaceX rideshare mission last June. Gilmour said the funding round made it Australia’s first space “unicorn,” a term used for private companies valued at more than $1 billion. (1/20)

Safran's Bruneau Transitions to ArianeGroup CEO (Source: ArianeGroup)
A Safran executive is the new CEO of ArianeGroup. The company announced Monday it is hiring Christophe Bruneau as CEO, effective April 1. Bruneau is currently executive vice president and general manager for military engines at Safran Aircraft Engines, and has previously worked in the space industry at Safran and MAN Technologie AG. He succeeds Martin Sion, who announced in October he was leaving ArianeGroup, prime contractor for the Ariane 6, to take a job outside the aerospace industry. (1/20)

Indian State Plans Spaceport (Source: CNBC-TV18)
The Indian state of Andhra Pradesh has announced plans for a spaceport. The state’s chief minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, said recently the state government would establish a launch site on Hope Island, just off the east coast. The site would be used to host private Indian rockets, rather than those operated by the space agency ISRO that launch from Sriharikota, south of Hope Island. The announcement did not include details about the spaceport infrastructure the state government will develop or a schedule. (1/20)

Solar Storm Showers Radiation on Earth (Source: Space.com)
A powerful solar storm hit the Earth Monday. The shock wave from the coronal mass ejection hit the Earth Monday afternoon, triggering a strong geomagnetic storm and brilliant auroras. Solar radiation levels from the storm reached the highest levels measured since a powerful storm in 2003. (1/20)

Scolese Wins Goddard Trophy (Source: National Space Club)
Chris Scolese, director of the National Reconnaissance Office, is the winner of the 2026 Goddard Trophy. The National Space Club announced last week it selected Scolese for the award, given to the person deemed to have made the most significant contribution to space activity in the previous year. Scolese has been director of the NRO since 2019 and previously was at NASA, where he served as associate administrator and director of the Goddard Space Flight Center. (1/20)

Catalyst Optimizes Satellite Performance with Edge Processing (Source: Catalyst)
PCI Geomatics (DBA CATALYST) announced the delivery of industry-leading edge processing capabilities to produce highly accurate imagery directly onboard satellites in near real-time. This advancement optimizes data processing, enabling smarter use of a satellite's power and processing budgets, without sacrificing on performance. (1/20)