January 5, 2026

Rocketdyne Returns with L3Harris Sale of Space Propulsion/Power Business (Source: Space News)
Private equity firm AE Industrial Partners is buying a controlling stake in the space power and propulsion business of L3Harris. The companies announced a deal Monday where AE Industrial Partners will take a 60% stake in the business, with a total enterprise value of $845 million. The deal includes the RL10 upper stage engine, in-space propulsion systems and work on nuclear power and propulsion, but does not include the RS-25 engine used on the Space Launch System. AE Industrial Partners plans to rebrand the business as Rocketdyne, reviving that decades-old name after L3Harris acquired Aerojet Rocketdyne in 2023. L3Harris said the deal will allow it to focus on defense priorities, including work on missile defense systems. The deal is expected to close in the second half of the year, pending regulatory approvals. (1/5)

CACI to Modernize Space Force Networks (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force is moving to modernize the computer networks that underpin its operations with a new contract. Defense contractor CACI International announced last Wednesday it was awarded a five-year task order valued at up to $212 million to upgrade network infrastructure at U.S. Space Force bases. The award was made under the Base Infrastructure Modernization, or BIM, contract, a 10-year, $12.5 billion contract vehicle focused on upgrading base network infrastructure across Air Force and Space Force installations worldwide. (1/5)

Eartheye to Provide Satellite Imagery to Asian Customer (Source: Space News)
Eartheye Space won a contract to provide satellite imagery for an undisclosed Asia-Pacific customer. The deal, terms of which the company did not release, covers imagery from hundreds of satellites at resolutions as sharp as 15 centimeters. Eartheye Space does not operate its own satellites but instead works with partners to provide tasking of Earth observation satellites. The company recently announced plans to offer self-service tasking of satellites looking into space in addition to sensors focused on Earth. (1/5)

FAA Begins Air Traffic Modernization with $12.5B (Source: FNN)
The Federal Aviation Administration has started an air traffic control modernization project, aiming to replace the system within three years. The FAA plans to obligate $6.25 billion by the end of fiscal 2026, focusing on upgrading telecommunications and air surveillance. However, the FAA says an additional $20 billion will be needed to complete the modernization. (12/31)

Starfighters Demonstrates Commercial Supersonic Flight Capabilities Through GE’s Aerospace Test Program (Source: Starfighters)
Starfighters Space completed a successful supersonic flight test campaign for GE Aerospace, in which a Starfighters aircraft carried and flew an advanced propulsion test vehicle multiple times at supersonic speeds. This campaign highlighted Starfighters’ relevance as a publicly listed provider of commercially available flight test services.

As part of GE Aerospace’s Atmospheric Test of Launched Air-breathing System (ATLAS) program, a Starfighters F-104 aircraft was used to conduct three (3) successful supersonic captive carry flights from Kennedy Space Center. During the campaign, the ATLAS flight test vehicle achieved supersonic speeds, supporting the advancement of solid fuel ramjet (SFRJ) propulsion technology. Starfighters believes its fleet of F-104s is the only such fleet in the free world that can fly test payloads that are mounted underwing at speeds greater than MACH 2, or greater than 1,500 miles per hour. (1/5)

NASA and Boeing Advance Control Strategies for Flexible Long Span Airliner Wings (Source: Space Daily)
The airliners of coming decades may feature long, slender wings that change the look of commercial aircraft while improving ride quality and cutting fuel use. Those high aspect ratio wings promise lower drag and better efficiency, but their increased flexibility introduces structural and control challenges that engineers must address before airlines can adopt them. As part of the Integrated Adaptive Wing Technology Maturation collaboration, NASA and Boeing have carried out wind tunnel experiments on a higher aspect ratio wing model to investigate how to capture aerodynamic benefits while limiting unwanted motion. (1/1)

China’s Astronauts Complete Cave Training Amid Preparations for Moon Missions (Source: Space News)
China's astronaut corps recently finished their first intensive, month-long underground cave training in Chongqing, simulating extreme lunar conditions like isolation, darkness, and dampness to hone skills for future crewed moon missions, focusing on team dynamics, navigation, and emergency responses in confined environments. The training, involving 28 astronauts in shifts, covered cave mapping, communication, resource management, and psychological resilience, mirroring challenges of lunar exploration, including potential lava tube habitats, as China aims for a 2030 lunar landing. (1/5)

Musk’s Starlink Offers Free Internet Access in Venezuela Following U.S. Airstrikes and Maduro’s Arrest (Source: CNBC)
Elon Musk’s Starlink is offering free broadband internet service to users in Venezuela through Feb. 3, following U.S. airstrikes and the capture of ousted leader Nicolás Maduro. The satellite internet provider said in a release on Sunday that service credits were being added to both active and inactive accounts as it monitored evolving conditions. (1/4)

Japanese Ministry Defense Selects Seven Japanese Companies for Satellite Constellation Project (Source: Spacewatch Global)
The Japanese Ministry of Defense (MOD) has selected 7 Japanese companies through a public tender for a Satellite constellation project towards establishing a satellite constellation operated by private companies to ensure the stable acquisition of imagery essential for maintaining the effectiveness of stand-off defense capabilities. The companies include SKY Perfect JSAT, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Mitsui & Co., Ltd, Synspective Inc, Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc (IQPS), Axelspace Corporation, and Mitsui Bussan Aerospace Co., Ltd. (1/5)

Space Force Invites New Commercial Interest in Joint-Use Navy/Space Florida Launch Complex (Sources: NSF, SPACErePORT)
The Space Force has issued a Requests for Information (RFI) signaling its intent to make prime real estate available for large-scale rockets at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. The RFI targets LC-46, located at the eastern tip of Cape Canaveral just south of Blue Origin’s LC-36. LC-46 was originally a Navy test site for submarine-launched Trident ballistic missiles but was opened for commercial orbital launches in the 1990s under an arrangement with Space Florida.

Under the state's FAA spaceport operator license, LC-46 has since hosted a mix of suborbital and orbital missions, including two Lockheed Martin Athena launches, a Minotaur mission, and two attempts by Astra’s Rocket 3.3. Blue Origin could be interested in the site to expand its New Glenn launch options. Alternative pads for Blue Origin, outside of the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, have also been rumored. The Space Force has made clear that any lease of LC-46 is conditional on the U.S. Navy first relocating its Trident operations. The selected launch provider would be responsible for removing any remaining Navy infrastructure. Space Florida's role in this LC-46 redevelopment is unclear. (1/4)

Space Force Invites New Commercial Interest in California Launch Pads (Source: NSF)
The Space Force’s Space Launch Delta 30 at Vandenberg Space Force Base released an RFI for a proposed new facility: Space Launch Complex 14 (SLC-14). Located at the extreme southeast end of the base—near the dock historically used by SpaceX and ULA to receive boosters and fairings—this undeveloped site is envisioned to support both heavy-lift (20,000 kg+ to orbit) and super heavy-lift vehicles.

Unlike the Florida LC-46 RFI, Vandenberg’s proposal is more inclusive, potentially accommodating a broader range of rockets. Candidates could include Relativity Space’s Terran R (targeting up to 33,000 kg to orbit) or Blue Origin’s New Glenn’s West Coast aspirations. SpaceX, while lacking a current Starship proposal for Vandenberg, could potentially adapt existing infrastructure under its tenure, such as Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6), in the future, although officially it is only designated for Falcon launches at present. (1/4)

Hegseth Starts Proceedings Against Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona (Sources: New York Times, Axios)
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said former astronaut and current US Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) made “seditious” remarks in a video with five other Democratic lawmakers, which reminded service members that they were obligated to refuse illegal orders. The potential demotion is a serious escalation, typically reserved for significant misconduct, and could drastically affect Kelly's pension. Kelly vowed that he will "fight" with "everything [he's] got" against Hegseth's disciplinary move. (1/4)

Minibus Provides $24.4 Billion for NASA for Fiscal Year 2026 (Source: Space News)
House and Senate appropriators have released the text of a final appropriations bill for fiscal 2026 that largely rejects the steep cuts the Trump administration proposed for NASA. House and Senate appropriators largely rejected steep NASA cuts from the Trump administration's FY2026 budget request. The Senate had earlier proposed $24.9 billion (above the requested $18.8B) and rebuffed a 47% science cut, while the House proposed a flatter $24.8B but still significantly reduced the science budget.

The accompanying report also directs OSTP to brief the House and Senate appropriations committees on how it plans to execute the Executive Order on Ensuring American Space Superiority (which Trump signed on Dec 18) within 60 days of the bill's enactment. (1/5)