Getting it Backwards - Europe's Small
Launcher Bubble (Source: Donato Maria)
Europe and ESA are building a microlauncher bubble and calling it
strategy. Isar Aerospace was chasing €250M at a €2B valuation without
having reached orbit. I believe this was a mispricing risk. Across
Europe the same pattern repeats. Raise big. Talk sovereignty. Talk
autonomy. Talk urgency. Then slip milestones and go back to the capital
markets.
Now look at reality. SpaceX reached orbit with a fraction of the
capital being burned by Isar Aerospace today. Rocket Lab did the same.
They proved it first. Then they scaled. Then they earned the right to
talk valuation. Europe flipped the order. Europe and ESA fund the
narrative first and hope the launch follows later. (3/28)
Starfish Space Finds a New Partner for
Docking Demonstration Mission (Source: Space News)
Starfish Space is pivoting its Otter Pup 2 docking demonstration
mission after an unnamed partner—originally identified as
D-Orbit—abruptly ceased collaboration in late 2025. Despite this
setback, the satellite, launched in June 2025, remains healthy and is
maneuvering toward a new, undisclosed partner to continue its mission.
Starfish Space is advancing its servicing vehicles for future missions,
including contracted deorbit services for the U.S. Space Force and
life-extension services for Intelsat in 2026. The Otter Pup 2 mission
aims to validate Starfish's approach to rendezvous, proximity
operations, and docking (RPOD). (3/28)
Ukraine's Zelenskyy: Russian Satellite
Images of U.S. Air Base Preceded Iranian Attack (Source: NBC)
Russia took satellite images of a U.S. air base in Saudi Arabia three
times in the days before Iran attacked the site and wounded American
troops, according to a summary of Ukrainian intelligence shared with
NBC News by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy said he was “100%”
confident Russia was sharing such intelligence with Iran to help target
U.S. forces across the Middle East. (3/28)
Oman’s MB Group Booked Astranis
Satellite as Omani Government Struggles to Secure its Own
(Source: Space Intel Report)
Oman, a nation that has never owned a telecommunications satellite,
ordered two geostationary-orbit spacecraft in the space of eight weeks
following ostensibly separate negotiations with two manufacturers. The
Omani government in November announced a contract with Airbus Defence
and Space in November. In January, Oman’s MB Group announced a contract
with small-GEO manufacturer Astranis, using Astranis’s leasing
arrangement wherein Astranis keeps ownership of the asset. (3/27)
India’s Bellatrix Raises $20 Million
Following Overseas Expansion Drive (Source: Space News)
India-based Bellatrix Aerospace announced March 27 it has raised $20
million to ramp up production of its satellite propulsion systems after
securing its first large commercial customer outside the country.
Bellatrix said the funds would be used to expand manufacturing capacity
to meet rising demand from satellite constellations in India and
abroad. (3/27)
March 28, 2026
Space Force May Need Uptick In Wallops
Island Launches (Source: Defense Daily)
While the Space Force has used NASA's site at Wallops Island, Va., to launch niche missions, including small-satellite orbital and sounding rocket hypersonic suborbital launches, the service may need to ensure that it is able to ramp up launches there significantly, the head of U.S. Space Command said on Thursday. Wallops "has been an amazing story over the last decade," Space Force Gen. Stephen Whiting said. (3/26)
National Defense Strategy ‘Falls Short’ on Nuclear, Space Threat (Source: Defense One)
Count the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee among the defense-policy experts who say the National Defense Strategy is inadequate in key ways. At a Thursday hearing, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-MS, said the defense policy’s tepid treatment of satellites and nuclear weapons might encourage Chinese and Russian ambitions.
“It’s no secret that I believe this NDS falls short in several areas,” Wicker told U.S. Strategic and Space Command leaders gathered to testify. “I am particularly concerned that the current strategy does not address space and nuclear threats with anywhere near the urgency they deserve.” (3/26)
Continuity in Low Earth Orbit: The Foundation of a Thriving Space Economy (Source: CASIS)
For decades, activity in space had been driven almost entirely by government priorities, with a focus on exploration and the technologies required to sustain human life beyond Earth. Research was conducted for space, not for Earth. The ISS, while remarkable, risked becoming a symbol of achievement rather than a platform for continuous innovation. Then something changed. We changed the paradigm.
We stopped treating the ISS as a rare, inaccessible asset and began to see it for what it could truly be: a national laboratory. The progress we’ve made over the past decade did not happen overnight. It required sustained investment, consistent access, reliable launch capabilities, and a stable platform for research and development. The ISS has provided that continuity. It has allowed ideas to mature, companies to iterate, and an ecosystem to take root. T
But continuity is not just about infrastructure, it is about demand. As we approach the transition from the ISS to commercial LEO destinations (CLDs), we face a critical inflection point. It is not enough to build the next generation of platforms; we must ensure there is a robust, sustained pipeline of research and development ready to utilize them from day one. CLDs should not come online and then scramble to find customers. They must launch into an environment where demand is already strong. (3/26)
Krispy Kreme Launches Artemis II Doughnut (Source: Krispy Kreme)
The dream of enjoying Krispy Kreme doughnuts on the Moon is about to take a giant leap forward. To celebrate NASA’s planned launch of Artemis II, Krispy Kreme is debuting a limited‑edition Artemis II doughnut, available only March 31 through April 2 at participating Krispy Kreme shops nationwide. (3/27)
ESA Member States Call for Cancellation of Earth Return Orbiter (Source: European Spaceflight)
European Space Agency Member States have called for the cancellation of the Earth Return Orbiter, a key element of plans to return samples from the surface of Mars. The Earth Return Orbiter was to be ESA’s primary contribution to NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission, responsible for capturing samples launched from the Martian surface and returning them to Earth. ESA awarded Airbus Defence and Space a €491 million contract in October 2020 to develop and deliver the Earth Return Orbiter. (3/28)
Defending the Invisible Space Backbone of Canada’s Economy (Source: SpaceQ)
When most Canadians think of space, they picture astronauts or Star Wars, not grocery supply chains or debit cards. But space isn’t just “out there”—it’s the invisible infrastructure powering daily life. Brigadier-General Christopher Horner, Commander of the 3 Canadian Space Division, discusses what Canada is actually doing in orbit. When most Canadians think of space, they picture astronauts or Star Wars, not grocery supply chains or debit cards. But space isn’t just “out there”—it’s the invisible infrastructure powering daily life.
Many equate space infrastructure with the GPS map on their phones. Horner notes the scale is much larger. Drawing on recent UK and US data, he estimates that roughly 20 percent of the Canadian economy operates on a “space backbone.” “Data suggests that about a billion dollars of GDP for Canada per day would be lost without access to space,” Horner explained. (3/26)
To Meet NATO Spending Target, Canada's $51.7 Billion Plan for 2026-27 Includes a New Space Rocketry Challenge (Source: SpaceQ)
In achieving the 2% of GDP defense spending target long sought by NATO and the U.S., Canada has made modest but historic investments in space defense. According to the 2026-27 Department of National Defense (DND) Departmental Plan, that pivot will continue with new targeted funding, including a Space Rocketry Challenge slated to receive $25 million in 2026-27 and up to $50 million annually thereafter. To support its initiatives, DND’s total planned spending for 2026-27 is set at $51.7 billion, distributed across eight core responsibilities and internal services. (3/27)
ESA to Decide by June on Europe’s Gateway Contributions (Source: Space News)
For more than a year, questions have swirled about Artemis changes and the Gateway’s role in U.S. lunar ambitions. Following NASA’s March 24 decision to halt work on Gateway, the lunar-orbiting station that had been intended to support astronauts before and after lunar surface missions, Europe now faces the challenge of redefining its contributions to the program. (3/27)
He Suddenly Couldn’t Speak in Space. NASA Astronaut Says His Medical Scare Remains a Mystery (Source: AP)
The astronaut who prompted NASA’s first medical evacuation earlier this year said Friday that doctors still don’t know why he suddenly fell sick at the ISS. Four-time space flier Mike Fincke said he was eating dinner on Jan. 7 after prepping for a spacewalk the next day when it happened. He couldn’t talk and remembers no pain, but his anxious crewmates jumped into action after seeing him in distress and requested help from flight surgeons on the ground.
“It was completely out of the blue. It was just amazingly quick,” he said in an interview at Johnson Space Center. Fincke, 59, a retired Air Force colonel, said the episode lasted roughly 20 minutes and he felt fine afterward. He said he still does. He never experienced anything like that before or since. (3/27)
Space Force Seeks Proposals for Physical Test and Training Range (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The Space Force is moving ahead with plans to build a physical test and training range that will feature a mix of ground and space-based systems, releasing a formal solicitation for a multi-vendor contract worth $981 million to design, develop, integrate, and sustain those capabilities.
Space Systems Command issued its request for proposals for the National Space Test and Training Complex Innovative Technology and Engineering-Space Test and Range, or NITE-STAR, on March 18 and plans to award initial contracts this summer. According to SSC’s program executive officer for operational test and training infrastructure, Col. Corey Klopstein, the intent is to identify a pool of companies to compete to build elements of that physical environment on the ground or to provide live, on-orbit range capabilities—like satellites or instrumentation—either for dedicated use or as a service. (3/26)
US-Taiwan Space Cooperation Proposed in New Bill (Source: Politico)
In March 2026, U.S. senators advanced the bipartisan Taiwan and American Space Assistance (TASA) Act, aimed at deepening space cooperation with Taiwan to counter China's influence in the Indo-Pacific. Passed by the Senate Commerce Committee, it enables joint satellite development and personnel exchanges between NASA/NOAA and Taiwan. Led by Sens. Duckworth (D-IL), Schmitt (R-MO), and Bennet (D-CO), this legislation directly counters Chinese space ambitions by boosting alliances with Taiwan. (3/27)
Breakthrough Propulsion System Lets Satellites Use Earth’s Atmosphere as Fuel in Low Orbit (Source: Interesting Engineering)
A significant step in satellite propulsion is paving the way for a new era in space technology. The new efforts in air-breathing electric propulsion (ABEP) systems promise to revolutionize how satellites operate—especially in extremely low Earth orbits.
Conventional satellites rely on onboard fuel to maintain their orbit and perform maneuvers. However, this approach comes with limitations: fuel adds weight, restricts mission duration, and increases costs. Over time, satellites lose altitude due to atmospheric drag and must expend fuel to stay in orbit. (3/27)
When Satellite Data Becomes a Weapon (Source: WIRED)
Last month, Iran’s Tehran Times posted what appeared to be damning satellite proof: a before-and-after image of “American radar,” supposedly “completely destroyed.” It wasn’t. The image was an AI-manipulated version of a year-old Google Earth shot from Bahrain—wrong location, wrong timeline, fabricated damage. Open source intelligence researchers debunked it within hours, matching it to older satellite imagery and identifying identical visual artifacts, down to cars frozen in the same positions.
A small act of disinformation, quickly debunked. But it pointed to a challenge that becomes more difficult during active conflict: The satellite infrastructure that journalists, analysts, pilots, and governments rely on to see conflict clearly in the Gulf is itself becoming contested terrain—delayed, spoofed, withheld, or simply controlled by actors whose interests don’t always align with public access. (3/25)
Federal Budgeting May Be a Challenge for Isaacman's Artemis (Source: Politico)
The ambitious plans NASA unveiled this week — including a multibillion-dollar outpost on the moon — may get grounded by earthly constraints. A new budget for the agency is heading to Congress, and it may not give the agency the boost it needs. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman outlined a host of changes to the agency’s highest-profile missions Tuesday, including a new moon base that will cost $20 billion over the next seven years and $30 billion over the next decade — about $3 billion a year. Isaacman says he’s confident that the agency will have the cash it needs to build its new moon base. (3/27)
Artemis II ‘Closeout Crew’ Ready to be Astronauts’ Final Contact Before Launch (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Nine people will take the ride to the top of the launch tower for the Artemis II moon mission, but only five will ride back down. That’s if NASA’s plans to launch four astronauts on board the Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System rocket go as planned. Targeting liftoff as early as next Wednesday, the quartet will strap into the spacecraft safe and sound thanks to the five people that are part of the closeout crew. (3/26)
STARCOM Completes First HQ Facility at Patrick Space Force Base (Source: Air and Space Forces)
Space Training and Readiness Command officially opened its new headquarters building in Florida as the field command starts to move in earnest from Colorado. The process will hopefully be complete by 2027, said Chief Master Sergeant John Bentivegna. STARCOM has been temporarily headquartered in Colorado. As one of the Space Force’s three field commands, it’s responsible for educating and training Guardians, developing the service’s doctrine and tactics, and testing Space Force capabilities. The command held a ribbon-cutting ceremony March 10 at a new headquarters “annex” on Patrick Space Force Base. “That was just the first phase; in May, the second phase of the annex will open,” Bentivegna said. (3/26)
Aetherflux Reportedly Raising Series B at $2 Billion Valuation (Source: Tech Crunch)
Aetherflux, the space solar power startup launched by Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt, is in talks to raise $250 million to $350 million for a Series B round that would value the company at $2 billion. Aetherflux has collected about $80 million since its founding in 2024. Aetherflux has shifted focus in recent months as it pushed its power-generating technology toward space data centers, deemphasizing the transmission of electricity to the Earth with lasers that was its starting vision. (3/27)
China Sends GNSS Augmentation Sats Into Orbit (Source: AzerNews)
China has successfully launched a new group of CentiSpace-2 satellites into orbit from the Haiyang Spaceport, located along the coast of the Yellow Sea in eastern China. The launch took place on March 22 using a Jielong-3 (also known as Smart Dragon-3) rocket. This solid-fuel carrier is specifically designed for rapid and cost-effective deployment of small satellites, reflecting China’s growing focus on commercial space capabilities.
The CentiSpace spacecraft are intended to enhance global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) by operating from low Earth orbit. Their mission is to improve positioning accuracy, particularly in challenging environments such as urban areas, mountainous regions, and remote locations where traditional satellite signals may be weaker. (3/24)
FSU Engineers Crack Mach 1.5 Noise Issue in Supersonic Jets for Safe Landings (Source: Interesting Engineering)
A team of engineers is looking to address the extreme noise problem associated with supersonic military aircraft during takeoff and landing. The researchers, from Florida State University’s FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and the Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion (FCAAP), identified the precise mechanisms behind noise feedback loops that threaten military aircraft and personnel during vertical landings. (3/26)
Scientists Stunned as Mars Dust Storms Blast Water Into Space (Source: Science Daily)
Mars may look like a frozen desert today, but new evidence suggests its watery past didn’t simply fade away quietly—it may have been blasted into space by powerful dust storms. Scientists have discovered that even relatively small, localized storms can hurl water vapor high into the atmosphere, where it breaks apart and escapes. (3/27)
Mysterious Missile Launches From Cape Canaveral Spaceport on Thursday (Source: USA Today)
An unidentified missile launched and zoomed across the Atlantic Ocean Thursday, March 26, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, leaving a slim white contrail against the afternoon blue sky. No public announcements have been made about the mysterious launch, which occurred at roughly 12:30 p.m. None of the Space Coast's major rocket-launch providers had missions scheduled on Thursday. Journalists left messages seeking information from the Space Force before and after liftoff, which was foretold by an unusual Coast Guard-Department of Homeland Security launch-hazard zone extending eastward across the sea. (3/27)
Want to Fix Acquisition? Start With the Program Managers (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Air Force and Space Force spend more than $113.8 billion annually developing next-generation fighters, nuclear weapons, and missile defenses, yet history shows that too often these programs arrive late and over budget.
Senior leaders, including Department of the Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, recognize this as an unacceptable reality and are pressing for reform, calling this a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to reshape how we deliver capability. But while disruptive technologies matter, they are most effective when they are delivered to warfighters quickly.
While the Air Force and Space Force are pursuing the right technologies, it is program managers — the equivalent of project managers in industry — who make pivotal decisions that determine whether the force has capability in hand before the shooting starts. And that’s where real disruption can happen, by reconsidering how we prepare, train, and empower the program managers, who are the frontline people responsible for doing it. (3/26)
NASA’s Proposed Post-ISS Pivot Leaves Partners ‘Concerned and Confused’ (Source: Aviation Week)
An industry advocacy organization told Congress its members were “concerned and confused” by the latest pivot in NASA’s plans to ensure continuation of its microgravity research programs in low Earth orbit following the retirement of the ISS. The comments by Commercial Space Federation President Dave Cavossa before the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee followed the announcement that NASA was not only once again delaying release of a solicitation for Commercial LEO Development (CLD) partners, but also considering buying its own module rather than relying on industry for an ISS replacement. (3/25)
While the Space Force has used NASA's site at Wallops Island, Va., to launch niche missions, including small-satellite orbital and sounding rocket hypersonic suborbital launches, the service may need to ensure that it is able to ramp up launches there significantly, the head of U.S. Space Command said on Thursday. Wallops "has been an amazing story over the last decade," Space Force Gen. Stephen Whiting said. (3/26)
National Defense Strategy ‘Falls Short’ on Nuclear, Space Threat (Source: Defense One)
Count the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee among the defense-policy experts who say the National Defense Strategy is inadequate in key ways. At a Thursday hearing, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-MS, said the defense policy’s tepid treatment of satellites and nuclear weapons might encourage Chinese and Russian ambitions.
“It’s no secret that I believe this NDS falls short in several areas,” Wicker told U.S. Strategic and Space Command leaders gathered to testify. “I am particularly concerned that the current strategy does not address space and nuclear threats with anywhere near the urgency they deserve.” (3/26)
Continuity in Low Earth Orbit: The Foundation of a Thriving Space Economy (Source: CASIS)
For decades, activity in space had been driven almost entirely by government priorities, with a focus on exploration and the technologies required to sustain human life beyond Earth. Research was conducted for space, not for Earth. The ISS, while remarkable, risked becoming a symbol of achievement rather than a platform for continuous innovation. Then something changed. We changed the paradigm.
We stopped treating the ISS as a rare, inaccessible asset and began to see it for what it could truly be: a national laboratory. The progress we’ve made over the past decade did not happen overnight. It required sustained investment, consistent access, reliable launch capabilities, and a stable platform for research and development. The ISS has provided that continuity. It has allowed ideas to mature, companies to iterate, and an ecosystem to take root. T
But continuity is not just about infrastructure, it is about demand. As we approach the transition from the ISS to commercial LEO destinations (CLDs), we face a critical inflection point. It is not enough to build the next generation of platforms; we must ensure there is a robust, sustained pipeline of research and development ready to utilize them from day one. CLDs should not come online and then scramble to find customers. They must launch into an environment where demand is already strong. (3/26)
Krispy Kreme Launches Artemis II Doughnut (Source: Krispy Kreme)
The dream of enjoying Krispy Kreme doughnuts on the Moon is about to take a giant leap forward. To celebrate NASA’s planned launch of Artemis II, Krispy Kreme is debuting a limited‑edition Artemis II doughnut, available only March 31 through April 2 at participating Krispy Kreme shops nationwide. (3/27)
ESA Member States Call for Cancellation of Earth Return Orbiter (Source: European Spaceflight)
European Space Agency Member States have called for the cancellation of the Earth Return Orbiter, a key element of plans to return samples from the surface of Mars. The Earth Return Orbiter was to be ESA’s primary contribution to NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission, responsible for capturing samples launched from the Martian surface and returning them to Earth. ESA awarded Airbus Defence and Space a €491 million contract in October 2020 to develop and deliver the Earth Return Orbiter. (3/28)
Defending the Invisible Space Backbone of Canada’s Economy (Source: SpaceQ)
When most Canadians think of space, they picture astronauts or Star Wars, not grocery supply chains or debit cards. But space isn’t just “out there”—it’s the invisible infrastructure powering daily life. Brigadier-General Christopher Horner, Commander of the 3 Canadian Space Division, discusses what Canada is actually doing in orbit. When most Canadians think of space, they picture astronauts or Star Wars, not grocery supply chains or debit cards. But space isn’t just “out there”—it’s the invisible infrastructure powering daily life.
Many equate space infrastructure with the GPS map on their phones. Horner notes the scale is much larger. Drawing on recent UK and US data, he estimates that roughly 20 percent of the Canadian economy operates on a “space backbone.” “Data suggests that about a billion dollars of GDP for Canada per day would be lost without access to space,” Horner explained. (3/26)
To Meet NATO Spending Target, Canada's $51.7 Billion Plan for 2026-27 Includes a New Space Rocketry Challenge (Source: SpaceQ)
In achieving the 2% of GDP defense spending target long sought by NATO and the U.S., Canada has made modest but historic investments in space defense. According to the 2026-27 Department of National Defense (DND) Departmental Plan, that pivot will continue with new targeted funding, including a Space Rocketry Challenge slated to receive $25 million in 2026-27 and up to $50 million annually thereafter. To support its initiatives, DND’s total planned spending for 2026-27 is set at $51.7 billion, distributed across eight core responsibilities and internal services. (3/27)
ESA to Decide by June on Europe’s Gateway Contributions (Source: Space News)
For more than a year, questions have swirled about Artemis changes and the Gateway’s role in U.S. lunar ambitions. Following NASA’s March 24 decision to halt work on Gateway, the lunar-orbiting station that had been intended to support astronauts before and after lunar surface missions, Europe now faces the challenge of redefining its contributions to the program. (3/27)
He Suddenly Couldn’t Speak in Space. NASA Astronaut Says His Medical Scare Remains a Mystery (Source: AP)
The astronaut who prompted NASA’s first medical evacuation earlier this year said Friday that doctors still don’t know why he suddenly fell sick at the ISS. Four-time space flier Mike Fincke said he was eating dinner on Jan. 7 after prepping for a spacewalk the next day when it happened. He couldn’t talk and remembers no pain, but his anxious crewmates jumped into action after seeing him in distress and requested help from flight surgeons on the ground.
“It was completely out of the blue. It was just amazingly quick,” he said in an interview at Johnson Space Center. Fincke, 59, a retired Air Force colonel, said the episode lasted roughly 20 minutes and he felt fine afterward. He said he still does. He never experienced anything like that before or since. (3/27)
Space Force Seeks Proposals for Physical Test and Training Range (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The Space Force is moving ahead with plans to build a physical test and training range that will feature a mix of ground and space-based systems, releasing a formal solicitation for a multi-vendor contract worth $981 million to design, develop, integrate, and sustain those capabilities.
Space Systems Command issued its request for proposals for the National Space Test and Training Complex Innovative Technology and Engineering-Space Test and Range, or NITE-STAR, on March 18 and plans to award initial contracts this summer. According to SSC’s program executive officer for operational test and training infrastructure, Col. Corey Klopstein, the intent is to identify a pool of companies to compete to build elements of that physical environment on the ground or to provide live, on-orbit range capabilities—like satellites or instrumentation—either for dedicated use or as a service. (3/26)
US-Taiwan Space Cooperation Proposed in New Bill (Source: Politico)
In March 2026, U.S. senators advanced the bipartisan Taiwan and American Space Assistance (TASA) Act, aimed at deepening space cooperation with Taiwan to counter China's influence in the Indo-Pacific. Passed by the Senate Commerce Committee, it enables joint satellite development and personnel exchanges between NASA/NOAA and Taiwan. Led by Sens. Duckworth (D-IL), Schmitt (R-MO), and Bennet (D-CO), this legislation directly counters Chinese space ambitions by boosting alliances with Taiwan. (3/27)
Breakthrough Propulsion System Lets Satellites Use Earth’s Atmosphere as Fuel in Low Orbit (Source: Interesting Engineering)
A significant step in satellite propulsion is paving the way for a new era in space technology. The new efforts in air-breathing electric propulsion (ABEP) systems promise to revolutionize how satellites operate—especially in extremely low Earth orbits.
Conventional satellites rely on onboard fuel to maintain their orbit and perform maneuvers. However, this approach comes with limitations: fuel adds weight, restricts mission duration, and increases costs. Over time, satellites lose altitude due to atmospheric drag and must expend fuel to stay in orbit. (3/27)
When Satellite Data Becomes a Weapon (Source: WIRED)
Last month, Iran’s Tehran Times posted what appeared to be damning satellite proof: a before-and-after image of “American radar,” supposedly “completely destroyed.” It wasn’t. The image was an AI-manipulated version of a year-old Google Earth shot from Bahrain—wrong location, wrong timeline, fabricated damage. Open source intelligence researchers debunked it within hours, matching it to older satellite imagery and identifying identical visual artifacts, down to cars frozen in the same positions.
A small act of disinformation, quickly debunked. But it pointed to a challenge that becomes more difficult during active conflict: The satellite infrastructure that journalists, analysts, pilots, and governments rely on to see conflict clearly in the Gulf is itself becoming contested terrain—delayed, spoofed, withheld, or simply controlled by actors whose interests don’t always align with public access. (3/25)
Federal Budgeting May Be a Challenge for Isaacman's Artemis (Source: Politico)
The ambitious plans NASA unveiled this week — including a multibillion-dollar outpost on the moon — may get grounded by earthly constraints. A new budget for the agency is heading to Congress, and it may not give the agency the boost it needs. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman outlined a host of changes to the agency’s highest-profile missions Tuesday, including a new moon base that will cost $20 billion over the next seven years and $30 billion over the next decade — about $3 billion a year. Isaacman says he’s confident that the agency will have the cash it needs to build its new moon base. (3/27)
Artemis II ‘Closeout Crew’ Ready to be Astronauts’ Final Contact Before Launch (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Nine people will take the ride to the top of the launch tower for the Artemis II moon mission, but only five will ride back down. That’s if NASA’s plans to launch four astronauts on board the Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System rocket go as planned. Targeting liftoff as early as next Wednesday, the quartet will strap into the spacecraft safe and sound thanks to the five people that are part of the closeout crew. (3/26)
STARCOM Completes First HQ Facility at Patrick Space Force Base (Source: Air and Space Forces)
Space Training and Readiness Command officially opened its new headquarters building in Florida as the field command starts to move in earnest from Colorado. The process will hopefully be complete by 2027, said Chief Master Sergeant John Bentivegna. STARCOM has been temporarily headquartered in Colorado. As one of the Space Force’s three field commands, it’s responsible for educating and training Guardians, developing the service’s doctrine and tactics, and testing Space Force capabilities. The command held a ribbon-cutting ceremony March 10 at a new headquarters “annex” on Patrick Space Force Base. “That was just the first phase; in May, the second phase of the annex will open,” Bentivegna said. (3/26)
Aetherflux Reportedly Raising Series B at $2 Billion Valuation (Source: Tech Crunch)
Aetherflux, the space solar power startup launched by Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt, is in talks to raise $250 million to $350 million for a Series B round that would value the company at $2 billion. Aetherflux has collected about $80 million since its founding in 2024. Aetherflux has shifted focus in recent months as it pushed its power-generating technology toward space data centers, deemphasizing the transmission of electricity to the Earth with lasers that was its starting vision. (3/27)
China Sends GNSS Augmentation Sats Into Orbit (Source: AzerNews)
China has successfully launched a new group of CentiSpace-2 satellites into orbit from the Haiyang Spaceport, located along the coast of the Yellow Sea in eastern China. The launch took place on March 22 using a Jielong-3 (also known as Smart Dragon-3) rocket. This solid-fuel carrier is specifically designed for rapid and cost-effective deployment of small satellites, reflecting China’s growing focus on commercial space capabilities.
The CentiSpace spacecraft are intended to enhance global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) by operating from low Earth orbit. Their mission is to improve positioning accuracy, particularly in challenging environments such as urban areas, mountainous regions, and remote locations where traditional satellite signals may be weaker. (3/24)
FSU Engineers Crack Mach 1.5 Noise Issue in Supersonic Jets for Safe Landings (Source: Interesting Engineering)
A team of engineers is looking to address the extreme noise problem associated with supersonic military aircraft during takeoff and landing. The researchers, from Florida State University’s FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and the Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion (FCAAP), identified the precise mechanisms behind noise feedback loops that threaten military aircraft and personnel during vertical landings. (3/26)
Scientists Stunned as Mars Dust Storms Blast Water Into Space (Source: Science Daily)
Mars may look like a frozen desert today, but new evidence suggests its watery past didn’t simply fade away quietly—it may have been blasted into space by powerful dust storms. Scientists have discovered that even relatively small, localized storms can hurl water vapor high into the atmosphere, where it breaks apart and escapes. (3/27)
Mysterious Missile Launches From Cape Canaveral Spaceport on Thursday (Source: USA Today)
An unidentified missile launched and zoomed across the Atlantic Ocean Thursday, March 26, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, leaving a slim white contrail against the afternoon blue sky. No public announcements have been made about the mysterious launch, which occurred at roughly 12:30 p.m. None of the Space Coast's major rocket-launch providers had missions scheduled on Thursday. Journalists left messages seeking information from the Space Force before and after liftoff, which was foretold by an unusual Coast Guard-Department of Homeland Security launch-hazard zone extending eastward across the sea. (3/27)
Want to Fix Acquisition? Start With the Program Managers (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Air Force and Space Force spend more than $113.8 billion annually developing next-generation fighters, nuclear weapons, and missile defenses, yet history shows that too often these programs arrive late and over budget.
Senior leaders, including Department of the Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, recognize this as an unacceptable reality and are pressing for reform, calling this a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to reshape how we deliver capability. But while disruptive technologies matter, they are most effective when they are delivered to warfighters quickly.
While the Air Force and Space Force are pursuing the right technologies, it is program managers — the equivalent of project managers in industry — who make pivotal decisions that determine whether the force has capability in hand before the shooting starts. And that’s where real disruption can happen, by reconsidering how we prepare, train, and empower the program managers, who are the frontline people responsible for doing it. (3/26)
NASA’s Proposed Post-ISS Pivot Leaves Partners ‘Concerned and Confused’ (Source: Aviation Week)
An industry advocacy organization told Congress its members were “concerned and confused” by the latest pivot in NASA’s plans to ensure continuation of its microgravity research programs in low Earth orbit following the retirement of the ISS. The comments by Commercial Space Federation President Dave Cavossa before the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee followed the announcement that NASA was not only once again delaying release of a solicitation for Commercial LEO Development (CLD) partners, but also considering buying its own module rather than relying on industry for an ISS replacement. (3/25)
March 27, 2026
In Peru, Spaceport Creation Declared
to be in the National Interest (Source: LP Derecho)
Law 32571 has been published, which declares the creation of a spaceport in Peruvian territory to be of national interest and public necessity, with the aim of positioning the country as a regional benchmark in the aerospace field. The regulation instructs the Ministry of Defense to coordinate the actions necessary for its implementation, within the framework of its competences. The initiative seeks to promote Peru's technological and strategic development in the space sector.
Editor's Note: I'm told Peru is now on track to enter the international Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and to implement a Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) with the US, to allow US companies to support or operate at a Peruvian spaceport while preventing the spread of sensitive launch-oriented technologies to non MTCR nations. (3/27)
Xona Raises $170 Million for New Satellite Factory (Source: Space News)
Satellite navigation startup Xona Space Systems announced a $170 million funding raise. The company said the money will support production at a new factory to accelerate deployment of its low Earth orbit constellation. Xona is building a commercial positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) service, known as Pulsar, designed to operate as an alternative or backup to GPS. Pulsar is designed to work with existing GPS devices, a shift enabled by Xona's decision to move from C- to L-band frequencies. Xona aims to deploy a constellation of 258 satellites within a few years, which it said could be built "for the cost of a single GPS satellite on orbit today." (3/27)
Japan's ispace Revises Lunar Lander and Unveils Lunar Satellites (Source: Space News)
Japanese company ispace is revamping its lunar lander plans while introducing a lunar satellite network. The company said Friday it was replacing an engine called VoidRunner that it has been jointly developing with Agile Space Industries for its landers in favor of a flight-proven engine from another, unnamed company. The company, which had separate lander designs from its Japanese and American business units, is combining them into a unified platform called Ultra. As a result of the change, it is delaying the first ispace U.S. lander, which it was building for Draper for a NASA mission, from 2027 to 2030. Japanese landers launching in 2028 and 2029 remain on schedule. ispace also announced it is developing Lunar Connect Service, a constellation of five satellites to provide communications, navigation and imaging services at the moon. The first satellite is scheduled to launch in 2027. (3/27)
US Military Satellites Maneuver to Watch Chinese Satellites (Source: Space News)
Two U.S. surveillance satellites performed a "handoff" to keep tabs on two Chinese satellites. Observations by commercial space domain awareness provider COMSPOC show USA 324 and USA 325, a pair of U.S. Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) satellites, coordinating maneuvers earlier this month in the vicinity of Shijian-29A and -29B. USA 324, which arrived near the Chinese satellites in March, took over for USA 325, which had been in the vicinity since January and is now drifting away. The Shijian-29 pair, part of a broad, experimental and often classified series of satellites, were launched towards GEO in late December 2025. The capabilities and operational role of Shijian-29A and 29B remain unclear. (3/27)
Congress Critical of NASA's ISS Transition Plans (Source: Space News)
NASA's proposed changes to its transition plan from the International Space Station to commercial stations were criticized at a House hearing this week. At the hearing by the House Science Committee's space subcommittee, Dave Cavossa, president of the Commercial Space Federation, said the proposal by NASA earlier this week to develop a core module for a commercial station that would initially dock with ISS was "sowing concern and, really, sowing confusion" among commercial station developers. NASA argued its proposal is needed because of the slow development of commercial markets but Cavossa said those markets are quite strong. Rep. George Whitesides (D-CA) also criticized the NASA plan, raising questions about its cost and schedule while maintaining ISS operations and keeping a planned 2030 retirement date for the ISS. (3/27)
Spain's Satlantis Saw Revenue Growth From Smallsats (Source: Space News)
Spanish company Satlantis is seeing growth through the development and operations of small satellites. The company reported revenues of 47.8 million euros ($56.4 million) in 2025, with more than 50% coming from smallsats. Satlantis acquires spacecraft from Kongsberg NanoAvionics, OHB Sweden, Creotech of Poland and other suppliers, and integrates high-resolution optical payloads on them. In 2025, Satlantis announced plans for five FlexSat Earth observation microsatellites. The first is scheduled to launch in late 2026. (3/27)
SpaceX Launches Starlink Mission From California on Thursday (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites from California on Thursday. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, placing 25 Starlink satellites into orbit. The launch was originally scheduled for Tuesday but delayed for undisclosed reasons. (3/27)
China Launches Experimental Satellite on Long March 2C (Source: Xinhua)
China launched an experimental satellite Friday. A Long March-2C equipped with a Yuanzheng-1S upper stage lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. It placed into orbit Shiyan-33, which Chinese officials described only as a test satellite. (3/27)
Turning Growth Into Profits remains a Challenge as Space Demand Grows (Source: Space News)
While demand for space services grows, turning that into profits remains a challenge. During a Satellite 2026 panel this week, industry officials noted optimism about existing and emerging markets, from remote sensing to direct-to-device communications and microgravity manufacturing. Despite the optimism, panelists pointed to several bottlenecks that could limit the industry's ability to capitalize on growing demand, such as supply chain constraints. It is also unclear whether countries such as the United States have enough space manufacturing capacity to meet rising demand amid growing economic nationalism and pressure to localize supply chains. (3/27)
Government Use of Commercial Procurement Models has Limitations in Space (Source: Space News)
Some companies see challenges in the growing use of commercial procurement models by governments for space services. Executives said that government agencies, particularly in national security, are looking for exquisite capabilities for which there are no other customers. However, those agencies want to buy them off a production line at a commercial price. Governments can help stimulate commercial demand for those services in some cases, they noted, although in others the capabilities will likely remain limited to government use. (3/27)
Canada's SBQuantum Plans to Launch Magnetometer on Spire Satellite (Source: Space News)
Canadian startup SBQuantum plans to send a quantum diamond magnetometer into orbit on a Spire Global satellite. Spire is providing the satellite, ground stations and data processing for SBQuantum's magnetometer, developed for final phase of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) MagQuest competition. Through MagQuest, NGA seeks to identify promising technologies capable of providing data for future World Magnetic Models, which underpin navigation systems. The satellite is scheduled to launch next week on a SpaceX rideshare mission. (3/27)
CNES Publishes Call for Drone Swarm to Monitor Kourou Launch Operations (Source: European Spaceflight)
CNES has issued a call for proposals to deploy a swarm of autonomous drones at the Guiana Space Center for several applications, including perimeter monitoring during launch operations. The project forms part of the agency’s Flexible, Digital and Sustainable (FDS) program, a €104 million, five-year initiative aimed at reducing its carbon footprint and achieving a “far-reaching digital transformation.” The call to implement a drone system at the launch facility falls under the Digitization of the Guiana Space Centre component of the program. (3/27)
NASA’s 'Decade of Venus' Could Be Cut to One Mission as Budget Pressures Force Trade‑offs (Source: Space.com)
NASA's role in a planned Europe-led mission to Venus remains uncertain as budget pressures drive "hard strategic choices" about which missions will be able to continue, said Louise Prockter. Prockter said NASA is "still in negotiations" with the European Space Agency (ESA) over its role in the planned Envision mission. The January appropriations bill allocated $2.54 billion to the planetary science division for 2026. Although this was higher than the administration’s proposed $1.89 billion, it was still about $200 million less than the prior year, she said, "and that means that not everything can continue forward or continue forward in the same way." (3/27)
European Partners Left Holding the Bag After Gateway Cancelation (Source: Payload)
Jared Isaacman's sweeping changes to Artemis come at the expense of years of hard work, and millions of euros invested by the European space sector into the lunar Gateway station, which is now no longer part of the US lunar return plan. Several international partners contributed hardware to Gateway, with ESA and European space primes developing the Lunar I-Hab, the Lunar View module, and a Lunar Link comms system. European subcontractors also support the HALO module and countless subcomponents and capabilities.
Surprise, surprise: NASA’s announcement comes at a time when Europe’s trust in the US is falling. As a result, Europe has focused more on building its sovereign space capabilities. No wonder why. Despite Isaacman’s comments during the press announcement this week that “it should not really surprise anyone that we are pausing Gateway in its current form,” European partners—many of whom have already completed segments of the proposed infrastructure—may disagree.
What do now? If the plan goes through, Isaacman proposed that many Gateway elements could be repurposed for other initiatives, such as the future lunar base. But that plan will necessarily create winners and losers, as some hardware is easier to repurpose for other missions than others. Given the whiplash of the announcement, ESA is still figuring out how it plans to move forward—and where the rest of Gateway will find secondary applications. (3/27)
Sovereign Satcom Networks Grapple With Data Security Amid Geopolitical Uncertainty (Source: Via Satellite)
Nations are seeking stronger control over their own communications architectures. But how to define what sovereign space means, and what it can do within a more geopolitically complex space infrastructure, is still an evolving discussion. The answer to what defines “space sovereignty” remains somewhat blurry. For example, the U.S. government is considered to have complete control over its space framework — except for the amount of semiconductors, and other hardware and software that is imported from nations like Taiwan.
When it comes to discussion about data on the network, denial of service is a huge consideration, Steve Mills said. “It’s not just about securing the data on the network, choosing a public or a private network,” he said. “But also about who has the ability to deny that service.” (3/26)
Did Scientists Detect an Exploding Black Hole? (Source: New York Times)
n Feb. 13, 2023, a cosmic bullet of sorts zipped beneath the Mediterranean Sea near Sicily. It was a subatomic particle known as a neutrino, traveling through the depths at virtually the speed of light and carrying a whopping 220 petavolts of energy. Its presence was detected by a new underwater observatory known as the Kilometer Cube Neutrino Telescope, or KM3NeT. The neutrino was more than 100,000 times as energetic as any particle ever produced in colliders on Earth, and more energetic than astrophysicists can easily explain based on the part of the sky the neutrinos came from.
But astrophysicists are trying, and some have proposed a truly ambitious explanation: This cosmic bullet came from an exploding black hole, an object so dense that not even light can escape its gravity. In 1974, the theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking calculated that black holes leak and eventually explode, releasing energy that had been entombed for centuries in a sort of mini-replica of the Big Bang. But no one has ever seen it happen.
Astronomers can catch and track neutrinos by detecting the telltale flashes of light that they release as they shoot through water. IceCube, an array of detectors embedded in the Antarctic ice, has recorded neutrinos that trace back to quasars, the sun, the center of the Milky Way galaxy and other regions of cosmic violence. But IceCube has also recorded a half-dozen high-energy neutrinos that don’t trace back to any of the usual suspects. At first glance, the Mediterranean neutrino also did not derive from any obvious candidates. (3/27)
Aerospace Firm Plans New Warehouse in Edgewater, Will Close Titusville Facility (Source: Orlando Business Journal)
Aerospace metal finishing firm Incertec is planning a massive Edgewater facility, and once open, will close its site in Titusville, planning to relocate 60 employees and hire 110 more. The company is a provider of plating, or metalizing, numerous alternative substrates including polymers, ceramics and rare earth elements. (3/24)
Chinese Satellite Performs Landmark Refueling Test (Source: SCMP)
A Chinese commercial satellite has completed a refueling test in low Earth orbit using a flexible “octopus tentacle” robotic arm, advancing efforts to extend spacecraft lifespans and develop in-orbit servicing abilities. The Hukeda-2, or Yuxing-3 06, demonstration satellite used its flexible arm to carry out compliance control and refueling tests. The arm can curl, twist and wrap around objects to work in tight, complex spaces, with a nozzle-like tip at one end designed to line up and connect with a target port. (3/26)
Distant Galaxy Fades 20-Fold in Just Two Decades (Source: Phys.org)
An international team led by a researcher at the Chiba Institute of Technology has discovered an extremely rare phenomenon: a galaxy about 10 billion light-years away whose brightness dropped to one-twentieth of its original level in just 20 years. By combining multiwavelength observations with archival data spanning several decades, the researchers concluded that the fading was caused by a rapid decrease in the gas flowing into the supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center. The discovery shows that the activity of supermassive black holes can change dramatically on timescales short enough to be observed within a human lifetime. (3/25)
Amazon to FCC: Everyone Supports a Leo Satellite Launch Extension, Except SpaceX (Source: PC Mag)
Facing a looming deadline, Amazon is urging a federal regulator to grant an extension for its Starlink competitor, Leo, arguing that only SpaceX opposes the proposal. Amazon raised the matter in a 22-page filing with the Federal Communications Commission, which has mandated that the company launch 1,600 satellites by July 30. If it doesn’t, Amazon risks losing the authority to launch any new satellites for its planned constellation of 3,200, diminishing its broadband coverage.
Amazon expects to fall far short of the requirement, so in January it asked the FCC to grant a 24-month extension or a waiver. In Tuesday's filing, the company points out that several industry groups, including the US Chamber of Commerce and Software & Information Industry Association, have also sent letters to the commission in support of the reprieve. (3/25)
Lockheed Martin, Firefly Test Rapid-Launch Capabilities in U.S. Space Force Exercise (Source: Seeking Alpha)
Lockheed Martin successfully participated in the U.S. Space Force’s "VICTUS DIEM" exercise, demonstrating rapid satellite payload processing in under 12 hours and a 36-hour launch simulation. Working with Firefly Aerospace, the exercise aimed to enhance "tactically responsive space" capabilities, allowing for accelerated, emergency deployment of space assets in response to potential threats.
Payloads were processed in less than 12 hours, significantly faster than traditional timelines. A 36-hour rapid launch simulation was successfully completed following a mock "notice to launch". The exercise validated techniques for deploying, operating, and maintaining space-based assets in contested environments. (3/25)
NASA Research Proposes Technology to Seek Earth-Like Exoplanets (Source: NASA)
As NASA seeks to understand the mysteries of the universe, the agency is advancing technologies to locate and explore Earth-like planets far beyond our solar system. A key element of this research involves observing reflected light from exoplanets, which can reveal indicators of Earth-like features such as water and oxygen. However, detecting this faint reflected light with current telescope technology remains a significant challenge due to the overwhelming brightness of nearby stars and other celestial objects.
NASA’s Hybrid Observatory for Earth-like Exoplanets (HOEE) concept presents a potential solution by combining an orbiting starshade with a large ground-based telescope to suppress starlight and enable direct imaging of exoplanets. (3/25)
SpaceX's Gwynne Shotwell Aims to Put AI on the Moon (Source: TIME)
Ultimately, Shotwell envisions the satellites being made on the moon. "The convergence of AI and SpaceX and what we're doing—data centers in space, mass drivers on the moon, producing AI satellites on the moon," she says. "I would be disappointed if we didn't have a settlement on the moon and [are] building a manufacturing facility on the moon within 10 years. Hopefully half that." Click here. (3/25) https://time.com/article/2026/03/26/gwynne-shotwell-profile/
HTS Market Set to Reach $76B as Industry Enters Terabit Era (Source: Space News)
Novaspace’s latest High Throughput Satellites (HTS) report shows global demand reaching 218 Tbps by 2034, while service revenues are set to more than double to $76 billion over the same period. The findings reflect a market entering a new phase of scale, driven by the rapid expansion of NGSO constellations – led by Starlink – and a step change in performance, pricing, and global adoption.
“Starlink’s impact has been catalytic,” said Dimitri Buchs, Manager at Novaspace. “Lower-cost capacity, rapid scaling, and improved service quality have reset expectations across the market. The entire satcom ecosystem is now being pushed to innovate, differentiate, and rethink strategic positioning.” (3/26)
Open Cosmos, Facing September ITU Deployment Deadline: We’re Building Satellites Like There’s No Tomorrow, 24/7, at 4 Sites (Source: Space Intel Report)
Small satellite manufacturer and service provider Open Cosmos Chief Executive Rafel Jorda said his company’s four factories are operating 24/7 to build as many Ka-band broadband satellites as it can before June and September launch deadlines under its regulatory licenses. Open Cosmos in January launched the first two satellites in the constellation just days before a deadline that, if it had been missed, would have put the future constellation out of reach. (2/26)
Xona Raises $170 Million for Satellite Navigation Network (Source: Space News)
Xona Space Systems, a California-based startup developing the Pulsar low-Earth orbit (LEO) navigation constellation, secured $170 million in Series C funding to accelerate satellite production at their new Burlingame, California facility. This funding round supports the deployment of a 258-satellite network designed to offer superior, more secure PNT (positioning, navigation, and timing) services as an alternative to traditional GPS, with commercial service expected to start in 2027. (3/26)
White House Pushes To Finalize Huntsville As Space Command HQ; DOJ Moves To Dismiss Colorado Lawsuit (Source: WAFF)
The White House says it’s time to move on and finalize Huntsville as the official home of Space Command Headquarters. The President’s attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the state of Colorado’s lawsuit aimed at stopping the move. Space Command has been operating out of Colorado Springs for years. In 2021, President Trump announced that it would move to Huntsville. (3/26)
Hughes Targets Sovereign Satcom Demand With Network Control Software (Source: Space News)
Hughes Network Systems is pivoting its defense business to meet rising government demand for sovereign control over satellite communications, focusing on software-defined networking, reported SpaceNews. According to executives on March 25, the company aims to offer tools that allow militaries to manage and secure their own multi-orbit network traffic rather than relying solely on provider management. The initiative aims to address a growing desire for "sovereign space systems," where governments manage their own secure communications gateways. (3/26)
Government Use of Commercial Procurement Models Has Limitations in Space (Source: Space News)
While government agencies increasingly use commercial contracting for space, this does not guarantee higher revenue for providers. High entry barriers, including specific security certifications and, at times, customized requirements, can limit profitability and market access, challenging the expectation that commercial adoption equals increased business opportunities, according to SpaceNews and CSIS | Center for Strategic and International Studies. (3/26)
Law 32571 has been published, which declares the creation of a spaceport in Peruvian territory to be of national interest and public necessity, with the aim of positioning the country as a regional benchmark in the aerospace field. The regulation instructs the Ministry of Defense to coordinate the actions necessary for its implementation, within the framework of its competences. The initiative seeks to promote Peru's technological and strategic development in the space sector.
Editor's Note: I'm told Peru is now on track to enter the international Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and to implement a Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) with the US, to allow US companies to support or operate at a Peruvian spaceport while preventing the spread of sensitive launch-oriented technologies to non MTCR nations. (3/27)
Xona Raises $170 Million for New Satellite Factory (Source: Space News)
Satellite navigation startup Xona Space Systems announced a $170 million funding raise. The company said the money will support production at a new factory to accelerate deployment of its low Earth orbit constellation. Xona is building a commercial positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) service, known as Pulsar, designed to operate as an alternative or backup to GPS. Pulsar is designed to work with existing GPS devices, a shift enabled by Xona's decision to move from C- to L-band frequencies. Xona aims to deploy a constellation of 258 satellites within a few years, which it said could be built "for the cost of a single GPS satellite on orbit today." (3/27)
Japan's ispace Revises Lunar Lander and Unveils Lunar Satellites (Source: Space News)
Japanese company ispace is revamping its lunar lander plans while introducing a lunar satellite network. The company said Friday it was replacing an engine called VoidRunner that it has been jointly developing with Agile Space Industries for its landers in favor of a flight-proven engine from another, unnamed company. The company, which had separate lander designs from its Japanese and American business units, is combining them into a unified platform called Ultra. As a result of the change, it is delaying the first ispace U.S. lander, which it was building for Draper for a NASA mission, from 2027 to 2030. Japanese landers launching in 2028 and 2029 remain on schedule. ispace also announced it is developing Lunar Connect Service, a constellation of five satellites to provide communications, navigation and imaging services at the moon. The first satellite is scheduled to launch in 2027. (3/27)
US Military Satellites Maneuver to Watch Chinese Satellites (Source: Space News)
Two U.S. surveillance satellites performed a "handoff" to keep tabs on two Chinese satellites. Observations by commercial space domain awareness provider COMSPOC show USA 324 and USA 325, a pair of U.S. Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) satellites, coordinating maneuvers earlier this month in the vicinity of Shijian-29A and -29B. USA 324, which arrived near the Chinese satellites in March, took over for USA 325, which had been in the vicinity since January and is now drifting away. The Shijian-29 pair, part of a broad, experimental and often classified series of satellites, were launched towards GEO in late December 2025. The capabilities and operational role of Shijian-29A and 29B remain unclear. (3/27)
Congress Critical of NASA's ISS Transition Plans (Source: Space News)
NASA's proposed changes to its transition plan from the International Space Station to commercial stations were criticized at a House hearing this week. At the hearing by the House Science Committee's space subcommittee, Dave Cavossa, president of the Commercial Space Federation, said the proposal by NASA earlier this week to develop a core module for a commercial station that would initially dock with ISS was "sowing concern and, really, sowing confusion" among commercial station developers. NASA argued its proposal is needed because of the slow development of commercial markets but Cavossa said those markets are quite strong. Rep. George Whitesides (D-CA) also criticized the NASA plan, raising questions about its cost and schedule while maintaining ISS operations and keeping a planned 2030 retirement date for the ISS. (3/27)
Spain's Satlantis Saw Revenue Growth From Smallsats (Source: Space News)
Spanish company Satlantis is seeing growth through the development and operations of small satellites. The company reported revenues of 47.8 million euros ($56.4 million) in 2025, with more than 50% coming from smallsats. Satlantis acquires spacecraft from Kongsberg NanoAvionics, OHB Sweden, Creotech of Poland and other suppliers, and integrates high-resolution optical payloads on them. In 2025, Satlantis announced plans for five FlexSat Earth observation microsatellites. The first is scheduled to launch in late 2026. (3/27)
SpaceX Launches Starlink Mission From California on Thursday (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites from California on Thursday. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, placing 25 Starlink satellites into orbit. The launch was originally scheduled for Tuesday but delayed for undisclosed reasons. (3/27)
China Launches Experimental Satellite on Long March 2C (Source: Xinhua)
China launched an experimental satellite Friday. A Long March-2C equipped with a Yuanzheng-1S upper stage lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. It placed into orbit Shiyan-33, which Chinese officials described only as a test satellite. (3/27)
Turning Growth Into Profits remains a Challenge as Space Demand Grows (Source: Space News)
While demand for space services grows, turning that into profits remains a challenge. During a Satellite 2026 panel this week, industry officials noted optimism about existing and emerging markets, from remote sensing to direct-to-device communications and microgravity manufacturing. Despite the optimism, panelists pointed to several bottlenecks that could limit the industry's ability to capitalize on growing demand, such as supply chain constraints. It is also unclear whether countries such as the United States have enough space manufacturing capacity to meet rising demand amid growing economic nationalism and pressure to localize supply chains. (3/27)
Government Use of Commercial Procurement Models has Limitations in Space (Source: Space News)
Some companies see challenges in the growing use of commercial procurement models by governments for space services. Executives said that government agencies, particularly in national security, are looking for exquisite capabilities for which there are no other customers. However, those agencies want to buy them off a production line at a commercial price. Governments can help stimulate commercial demand for those services in some cases, they noted, although in others the capabilities will likely remain limited to government use. (3/27)
Canada's SBQuantum Plans to Launch Magnetometer on Spire Satellite (Source: Space News)
Canadian startup SBQuantum plans to send a quantum diamond magnetometer into orbit on a Spire Global satellite. Spire is providing the satellite, ground stations and data processing for SBQuantum's magnetometer, developed for final phase of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) MagQuest competition. Through MagQuest, NGA seeks to identify promising technologies capable of providing data for future World Magnetic Models, which underpin navigation systems. The satellite is scheduled to launch next week on a SpaceX rideshare mission. (3/27)
CNES Publishes Call for Drone Swarm to Monitor Kourou Launch Operations (Source: European Spaceflight)
CNES has issued a call for proposals to deploy a swarm of autonomous drones at the Guiana Space Center for several applications, including perimeter monitoring during launch operations. The project forms part of the agency’s Flexible, Digital and Sustainable (FDS) program, a €104 million, five-year initiative aimed at reducing its carbon footprint and achieving a “far-reaching digital transformation.” The call to implement a drone system at the launch facility falls under the Digitization of the Guiana Space Centre component of the program. (3/27)
NASA’s 'Decade of Venus' Could Be Cut to One Mission as Budget Pressures Force Trade‑offs (Source: Space.com)
NASA's role in a planned Europe-led mission to Venus remains uncertain as budget pressures drive "hard strategic choices" about which missions will be able to continue, said Louise Prockter. Prockter said NASA is "still in negotiations" with the European Space Agency (ESA) over its role in the planned Envision mission. The January appropriations bill allocated $2.54 billion to the planetary science division for 2026. Although this was higher than the administration’s proposed $1.89 billion, it was still about $200 million less than the prior year, she said, "and that means that not everything can continue forward or continue forward in the same way." (3/27)
European Partners Left Holding the Bag After Gateway Cancelation (Source: Payload)
Jared Isaacman's sweeping changes to Artemis come at the expense of years of hard work, and millions of euros invested by the European space sector into the lunar Gateway station, which is now no longer part of the US lunar return plan. Several international partners contributed hardware to Gateway, with ESA and European space primes developing the Lunar I-Hab, the Lunar View module, and a Lunar Link comms system. European subcontractors also support the HALO module and countless subcomponents and capabilities.
Surprise, surprise: NASA’s announcement comes at a time when Europe’s trust in the US is falling. As a result, Europe has focused more on building its sovereign space capabilities. No wonder why. Despite Isaacman’s comments during the press announcement this week that “it should not really surprise anyone that we are pausing Gateway in its current form,” European partners—many of whom have already completed segments of the proposed infrastructure—may disagree.
What do now? If the plan goes through, Isaacman proposed that many Gateway elements could be repurposed for other initiatives, such as the future lunar base. But that plan will necessarily create winners and losers, as some hardware is easier to repurpose for other missions than others. Given the whiplash of the announcement, ESA is still figuring out how it plans to move forward—and where the rest of Gateway will find secondary applications. (3/27)
Sovereign Satcom Networks Grapple With Data Security Amid Geopolitical Uncertainty (Source: Via Satellite)
Nations are seeking stronger control over their own communications architectures. But how to define what sovereign space means, and what it can do within a more geopolitically complex space infrastructure, is still an evolving discussion. The answer to what defines “space sovereignty” remains somewhat blurry. For example, the U.S. government is considered to have complete control over its space framework — except for the amount of semiconductors, and other hardware and software that is imported from nations like Taiwan.
When it comes to discussion about data on the network, denial of service is a huge consideration, Steve Mills said. “It’s not just about securing the data on the network, choosing a public or a private network,” he said. “But also about who has the ability to deny that service.” (3/26)
Did Scientists Detect an Exploding Black Hole? (Source: New York Times)
n Feb. 13, 2023, a cosmic bullet of sorts zipped beneath the Mediterranean Sea near Sicily. It was a subatomic particle known as a neutrino, traveling through the depths at virtually the speed of light and carrying a whopping 220 petavolts of energy. Its presence was detected by a new underwater observatory known as the Kilometer Cube Neutrino Telescope, or KM3NeT. The neutrino was more than 100,000 times as energetic as any particle ever produced in colliders on Earth, and more energetic than astrophysicists can easily explain based on the part of the sky the neutrinos came from.
But astrophysicists are trying, and some have proposed a truly ambitious explanation: This cosmic bullet came from an exploding black hole, an object so dense that not even light can escape its gravity. In 1974, the theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking calculated that black holes leak and eventually explode, releasing energy that had been entombed for centuries in a sort of mini-replica of the Big Bang. But no one has ever seen it happen.
Astronomers can catch and track neutrinos by detecting the telltale flashes of light that they release as they shoot through water. IceCube, an array of detectors embedded in the Antarctic ice, has recorded neutrinos that trace back to quasars, the sun, the center of the Milky Way galaxy and other regions of cosmic violence. But IceCube has also recorded a half-dozen high-energy neutrinos that don’t trace back to any of the usual suspects. At first glance, the Mediterranean neutrino also did not derive from any obvious candidates. (3/27)
Aerospace Firm Plans New Warehouse in Edgewater, Will Close Titusville Facility (Source: Orlando Business Journal)
Aerospace metal finishing firm Incertec is planning a massive Edgewater facility, and once open, will close its site in Titusville, planning to relocate 60 employees and hire 110 more. The company is a provider of plating, or metalizing, numerous alternative substrates including polymers, ceramics and rare earth elements. (3/24)
Chinese Satellite Performs Landmark Refueling Test (Source: SCMP)
A Chinese commercial satellite has completed a refueling test in low Earth orbit using a flexible “octopus tentacle” robotic arm, advancing efforts to extend spacecraft lifespans and develop in-orbit servicing abilities. The Hukeda-2, or Yuxing-3 06, demonstration satellite used its flexible arm to carry out compliance control and refueling tests. The arm can curl, twist and wrap around objects to work in tight, complex spaces, with a nozzle-like tip at one end designed to line up and connect with a target port. (3/26)
Distant Galaxy Fades 20-Fold in Just Two Decades (Source: Phys.org)
An international team led by a researcher at the Chiba Institute of Technology has discovered an extremely rare phenomenon: a galaxy about 10 billion light-years away whose brightness dropped to one-twentieth of its original level in just 20 years. By combining multiwavelength observations with archival data spanning several decades, the researchers concluded that the fading was caused by a rapid decrease in the gas flowing into the supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center. The discovery shows that the activity of supermassive black holes can change dramatically on timescales short enough to be observed within a human lifetime. (3/25)
Amazon to FCC: Everyone Supports a Leo Satellite Launch Extension, Except SpaceX (Source: PC Mag)
Facing a looming deadline, Amazon is urging a federal regulator to grant an extension for its Starlink competitor, Leo, arguing that only SpaceX opposes the proposal. Amazon raised the matter in a 22-page filing with the Federal Communications Commission, which has mandated that the company launch 1,600 satellites by July 30. If it doesn’t, Amazon risks losing the authority to launch any new satellites for its planned constellation of 3,200, diminishing its broadband coverage.
Amazon expects to fall far short of the requirement, so in January it asked the FCC to grant a 24-month extension or a waiver. In Tuesday's filing, the company points out that several industry groups, including the US Chamber of Commerce and Software & Information Industry Association, have also sent letters to the commission in support of the reprieve. (3/25)
Lockheed Martin, Firefly Test Rapid-Launch Capabilities in U.S. Space Force Exercise (Source: Seeking Alpha)
Lockheed Martin successfully participated in the U.S. Space Force’s "VICTUS DIEM" exercise, demonstrating rapid satellite payload processing in under 12 hours and a 36-hour launch simulation. Working with Firefly Aerospace, the exercise aimed to enhance "tactically responsive space" capabilities, allowing for accelerated, emergency deployment of space assets in response to potential threats.
Payloads were processed in less than 12 hours, significantly faster than traditional timelines. A 36-hour rapid launch simulation was successfully completed following a mock "notice to launch". The exercise validated techniques for deploying, operating, and maintaining space-based assets in contested environments. (3/25)
NASA Research Proposes Technology to Seek Earth-Like Exoplanets (Source: NASA)
As NASA seeks to understand the mysteries of the universe, the agency is advancing technologies to locate and explore Earth-like planets far beyond our solar system. A key element of this research involves observing reflected light from exoplanets, which can reveal indicators of Earth-like features such as water and oxygen. However, detecting this faint reflected light with current telescope technology remains a significant challenge due to the overwhelming brightness of nearby stars and other celestial objects.
NASA’s Hybrid Observatory for Earth-like Exoplanets (HOEE) concept presents a potential solution by combining an orbiting starshade with a large ground-based telescope to suppress starlight and enable direct imaging of exoplanets. (3/25)
SpaceX's Gwynne Shotwell Aims to Put AI on the Moon (Source: TIME)
Ultimately, Shotwell envisions the satellites being made on the moon. "The convergence of AI and SpaceX and what we're doing—data centers in space, mass drivers on the moon, producing AI satellites on the moon," she says. "I would be disappointed if we didn't have a settlement on the moon and [are] building a manufacturing facility on the moon within 10 years. Hopefully half that." Click here. (3/25) https://time.com/article/2026/03/26/gwynne-shotwell-profile/
HTS Market Set to Reach $76B as Industry Enters Terabit Era (Source: Space News)
Novaspace’s latest High Throughput Satellites (HTS) report shows global demand reaching 218 Tbps by 2034, while service revenues are set to more than double to $76 billion over the same period. The findings reflect a market entering a new phase of scale, driven by the rapid expansion of NGSO constellations – led by Starlink – and a step change in performance, pricing, and global adoption.
“Starlink’s impact has been catalytic,” said Dimitri Buchs, Manager at Novaspace. “Lower-cost capacity, rapid scaling, and improved service quality have reset expectations across the market. The entire satcom ecosystem is now being pushed to innovate, differentiate, and rethink strategic positioning.” (3/26)
Open Cosmos, Facing September ITU Deployment Deadline: We’re Building Satellites Like There’s No Tomorrow, 24/7, at 4 Sites (Source: Space Intel Report)
Small satellite manufacturer and service provider Open Cosmos Chief Executive Rafel Jorda said his company’s four factories are operating 24/7 to build as many Ka-band broadband satellites as it can before June and September launch deadlines under its regulatory licenses. Open Cosmos in January launched the first two satellites in the constellation just days before a deadline that, if it had been missed, would have put the future constellation out of reach. (2/26)
Xona Raises $170 Million for Satellite Navigation Network (Source: Space News)
Xona Space Systems, a California-based startup developing the Pulsar low-Earth orbit (LEO) navigation constellation, secured $170 million in Series C funding to accelerate satellite production at their new Burlingame, California facility. This funding round supports the deployment of a 258-satellite network designed to offer superior, more secure PNT (positioning, navigation, and timing) services as an alternative to traditional GPS, with commercial service expected to start in 2027. (3/26)
White House Pushes To Finalize Huntsville As Space Command HQ; DOJ Moves To Dismiss Colorado Lawsuit (Source: WAFF)
The White House says it’s time to move on and finalize Huntsville as the official home of Space Command Headquarters. The President’s attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the state of Colorado’s lawsuit aimed at stopping the move. Space Command has been operating out of Colorado Springs for years. In 2021, President Trump announced that it would move to Huntsville. (3/26)
Hughes Targets Sovereign Satcom Demand With Network Control Software (Source: Space News)
Hughes Network Systems is pivoting its defense business to meet rising government demand for sovereign control over satellite communications, focusing on software-defined networking, reported SpaceNews. According to executives on March 25, the company aims to offer tools that allow militaries to manage and secure their own multi-orbit network traffic rather than relying solely on provider management. The initiative aims to address a growing desire for "sovereign space systems," where governments manage their own secure communications gateways. (3/26)
Government Use of Commercial Procurement Models Has Limitations in Space (Source: Space News)
While government agencies increasingly use commercial contracting for space, this does not guarantee higher revenue for providers. High entry barriers, including specific security certifications and, at times, customized requirements, can limit profitability and market access, challenging the expectation that commercial adoption equals increased business opportunities, according to SpaceNews and CSIS | Center for Strategic and International Studies. (3/26)
March 26, 2026
Terran Orbital Introduces New Star
Tracker Product Line (Source: Space News)
Terran Orbital, a Lockheed Martin company, unveiled its new star tracker product line, expanding the company’s growing portfolio of components and modules designed to deliver mission-ready performance at scale. The new product line includes three models engineered to support a wide range of mission requirements for high-accuracy attitude determination for next-generation satellite missions. (3/25)
Microgravity Can Disorient Human Sperm (Source: Science Alert)
The future of space travel has a sex problem. A trip beyond our planet may very well disorient human sperm, making it harder for them to find an egg. In the lab, scientists at the University of Adelaide in Australia have simulated microgravity conditions to see how the sperm of humans, pigs, and rodents cope. Without the sure pull of gravity as a guide, the sperm seem to become disoriented. As a result, the cells were less able to navigate a channel designed to mimic the female reproductive tract. Plus, in mice, there seems to be another danger. Rodent sperm subjected to microgravity are less able to successfully fertilize an egg. (3/26)
Space Force to Revise Launch Plans After ULA Vulcan Anomalies (Source: Space News)
The Space Force says it will have to revise plans for upcoming missions because of the grounding of ULA's Vulcan Centaur. The rocket has not flown since a launch in early February that suffered an anomaly with one of its solid rocket boosters, although the payload was able to reach its planned orbit. The chair of the House Armed Services Committee's strategic forces subcommittee said at a hearing Wednesday he expected the rocket to be grounded for at least six months. Space Force officials said at the hearing they are considering options of moving payloads to other vehicles or extending the lives of satellites on orbit because of delays in the launch of their replacements. (3/26)
Switzerland's Pave Space Raises $40 Million for Orbital Transfer Vehicle (Source: Space News)
Swiss startup Pave Space has raised $40 million to develop an orbital transfer vehicle. The company announced the seed round Wednesday led by Visionaries Club and Creandum with participation from several other investors. The company is developing a roughly 20-metric-ton vehicle that would be able to deliver up to five metric tons of payload from LEO to medium and geostationary Earth orbit, or lunar trajectories, in less than a day. Pave plans to fly a pathfinder called Graze in October to validate in-house avionics as it performs ground tests of the vehicle's propulsion system. A first flight of the transfer vehicle is scheduled for 2029. (3/26)
Airbase Raises $5 Million for RF Coordination Tools (Source: Space News)
Airbase has emerged from stealth with plans to improve coordination of satellite and other radio-frequency spectrum. The startup said Wednesday it raised $5 million to modernize how governments coordinate radio frequencies used by satellites, 5G networks and other wireless systems by automating decades-old coordination systems with software-driven tools. The software is designed to reduce the burden of manual interference analysis and legacy database management. Its efforts come as the FCC is set today to approve a notice of proposed rulemaking to free up spectrum for novel space activities or, in the FCC's words, "weird space stuff." (3/26)
Canada's Telesat Pitches Lightspeed for Defense (Source: Space News)
Telesat is sharpening its pitch to U.S. defense customers for its Lightspeed constellation. The Canadian satellite operator is positioning Lightspeed as a high-capacity data transport layer for defense networks, capable of moving large volumes of information with low latency while reducing exposure to jamming or interception. The company has added military Ka-band spectrum to its system and also plans to conduct a test of optical intersatellite links under a NASA contract. Telesat is seeking to align Lightspeed with U.S military requirements, arguing that commercial networks can supplement government systems and help close near-term gaps in capacity. (3/26)
China Launches Imaging Satellites on Long March 2D (Source: Xinhua)
China launched a pair of imaging satellites Wednesday. A Long March 2D lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center and placed into orbit the Siwei Gaojing-2 05 and 06 satellites. The spacecraft, also known as Superview Neo, provide high-resolution imaging for the China Siwei Survey and Mapping Technology, a subsidiary of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. (3/26)
Isar Scrubs Norway Launch After Boat Incursion (Source: NSF)
Isar Aerospace scrubbed a launch of its Spectrum rocket from Norway Wednesday. The company called off the launch from the Andøya Spaceport after a boat went into restricted waters offshore. The company has not disclosed a new launch attempt for the mission, the second flight of the Spectrum rocket. (3/26)
Iceland and Norway Join IRIS² Program (Source: Euractiv)
Two countries outside of the European Union are joining the EU's IRIS² constellation. Iceland and Norway signed agreements Thursday to participate in the secure broadband constellation and are the first countries outside the EU to join the system. Norway will provide 40 million euros ($46 million) and Iceland 3 million euros for IRIS² in 2026-2027, with future funding to be negotiated later. (3/26)
Climate Scientist Kate Marvel Resigns From NASA (Source: Scientific American)
A leading climate scientist has resigned from NASA. Kate Marvel, who studied climate at the Goddard Institute for Space Sciences (GISS), said Tuesday she was resigning out of concerns that science had come under attack at the agency. In an interview, she said there was no single incident that led her to resign but instead the "accumulation of thing after thing," from NASA terminating the lease for GISS's New York office to a lack of research funding. (3/26)
Port Canaveral Denies Property Sale for LNG Liquefaction Plant Near Spaceport (Source: Spectrum News)
The proposal for a liquefied natural gas plant in Merritt Island across from Port Canaveral is now off the table. Port Canaveral commissioners unanimously voted Wednesday morning not to sell the 50-acre parcel of land that was being considered as a site for the facility. Officials from Chesapeake Utilities and Berkshire Hathaway planned to purchase the parcel for LNG liquefaction, a process that transforms the gaseous fuel into liquid form. The company officials stressed the idea that there’s a growing need for LNG facilities to meet the state’s future demand in the space and maritime industries.
Editor's Note: The local LNG demand will not diminish. While Port Canaveral's primary need is for next-generation cruise ships, there is also a massive need for LNG to fuel upcoming high-cadence Starship and New Glenn missions. Outdated master plans for real estate on the Cape Canaveral Spaceport did not contemplate this level of demand. On the south-side portions of Kennedy Space Center and/or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station are parcels of federal land that could accommodate LNG liquefaction and/or tank farms that could feed both the launch and cruise industries. Absent the liquefaction, the tank farms could be topped off with LNG barged into Port Canaveral from Jacksonville. (3/26)
Returning to the Moon and Helium 3 (Source: SpaceCom)
As Artemis III circles the Moon and NASA swings into high gear for returning humans to the lunar surface before China, commercial ventures are examining their options to leverage a long tail of NASA investment for generating monetary returns. Helium-3, a rare isotope found in abundance on the lunar surface, provides not one but two paths for profitability if start-up firms can put together a combination of pieces to mine the gas and return it to Earth.
In the real world, Helion Energy and Princeton Satellite Systems both are working towards helium-3-fueled reactors, with Helion having raised over $1 billion to scale their technology into commercial production with the stated goal to deliver electricity to Microsoft from a 50 MW fusion plant starting in 2028. (3/26)
Symphony Space Unveils Adagio Hosted Payload Platform (Source: Payload)
Symphony Space is building a new model for hosting payloads—one where the satellite remains in orbit and the payloads come and go. The platform—called Adagio—aims to be a lower-cost, higher-capacity hosted payload provider. It’s a big departure from traditional business models, where payloads took a one-way, permanent ride to space aboard their host sats. Symphony said it’s aiming to raise $6M+ to fund its first ground demonstration next year—though it’s also considering a larger round due to increased interest that would fund itself through its first demo flight in 2028.
At first, Adagio works like any other hosted payload satellite. The platform launches to space, preloaded with modules housing customer payloads. Throughout its lifetime, however, Adagio is designed to accept new occupants, who reach the sat via orbital transfer vehicles, space tugs, and rideshare launches. Adagio will be equipped with robotic arms that can grapple the new payloads and make them right at home. (3/26)
Astroport Developing Construction Tools for Use with Venturi Astrolab’s Self-Driving Rovers (Source: San Antonio Express-News)
Robotic dirt movers developed in San Antonio could help build the Artemis moon base and nuclear reactor. Astroport Space Technologies has partnered with space robotics company Venturi Astrolab to build self-driving rovers that can move lunar soil to make landing sites, launch pads, berms and roads on the moon. Under the deal, Astroport will provide construction tools such as excavators, graders, compactors and sievers for the rovers built by California-based Astrolab. (3/17)
Unseenlabs Announces the Launch of BRO-19, the Latest Satellite of Its Constellation (Souce: Unseenlabs)
Unseenlabs announces the upcoming launch of BRO-19, the twentieth satellite of its constellation, dedicated to maritime domain awareness. BRO-19 will be launched as part of the upcoming Transporter-16 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, United States. BRO-19 is integrated with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket via the German launch integrator Exolaunch. (3/26)
Reimagining America’s R&D Framework: Valuing Our Laboratories and Testing Facilities as National Treasures (Source: AIAA)
The leadership of the U.S. aerospace and defense sectors relies not solely on strategic documents but also on the tangible environments where concepts are validated, calibrated, qualified, stress-tested, and made repeatable. These include laboratories, wind tunnels, anechoic chambers, propulsion test stands, materials testing facilities, space-environment simulators, spectrum testbeds, and instrumentation-rich ranges that transform prototypes into operational systems.
When this layer deteriorates, the consequences are predictable: extended timelines, increased rework, fewer testing repetitions, elevated safety risks, decreased throughput, and a growing divide between theoretical capabilities and actual performance in the field. (3/26)
US House Passes Bill to Allow Overland Supersonic Flights (Source: AeroTime)
The US House of Representatives passed legislation aimed at opening the skies to civil supersonic flight over land, a step supporters say could usher in a new era of air travel in the United States. The bill would require the FAA to revise its rules within a year to allow civil aircraft to fly faster than Mach 1 over land without special authorization, provided no sonic boom reaches the ground. The measure, H.R. 3410, targets a long-standing FAA ban dating to 1973, when regulators barred overland civil supersonic flight because of noise concerns tied to sonic booms.
Europe’s Space Ambitions Risk Splintering as Germany Pushes Ahead Alone (Source: Defence Matters)
At a time when Europe is under growing pressure to take responsibility for its own defense, a new German initiative exposes fault lines at the heart of the EU. Berlin’s plan to develop a €10 billion military satellite network—independent of an existing EU program—has sparked unease in Brussels and beyond, Reuters reports, reviving concerns about duplication, inefficiency and the enduring tension between national sovereignty and collective ambition. (3/26)
Rocket Lab Emerging as Potential Bus Provider for 2,800-Satellite Equatys Constellation (Source: SatNews)
In the wake of Mobile World Congress 2026, industry speculation has intensified regarding a potential partnership between Rocket Lab and Equatys, the newly detailed Direct-to-Device (D2D) joint venture between Viasat and Space42. The venture aims to deploy a massive LEO constellation of up to 2,800 satellites to provide seamless 3GPP-aligned connectivity to standard smartphones and IoT devices globally. Reports from late March 2026 suggest that Rocket Lab is a primary candidate for the satellite bus manufacturing contract. Analysts point to Rocket Lab’s recent $1 billion capital raise as a potential strategic fund for an equity stake in the venture, mirroring its successful vertical integration strategy as a prime contractor for the U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA). (3/26)
Pulsar Fusion Achieves Historic ‘First Plasma’ in Major Leap for Fusion-Powered Space Exploration (Source: Pulsar Fusion)
In a milestone that could reshape space exploration, Pulsar Fusion announced the successful demonstration of “first plasma” within its Sunbird exhaust test system. This was achieved live on March 23 during a dedicated technical session at Amazon’s prestigious MARS Conference in California. Hosted by Jeff Bezos, the session showcased the Sunbird’s ability to achieve plasma confinement – a critical step in developing the high-powered thrust needed for long-distance space exploration. (3/25)
Sift Raises $42 Million (Source: Space News)
Sift, a Southern California startup developing tools to help engineers make sense of hardware sensor data, raised $42 million in a Series B investment round. With the funding, Sift plans to expand its staff of engineers building the infrastructure layer that underpins devices controlled by artificial intelligence algorithms. (3/25)
Airbase Raises $5 Million to Tackle Spectrum Bottleneck as FCC Eyes New Space Uses (Source: Space News)
New York-based software startup Airbase emerged from stealth March 25 after raising $5 million to modernize how governments coordinate radio frequencies used by satellites, 5G networks and other wireless systems. (3/25)
Pave Space Raises $40 Million to Develop European Heavy Kickstage (Source: Space News)
Swiss startup Pave Space has raised $40 million to develop an orbital transfer vehicle that could move satellites from low Earth orbit to their final destinations in hours instead of months. (3/25)
Office of Space Commerce Releases Mission Authorization Proposal (Source: Space News)
The Office of Space Commerce rolled out its draft mission authorization proposal late March 24, laying out a "light touch" approach to the topic. It represents the latest attempt in a long-running effort to regulate new commercial space applications.
The proposal is intended to address a gap in oversight of so-called "novel space activities," such as satellite servicing, orbital debris removal and lunar missions, that are not currently regulated by agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration or Federal Communications Commission. The Outer Space Treaty requires member states to perform authorization and continuing supervision of space activities by their nationals. (3/25)
Trump Names Billionaire Tech Bros to Science & Technology Council - More Tech, Less Science (Source: Douglas Messier)
President Donald Trump has appointed members of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). Unsurprisingly, the 15-member council is heavily stocked with Silicon Valley billionaire tech bros (Mark Zuckerberg, Sergey Brin, Marc Andreessen, and Larry Ellison among others) and short on scientists (one who’s a former Silicon Valley tech bro).
Notably absent are the world’s richest man, SpaceX Founder Elon Musk (estimated net worth, $855 billion), and Amazon and Blue Origin Founder Jeff Bezos (estimated net worth, $239 billion to $259 billion). The White House emphasized the council’s focus on technology rather than science. (3/25)
NASA's New Space Reactor to Support Mars Mission in 2028 (Source: NSF)
In a significant NASA announcement, Administrator Isaacman outlined plans for a nuclear-powered mission to Mars within the next two years. The project involves reallocating existing Lunar Gateway hardware to demonstrate highly efficient mass transport in space, with the spacecraft carrying multiple Ingenuity-class helicopters to explore the Red Planet.
The mission, called Space Reactor-1 Freedom (SR-1 Freedom), is set to launch in December 2028. This mission aims to showcase the use of nuclear fission in space to power electric thrusters. NASA’s Program Executive of Fission Surface Power, Steve Sinacore, summarized the objectives clearly: demonstrate Nuclear Electric Propulsion.This will be the first-ever nuclear-propelled spacecraft to exit Earth’s sphere of influence.
Editor's Note: Add this to the growing list of nuclear hardware in need of specialized payload processing capacity at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. (3/24)
The Death Spiral of a $250 Million Satellite Startup (Sources: Bloomberg Business Journal)
In 2020, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller announced that his city had entered into a “game-changing partnership” with a little-known aerospace startup called Theia Group Inc. Theia, based in Washington, DC, was planning to build a multibillion-dollar, 80-acre facility in Albuquerque to manufacture observation satellites it would then deploy and manage. The startup envisioned total extraterrestrial surveillance—a sprawling constellation of satellites capturing detailed shots of the entire Earth at a half-meter resolution on a near-continuous basis.
Plenty of companies already sold satellite imaging services, but this promise of functionally real-time digital images set Theia apart. A promotional video made this promise: “Every tree on Earth: digital. Every truck: digital. Every whale: digital.” By the time of the New Mexico announcement, Theia had pulled together more than $250 million in funding and a well-credentialed team, and the FCC had licensed it to deploy 112 satellites in low-Earth orbit. It seemed on its way to world domination.
Theia Group did not receive the promised New Mexico incentives for its failed "Orion Center" satellite project, as the City of Albuquerque walked away from the agreement in December 2021. While state and local officials had approved over $10 million in total incentives—$7.7 million in state LEDA funds and $3 million from the city—the funds were not fully deployed due to the project's failure. (3/25)
Bright Green Fireball Captured on Video in Pacific Northwest Sky As Another Meteor Streaks Across U.S. (Source: CBS)
Jason Jenkins was driving to work before dawn about 20 miles north of Portland, Oregon. "It kind of reminded me of a lightning strike because it was so bright," he said. "The video doesn't do justice on how bright and close it seemed." What Jenkins saw was a particularly bright meteor up to 80 miles above the Earth,
Fireballs have been spotted in the skies across the U.S. in recent days. An apparent meteor lit up the skies over Northern California over the weekend, drawing hundreds of reports from viewers across the region. Last week a 7-ton meteor sped across the Ohio sky in a fireball that broke apart in a thunderous boom that startled residents who feared an explosion. NASA said eyewitnesses from 10 states, Washington, D.C., and the Canadian province of Ontario reported seeing the fireball. (3/25)
SpaceX Said to Target as Much as $75 Billion in Blockbuster IPO (Source: Bloomberg)
SpaceX is considering a new fundraising target in its IPO of about $75 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. The company has discussed with potential investors the prospect of raising more than $70 billion, and either figure would be far above the $50 billion target previously reported. SpaceX could seek a valuation in the IPO of more than $1.75 trillion, and is weighing a market debut in June, though the timing could still shift. (3/25)
SpaceX Aims Could File IPO Prospectus Within Days (Source: Mach 33)
SpaceX is aiming to file its IPO prospectus with regulators later this week or next week, per a March 24, 2026 report by The Information. This is a market rumor sourced from unnamed individuals. The filing would represent a key step toward a potential public debut targeted around June 2026. The development heightens expectations for SpaceX public market entry. Sophisticated investors may position for related space sector momentum as the IPO would validate strong growth in Starlink and launch services. It also provides a benchmark for secondary market pricing in private space companies amid rising institutional interest. (3/24)
Intuitive Machines Wins $180.4M NASA CLPS Contract for Lunar Payload Delivery (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Intuitive Machines has won a $180.4 million NASA contract to deliver seven science and technology payloads to the Lunar South Pole Region under the agency's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. The contract award is Intuitive Machines’ fifth CLPS task order but the first to require a larger Nova-D lunar lander to deliver science and technology payloads and return valuable data, while operating autonomously on the lunar surface. (3/25)
Terran Orbital, a Lockheed Martin company, unveiled its new star tracker product line, expanding the company’s growing portfolio of components and modules designed to deliver mission-ready performance at scale. The new product line includes three models engineered to support a wide range of mission requirements for high-accuracy attitude determination for next-generation satellite missions. (3/25)
Microgravity Can Disorient Human Sperm (Source: Science Alert)
The future of space travel has a sex problem. A trip beyond our planet may very well disorient human sperm, making it harder for them to find an egg. In the lab, scientists at the University of Adelaide in Australia have simulated microgravity conditions to see how the sperm of humans, pigs, and rodents cope. Without the sure pull of gravity as a guide, the sperm seem to become disoriented. As a result, the cells were less able to navigate a channel designed to mimic the female reproductive tract. Plus, in mice, there seems to be another danger. Rodent sperm subjected to microgravity are less able to successfully fertilize an egg. (3/26)
Space Force to Revise Launch Plans After ULA Vulcan Anomalies (Source: Space News)
The Space Force says it will have to revise plans for upcoming missions because of the grounding of ULA's Vulcan Centaur. The rocket has not flown since a launch in early February that suffered an anomaly with one of its solid rocket boosters, although the payload was able to reach its planned orbit. The chair of the House Armed Services Committee's strategic forces subcommittee said at a hearing Wednesday he expected the rocket to be grounded for at least six months. Space Force officials said at the hearing they are considering options of moving payloads to other vehicles or extending the lives of satellites on orbit because of delays in the launch of their replacements. (3/26)
Switzerland's Pave Space Raises $40 Million for Orbital Transfer Vehicle (Source: Space News)
Swiss startup Pave Space has raised $40 million to develop an orbital transfer vehicle. The company announced the seed round Wednesday led by Visionaries Club and Creandum with participation from several other investors. The company is developing a roughly 20-metric-ton vehicle that would be able to deliver up to five metric tons of payload from LEO to medium and geostationary Earth orbit, or lunar trajectories, in less than a day. Pave plans to fly a pathfinder called Graze in October to validate in-house avionics as it performs ground tests of the vehicle's propulsion system. A first flight of the transfer vehicle is scheduled for 2029. (3/26)
Airbase Raises $5 Million for RF Coordination Tools (Source: Space News)
Airbase has emerged from stealth with plans to improve coordination of satellite and other radio-frequency spectrum. The startup said Wednesday it raised $5 million to modernize how governments coordinate radio frequencies used by satellites, 5G networks and other wireless systems by automating decades-old coordination systems with software-driven tools. The software is designed to reduce the burden of manual interference analysis and legacy database management. Its efforts come as the FCC is set today to approve a notice of proposed rulemaking to free up spectrum for novel space activities or, in the FCC's words, "weird space stuff." (3/26)
Canada's Telesat Pitches Lightspeed for Defense (Source: Space News)
Telesat is sharpening its pitch to U.S. defense customers for its Lightspeed constellation. The Canadian satellite operator is positioning Lightspeed as a high-capacity data transport layer for defense networks, capable of moving large volumes of information with low latency while reducing exposure to jamming or interception. The company has added military Ka-band spectrum to its system and also plans to conduct a test of optical intersatellite links under a NASA contract. Telesat is seeking to align Lightspeed with U.S military requirements, arguing that commercial networks can supplement government systems and help close near-term gaps in capacity. (3/26)
China Launches Imaging Satellites on Long March 2D (Source: Xinhua)
China launched a pair of imaging satellites Wednesday. A Long March 2D lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center and placed into orbit the Siwei Gaojing-2 05 and 06 satellites. The spacecraft, also known as Superview Neo, provide high-resolution imaging for the China Siwei Survey and Mapping Technology, a subsidiary of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. (3/26)
Isar Scrubs Norway Launch After Boat Incursion (Source: NSF)
Isar Aerospace scrubbed a launch of its Spectrum rocket from Norway Wednesday. The company called off the launch from the Andøya Spaceport after a boat went into restricted waters offshore. The company has not disclosed a new launch attempt for the mission, the second flight of the Spectrum rocket. (3/26)
Iceland and Norway Join IRIS² Program (Source: Euractiv)
Two countries outside of the European Union are joining the EU's IRIS² constellation. Iceland and Norway signed agreements Thursday to participate in the secure broadband constellation and are the first countries outside the EU to join the system. Norway will provide 40 million euros ($46 million) and Iceland 3 million euros for IRIS² in 2026-2027, with future funding to be negotiated later. (3/26)
Climate Scientist Kate Marvel Resigns From NASA (Source: Scientific American)
A leading climate scientist has resigned from NASA. Kate Marvel, who studied climate at the Goddard Institute for Space Sciences (GISS), said Tuesday she was resigning out of concerns that science had come under attack at the agency. In an interview, she said there was no single incident that led her to resign but instead the "accumulation of thing after thing," from NASA terminating the lease for GISS's New York office to a lack of research funding. (3/26)
Port Canaveral Denies Property Sale for LNG Liquefaction Plant Near Spaceport (Source: Spectrum News)
The proposal for a liquefied natural gas plant in Merritt Island across from Port Canaveral is now off the table. Port Canaveral commissioners unanimously voted Wednesday morning not to sell the 50-acre parcel of land that was being considered as a site for the facility. Officials from Chesapeake Utilities and Berkshire Hathaway planned to purchase the parcel for LNG liquefaction, a process that transforms the gaseous fuel into liquid form. The company officials stressed the idea that there’s a growing need for LNG facilities to meet the state’s future demand in the space and maritime industries.
Editor's Note: The local LNG demand will not diminish. While Port Canaveral's primary need is for next-generation cruise ships, there is also a massive need for LNG to fuel upcoming high-cadence Starship and New Glenn missions. Outdated master plans for real estate on the Cape Canaveral Spaceport did not contemplate this level of demand. On the south-side portions of Kennedy Space Center and/or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station are parcels of federal land that could accommodate LNG liquefaction and/or tank farms that could feed both the launch and cruise industries. Absent the liquefaction, the tank farms could be topped off with LNG barged into Port Canaveral from Jacksonville. (3/26)
Returning to the Moon and Helium 3 (Source: SpaceCom)
As Artemis III circles the Moon and NASA swings into high gear for returning humans to the lunar surface before China, commercial ventures are examining their options to leverage a long tail of NASA investment for generating monetary returns. Helium-3, a rare isotope found in abundance on the lunar surface, provides not one but two paths for profitability if start-up firms can put together a combination of pieces to mine the gas and return it to Earth.
In the real world, Helion Energy and Princeton Satellite Systems both are working towards helium-3-fueled reactors, with Helion having raised over $1 billion to scale their technology into commercial production with the stated goal to deliver electricity to Microsoft from a 50 MW fusion plant starting in 2028. (3/26)
Symphony Space Unveils Adagio Hosted Payload Platform (Source: Payload)
Symphony Space is building a new model for hosting payloads—one where the satellite remains in orbit and the payloads come and go. The platform—called Adagio—aims to be a lower-cost, higher-capacity hosted payload provider. It’s a big departure from traditional business models, where payloads took a one-way, permanent ride to space aboard their host sats. Symphony said it’s aiming to raise $6M+ to fund its first ground demonstration next year—though it’s also considering a larger round due to increased interest that would fund itself through its first demo flight in 2028.
At first, Adagio works like any other hosted payload satellite. The platform launches to space, preloaded with modules housing customer payloads. Throughout its lifetime, however, Adagio is designed to accept new occupants, who reach the sat via orbital transfer vehicles, space tugs, and rideshare launches. Adagio will be equipped with robotic arms that can grapple the new payloads and make them right at home. (3/26)
Astroport Developing Construction Tools for Use with Venturi Astrolab’s Self-Driving Rovers (Source: San Antonio Express-News)
Robotic dirt movers developed in San Antonio could help build the Artemis moon base and nuclear reactor. Astroport Space Technologies has partnered with space robotics company Venturi Astrolab to build self-driving rovers that can move lunar soil to make landing sites, launch pads, berms and roads on the moon. Under the deal, Astroport will provide construction tools such as excavators, graders, compactors and sievers for the rovers built by California-based Astrolab. (3/17)
Unseenlabs Announces the Launch of BRO-19, the Latest Satellite of Its Constellation (Souce: Unseenlabs)
Unseenlabs announces the upcoming launch of BRO-19, the twentieth satellite of its constellation, dedicated to maritime domain awareness. BRO-19 will be launched as part of the upcoming Transporter-16 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, United States. BRO-19 is integrated with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket via the German launch integrator Exolaunch. (3/26)
Reimagining America’s R&D Framework: Valuing Our Laboratories and Testing Facilities as National Treasures (Source: AIAA)
The leadership of the U.S. aerospace and defense sectors relies not solely on strategic documents but also on the tangible environments where concepts are validated, calibrated, qualified, stress-tested, and made repeatable. These include laboratories, wind tunnels, anechoic chambers, propulsion test stands, materials testing facilities, space-environment simulators, spectrum testbeds, and instrumentation-rich ranges that transform prototypes into operational systems.
When this layer deteriorates, the consequences are predictable: extended timelines, increased rework, fewer testing repetitions, elevated safety risks, decreased throughput, and a growing divide between theoretical capabilities and actual performance in the field. (3/26)
US House Passes Bill to Allow Overland Supersonic Flights (Source: AeroTime)
The US House of Representatives passed legislation aimed at opening the skies to civil supersonic flight over land, a step supporters say could usher in a new era of air travel in the United States. The bill would require the FAA to revise its rules within a year to allow civil aircraft to fly faster than Mach 1 over land without special authorization, provided no sonic boom reaches the ground. The measure, H.R. 3410, targets a long-standing FAA ban dating to 1973, when regulators barred overland civil supersonic flight because of noise concerns tied to sonic booms.
Europe’s Space Ambitions Risk Splintering as Germany Pushes Ahead Alone (Source: Defence Matters)
At a time when Europe is under growing pressure to take responsibility for its own defense, a new German initiative exposes fault lines at the heart of the EU. Berlin’s plan to develop a €10 billion military satellite network—independent of an existing EU program—has sparked unease in Brussels and beyond, Reuters reports, reviving concerns about duplication, inefficiency and the enduring tension between national sovereignty and collective ambition. (3/26)
Rocket Lab Emerging as Potential Bus Provider for 2,800-Satellite Equatys Constellation (Source: SatNews)
In the wake of Mobile World Congress 2026, industry speculation has intensified regarding a potential partnership between Rocket Lab and Equatys, the newly detailed Direct-to-Device (D2D) joint venture between Viasat and Space42. The venture aims to deploy a massive LEO constellation of up to 2,800 satellites to provide seamless 3GPP-aligned connectivity to standard smartphones and IoT devices globally. Reports from late March 2026 suggest that Rocket Lab is a primary candidate for the satellite bus manufacturing contract. Analysts point to Rocket Lab’s recent $1 billion capital raise as a potential strategic fund for an equity stake in the venture, mirroring its successful vertical integration strategy as a prime contractor for the U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA). (3/26)
Pulsar Fusion Achieves Historic ‘First Plasma’ in Major Leap for Fusion-Powered Space Exploration (Source: Pulsar Fusion)
In a milestone that could reshape space exploration, Pulsar Fusion announced the successful demonstration of “first plasma” within its Sunbird exhaust test system. This was achieved live on March 23 during a dedicated technical session at Amazon’s prestigious MARS Conference in California. Hosted by Jeff Bezos, the session showcased the Sunbird’s ability to achieve plasma confinement – a critical step in developing the high-powered thrust needed for long-distance space exploration. (3/25)
Sift Raises $42 Million (Source: Space News)
Sift, a Southern California startup developing tools to help engineers make sense of hardware sensor data, raised $42 million in a Series B investment round. With the funding, Sift plans to expand its staff of engineers building the infrastructure layer that underpins devices controlled by artificial intelligence algorithms. (3/25)
Airbase Raises $5 Million to Tackle Spectrum Bottleneck as FCC Eyes New Space Uses (Source: Space News)
New York-based software startup Airbase emerged from stealth March 25 after raising $5 million to modernize how governments coordinate radio frequencies used by satellites, 5G networks and other wireless systems. (3/25)
Pave Space Raises $40 Million to Develop European Heavy Kickstage (Source: Space News)
Swiss startup Pave Space has raised $40 million to develop an orbital transfer vehicle that could move satellites from low Earth orbit to their final destinations in hours instead of months. (3/25)
Office of Space Commerce Releases Mission Authorization Proposal (Source: Space News)
The Office of Space Commerce rolled out its draft mission authorization proposal late March 24, laying out a "light touch" approach to the topic. It represents the latest attempt in a long-running effort to regulate new commercial space applications.
The proposal is intended to address a gap in oversight of so-called "novel space activities," such as satellite servicing, orbital debris removal and lunar missions, that are not currently regulated by agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration or Federal Communications Commission. The Outer Space Treaty requires member states to perform authorization and continuing supervision of space activities by their nationals. (3/25)
Trump Names Billionaire Tech Bros to Science & Technology Council - More Tech, Less Science (Source: Douglas Messier)
President Donald Trump has appointed members of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). Unsurprisingly, the 15-member council is heavily stocked with Silicon Valley billionaire tech bros (Mark Zuckerberg, Sergey Brin, Marc Andreessen, and Larry Ellison among others) and short on scientists (one who’s a former Silicon Valley tech bro).
Notably absent are the world’s richest man, SpaceX Founder Elon Musk (estimated net worth, $855 billion), and Amazon and Blue Origin Founder Jeff Bezos (estimated net worth, $239 billion to $259 billion). The White House emphasized the council’s focus on technology rather than science. (3/25)
NASA's New Space Reactor to Support Mars Mission in 2028 (Source: NSF)
In a significant NASA announcement, Administrator Isaacman outlined plans for a nuclear-powered mission to Mars within the next two years. The project involves reallocating existing Lunar Gateway hardware to demonstrate highly efficient mass transport in space, with the spacecraft carrying multiple Ingenuity-class helicopters to explore the Red Planet.
The mission, called Space Reactor-1 Freedom (SR-1 Freedom), is set to launch in December 2028. This mission aims to showcase the use of nuclear fission in space to power electric thrusters. NASA’s Program Executive of Fission Surface Power, Steve Sinacore, summarized the objectives clearly: demonstrate Nuclear Electric Propulsion.This will be the first-ever nuclear-propelled spacecraft to exit Earth’s sphere of influence.
Editor's Note: Add this to the growing list of nuclear hardware in need of specialized payload processing capacity at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. (3/24)
The Death Spiral of a $250 Million Satellite Startup (Sources: Bloomberg Business Journal)
In 2020, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller announced that his city had entered into a “game-changing partnership” with a little-known aerospace startup called Theia Group Inc. Theia, based in Washington, DC, was planning to build a multibillion-dollar, 80-acre facility in Albuquerque to manufacture observation satellites it would then deploy and manage. The startup envisioned total extraterrestrial surveillance—a sprawling constellation of satellites capturing detailed shots of the entire Earth at a half-meter resolution on a near-continuous basis.
Plenty of companies already sold satellite imaging services, but this promise of functionally real-time digital images set Theia apart. A promotional video made this promise: “Every tree on Earth: digital. Every truck: digital. Every whale: digital.” By the time of the New Mexico announcement, Theia had pulled together more than $250 million in funding and a well-credentialed team, and the FCC had licensed it to deploy 112 satellites in low-Earth orbit. It seemed on its way to world domination.
Theia Group did not receive the promised New Mexico incentives for its failed "Orion Center" satellite project, as the City of Albuquerque walked away from the agreement in December 2021. While state and local officials had approved over $10 million in total incentives—$7.7 million in state LEDA funds and $3 million from the city—the funds were not fully deployed due to the project's failure. (3/25)
Bright Green Fireball Captured on Video in Pacific Northwest Sky As Another Meteor Streaks Across U.S. (Source: CBS)
Jason Jenkins was driving to work before dawn about 20 miles north of Portland, Oregon. "It kind of reminded me of a lightning strike because it was so bright," he said. "The video doesn't do justice on how bright and close it seemed." What Jenkins saw was a particularly bright meteor up to 80 miles above the Earth,
Fireballs have been spotted in the skies across the U.S. in recent days. An apparent meteor lit up the skies over Northern California over the weekend, drawing hundreds of reports from viewers across the region. Last week a 7-ton meteor sped across the Ohio sky in a fireball that broke apart in a thunderous boom that startled residents who feared an explosion. NASA said eyewitnesses from 10 states, Washington, D.C., and the Canadian province of Ontario reported seeing the fireball. (3/25)
SpaceX Said to Target as Much as $75 Billion in Blockbuster IPO (Source: Bloomberg)
SpaceX is considering a new fundraising target in its IPO of about $75 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. The company has discussed with potential investors the prospect of raising more than $70 billion, and either figure would be far above the $50 billion target previously reported. SpaceX could seek a valuation in the IPO of more than $1.75 trillion, and is weighing a market debut in June, though the timing could still shift. (3/25)
SpaceX Aims Could File IPO Prospectus Within Days (Source: Mach 33)
SpaceX is aiming to file its IPO prospectus with regulators later this week or next week, per a March 24, 2026 report by The Information. This is a market rumor sourced from unnamed individuals. The filing would represent a key step toward a potential public debut targeted around June 2026. The development heightens expectations for SpaceX public market entry. Sophisticated investors may position for related space sector momentum as the IPO would validate strong growth in Starlink and launch services. It also provides a benchmark for secondary market pricing in private space companies amid rising institutional interest. (3/24)
Intuitive Machines Wins $180.4M NASA CLPS Contract for Lunar Payload Delivery (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Intuitive Machines has won a $180.4 million NASA contract to deliver seven science and technology payloads to the Lunar South Pole Region under the agency's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. The contract award is Intuitive Machines’ fifth CLPS task order but the first to require a larger Nova-D lunar lander to deliver science and technology payloads and return valuable data, while operating autonomously on the lunar surface. (3/25)
March 25, 2026
NASA Makes Big Changes to Artemis
(Source: Space News)
NASA rolled out a major revamp of its exploration plans Tuesday, including development of a lunar base. At a day-long event at NASA Headquarters, agency leaders discussed changes to its Artemis architecture that include halting work on the lunar Gateway. In its place, NASA proposed spending $20 billion over the next seven years to start development of a lunar base, including landers, rovers and other infrastructure. The base would leverage some existing programs, although with modifications, along with new projects. NASA also proposed increasing the cadence of crewed and robotic lunar lander missions and developing a nuclear electric propulsion demonstration mission that would launch to Mars in late 2028. (3/25)
NASA Wants SLS and Orion Out After Artemis 3 (Sources: Spectrum News, Payload)
NASA is moving to retire the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion capsule after the Artemis III mission to reduce costs, shifting toward commercial alternatives like SpaceX's Starship for lunar missions. The SLS is considered too expensive—roughly $4 billion per launch—and prone to delays, prompting a pivot toward more sustainable commercial partnerships for long-term exploration.
The Trump administration would add $647 million to NASA’s human space exploration budget compared to the fiscal 2025 enacted level. Total spending on crewed lunar exploration would top $7 billion. The plan would also add $1 billion in new investments “for Mars-focused programs.” This is just the first volley in the debate over the fiscal 2026 budget. Congress will draft and consider its own proposals before ultimately approving a spending plan for the next fiscal year. (3/25)
SES Orders 28 Satellites From K2 (Source: Space News)
SES has ordered an initial 28 satellites from manufacturing startup K2 Space for a future medium Earth orbit (MEO) constellation. SES said Tuesday the meoSphere satellites would deliver high-speed broadband, support optical intersatellite links for data relay and enable hosted payloads across commercial and government missions.
SES is co-developing meoSphere with K2, providing payloads built in Luxembourg for integration with K2's satellite bus in California. SpaceX is slated to launch an initial SES-K2 meoSphere pathfinder March 30 on a rideshare mission. The pathfinder, which at 2,200 kilograms would be the same size as the operational spacecraft, includes optical technology designed primarily to test links between satellites and an optical ground station supplied by France's Cailabs. (3/25)
Geopolitics Clouds Space Business Plans (Source: Space News)
Geopolitical shifts are creating new opportunities but also new challenges for satellite operators. As countries increasingly prioritize national security and sovereignty, satellite operators are being forced to rethink a historical push toward globalized supply chains in favor of less efficient, more regionally aligned models. That pressure to adapt is matched by a surge in demand tied directly to geopolitical tensions as space becomes an increasingly strategic domain. That surge in national security demand, though, brings new risks to operators as they potentially become targets. (3/25)
Electronic Warfare a Growing Space Threat (Source: Space News)
Electronic warfare is a growing threat to U.S. space systems. During a threat briefing, U.S. Space Force Chief Master Sergeant Ron Lerch, senior enlisted advisor to the Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Intelligence, said China and Russia are developing electronic warfare technologies, such as jamming satellite communications services with drones. Another recent Chinese research paper described a high-power ground-based microwave to target satellites. (3/25)
Russia Docks Progress Cargo Craft to ISS (Source: NASA)
A Russian Progress cargo spacecraft docked to the ISS Tuesday. The Progress MS-33 spacecraft, called Progress 94 by NASA, docked with the station's Poisk module at 9:40 a.m. Eastern. Russian cosmonauts on the ISS handled the docking manually after one of the antennas for the spacecraft's automated docking system failed to deploy after launch on Sunday. (3/25)
NASA to Provide Neutron Spectrometer for Indian/Japanese Lunar Lander (Source: NASA)
NASA will provide an instrument for a joint Indian-Japanese lunar mission. NASA said it will provide a neutron spectrometer for the Lunar Polar Exploration (LUPEX) mission being developed by ISRO and JAXA. LUPEX will land near the south pole of the moon in 2028 and deploy a rover to identify and characterize water ice. (3/25)
Payload Processing Scarcity is a Launch Industry Bottleneck (Source: Via Satellite)
At a conference on Tuesday, launch providers reported strains from growing commercial demand from multiple megaconstellation deployments, sovereign launch and ambitious civil space programs. According to Stephanie Bednarek at SpaceX, the launch vehicle is not the only bottleneck. “A unique situation that we’re looking at right now is that rockets don’t seem to be the limiting factor. It’s more about payload processing space,” she said.
Satellite manufacturers that initially contract for launch are posting delays, requiring flexibility on the part of launch providers, Bedneck continued. (3/25)
Kratos Scores $447M Space Force Award for Missile Tracking Ground System (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Space Force has awarded Kratos Technology and Training Solutions a new award worth up to $446.8 million to build the ground system for the service’s medium Earth orbit (MEO) constellation to track ballistic and hypersonic cruise missiles. Kratos Technology and Training Solutions will support launch of the first two iterations of the Space Force’s Resilient Missile Warning Tracking (MWT) architecture in MEO, called Epoch 1 and 2. (3/24)
Space Company Execs Outline Supply Chain Challenges (Source: Defense Daily)
Solar panels, electric propulsion systems, software, and increasing production of subsystems and components are core supply chain challenges for spacecraft companies, industry executives said on Monday. The number of satellites and related hardware that industry is building for the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) are beyond anything previously imagined, said Melanie Preisser at York Space Systems. (3/25)
Launchers Cite Busy Manifests as Commercial Demand Grows (Source: Via Satellite)
“Really, really busy.” That’s how launch providers described manifests for the next two years during a conversation on heavy-lift launch competition on Tuesday. SpaceX is looking at a “packed” manifest from 2026 through 2028, and a “very busy” 2029, said Stephanie Bednarek, vice president of Commercial Sales at SpaceX. After launching 165 missions in 2025, the company is continuing to execute on Falcon 9 while working toward operational Starship launches.
At Blue Origin, the company continues to ramp up capacity and cadence on New Glenn. Laura Maginnis anticipates the new super-heavy New Glenn 9×4 will be rolled out “in the coming years,” with four boosters and a larger 8.7-meter fairing to deliver 70 metric tons to Low-Earth Orbit (LEO).
At ULA, Mark Peller says the company is “burning off” its Atlas V backlog in the early part of this year and working to transition customers from Atlas to Vulcan. “Beyond our initial flights, we’ve been putting a tremendous amount of effort into increasing our capacity,” Peller said. ULA has doubled payload processing infrastructure at its Eastern launch site and will bring its West Coast launch site online later this year with modifications to serve Vulcan, Peller said. (3/25)
Third Indian Spaceport Planned (Source: Times of India)
After Sriharikota spaceport and the upcoming launch port at Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district, India’s third satellite launch centre is likely to come up in Gujarat.
Gujarat science and technology minister Arjun Modhwadia recently announced in state assembly that a proposed launch site near Gir Somnath district along the Arabian Sea coast has been identified. Modhwadia said the site was identified after consultations with space regulator and promoter Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe). (3/25)
Texas Quietly Approves Starbase Expansion (Source: San Antonio Express-News)
State regulators have signed off on SpaceX’s plan to expand its Starbase launch site even farther into the surrounding wetlands amid lawsuits and a record of violations at the complex near Boca Chica Beach. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality recently said it had approved the project that would add 21 acres to the launch site. The agency was required to complete a review under the Clean Water Act to certify the project wouldn’t harm state waters as part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ permitting process. (3/24)
'Fufill That Need': Cecil Spaceport to Expand, Applying to Become a Reentry Site (Source: First Coast News)
Space Florida CEO, Rob Long, says each spaceport serves its own unique purpose. To keep up with the growing demand for more space travel, the Cecil spaceport is working with the Jacksonville Aviation Authority on expanding their facilities eastward.
"The goal for that area is for aerospace-related development," said Cecil Airport and Spaceport Director Matt Bocchino. "So things are not necessarily aviation-centric, like you would see around the rest of the airport, but businesses that will come here because we're a spaceport, that wouldn't come here otherwise."
In addition to the expansion, the spaceport is also in the initial stages of applying to become a reentry site, creating a new pathway from space to right here on the first coast. "There's a huge benefit to the community for the type of payloads that could come through here," said Bocchino. Spaceport leadership says the application process is pretty lengthy and takes around two years to complete. (3/24)
Texas Supreme Court Weighs Constitutional Beach Access in Case Against SpaceX (Source: Texas Standard)
The issue is whether Texas is violating the state constitution by frequently closing Boca Chica Beach to allow SpaceX to conduct rocket launches. This is a constitutional issue because access to beaches is constitutionally protected in the state of Texas. But the Texas Legislature passed a provision that allows beach closures for spaceflight, which is part of what drew SpaceX to set up Starbase.
A lawsuit led by environmentalist and Indigenous groups claims this permission violates the beach access clause in the state constitution. All nine of the Texas Supreme Court justices are Republicans. Joe Pappalardo said it is unclear exactly how that will factor into this case. "They have to weigh the economics, they have to weigh the politics. They have to weigh the fact that NASA is counting on SpaceX to deliver a lander for their lunar lander, for their Artemis program.
“Police power", meaning zoning laws and fire code restrictions and local laws that allow or disallow certain things, is at issue here, says Joe Pappalardo. “How far does that police power go when it comes to economic development, fostering the economy, making sure that the beaches can be used for that greater good or that public good? The public good of economic growth was a direct argument made during this case.” (3/24)
Orbital Data Centers: There’s No Way This is Economically Viable, Right? (Source: Ars Technica)
Instead of being stored in 19-inch racks, the individual server elements would instead be built around—and attached to—a “satellite bus.” This is a spacecraft with large solar arrays to gather energy, thermal systems to manage heat (in a vacuum, heat must be radiated away), propulsion for orbit-keeping and maneuvering, and high-bandwidth communications gear. Historically, building things in space has been enormously expensive. The ISS, which has about the same amount of habitable space as the average American home, cost more than $150 billion to construct in space.
The biggest and most obvious advantage of putting data centers in space is the abundant energy provided by the Sun. Another significant advantage comes on the regulatory side. People on Earth don’t like living near data centers, considering them noisy neighbors that affect local water supplies and electricity prices. The biggest affordability factor is launch costs. Then there’s the cost of the satellites. Starlinks are an order of magnitude cheaper than previous satellites.
A third significant factor is the cost of silicon. Whereas startup companies like Starcloud may seek to use Nvidia chips, SpaceX is likely to develop its own microchips to avoid paying a premium for a name brand. “This is not physically impossible; it’s only a question of whether this is a rational thing to scale up economically,” Andrew McCalip said. “The answer is it’s really close. And if you own both sides of the equation, SpaceX and xAI, it’s not a terrible place to be. I wouldn’t bet against Elon.” Yet betting on Elon also requires a giant leap of faith. (3/24)
Launch Services To Gain From Artemis Moon Mission Revamp (Sources: Aviation Week, Va Satellite)
NASA’s repositioning of the Artemis program and efforts to build a Moon base should be a boon to the rocket industry, launch service executives said shortly after the agency announced changes in plans. “The lunar plans present a great opportunity,” ULA COO Mark Peller said.
Even with tight manifests and soaring demand, launch providers are excited by NASA’s announcement that it would build a $20 billion base on the Moon’s surface over the next seven years. “It is going to require a lot of mass into space, a lot of mass to the surface of the moon,” said Stephanie Bednareck of SpaceX's support for the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. (3/24)
NASA Pushes Space Industry to Use the ISS as a Test Ground for Future Stations (Source: Scientific American)
NASA officials announced that a formal request for information would open on March 25, kicking off a race for private space industry players to weigh in on potential future stations. NASA has long said that it will not build another space station itself. It is instead intent on supporting the construction of commercial outposts that NASA astronauts would be able to visit while the agency focuses its efforts on destinations farther in space. But despite a lot of space start-ups aiming to build orbiting habitats, no commercial space station has materialized, and NASA leadership is losing patience.
The agency is expanding its approach to fostering independent stations by considering proposals to build new orbital outposts directly onto the ISS. Once docked, these fledgling stations could be tested thoroughly before they would detach to fly independently. From there, NASA envisions that it will be just one of many customers that will make use of commercial space stations—and that they will allow the agency to retain access to low-Earth orbit beyond the ISS’s lifetime, which is currently set to end in 2030.
Any awardees under the program would presumably join existing partners that are already working with NASA to develop commercial stations. These include Texas-based Axiom Space, Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin, space industry powerhouse Northrop Grumman and long-standing ISS partner Nanoracks. (3/24)
Space Force Adds Cyber Units to Guard Rocket Launches (Source: Breaking Defense)
Space Force has established two new cyber squadrons to defend against potential cyberattacks during launches, the service’s Space Systems Command (SSC) announced. SSC Space Launch Delta (SLD) 30 at Vandenberg Space Force Base activated 630 Cyberspace Squadron (CYS) March 10 while SLD 45 at Patrick Space Force Base 645 CYS was reassigned from Delta 6 in September. (3/23)
L3Harris Delivers 100,000 Military GPS Units (Source: UK Defense Journal)
L3Harris Technologies has delivered more than 100,000 next-generation military GPS receivers to U.S. and allied forces under the Modernized GPS User Equipment (MGUE) Increment 1 program, the company stated. The milestone reflects ongoing efforts to modernize positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) capabilities as military forces face increasing threats from jamming, spoofing and cyber interference. The receivers use Military-Code (M-Code), designed to provide secure and resilient GPS access in contested electromagnetic environments, according to the company. (3/23)
NASA's '1st Nuclear Powered Interplanetary Spacecraft' Will Send Skyfall Helicopters to Mars in 2028 (Source: Space.com)
Skyfall is happening, and it will get to Mars in a totally new way. Last summer, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Virginia company AeroVironment unveiled their Skyfall mission concept, which would send a fleet of tiny helicopters to explore the skies of Mars. NASA announced that it will develop Skyfall for a 2028 launch, and that the mission will journey to the Red Planet on a spacecraft that uses nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) — what NASA is referring to as "the first nuclear powered interplanetary spacecraft." (3/24)
A Rare Active Volcano on Mars May Be Causing the Whole Planet To Spin Faster (Source: Live Science)
Scientists know that Mars spins a little faster each year, but the cause has been a mystery. Now, a new study published Feb. 18 in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets suggests the reason may lie deep underground, where a huge plume of buoyant rock could be stirring beneath the Red Planet's crust. This strange plume could help to explain not just Mars' quicker rotation but also how the planet holds on to geologic heat far longer than expected — forcing scientists to rethink how small, rocky worlds cool and die. (3/24)
Chandra Resolves Why Black Holes Hit the Brakes on Growth (Source: Phys.org)
Astronomers have an answer for a long-running mystery in astrophysics: why is the growth of supermassive black holes so much lower today than in the past? A study using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and other X-ray telescopes found that supermassive black holes are unable to consume material as rapidly as they did in the distant past.
Ten billion years ago, there was a period that astronomers call "cosmic noon," when the growth of supermassive black holes (those with millions to billions of times the mass of the sun) was at its peak across the entire history of the universe. Between cosmic noon and now, however, astronomers have seen a major slowdown in how rapidly black holes are growing. (3/24)
Former Astronaut Mae Jemison: 'Space Accessibility Has to Be Expanded' (Source: France 24)
In 1992, Mae Jemison became the first woman of colour to go to space. Three decades later, she looks back on what's changed, how space helps advance research and what is still to be done. Her main concern is making space more accessible, but also including the humanities and social sciences in developing space exploration. 'Space accessibility has to be expanded', Jemison tells FRANCE 24, at an age where going to space is often reduced to billionaires. (3/23)
Ramon Space and Ingrasys Expand Partnership to Deliver Scalable Orbital Data Center Infrastructure (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Ramon Space and Ingrasys are expanding their ongoing collaboration to develop data center infrastructure for space by moving space computing from prototype to production-ready infrastructure. The expanded collaboration aims to build and scale data center capabilities in space to support emerging applications.
As data generated in orbit continues to grow, traditional Earth-based infrastructure faces increasing limitations due to latency, bandwidth constraints, power availability, and environmental challenges. Space-based data centers address these limitations by bringing compute, storage, and connectivity into orbit, enabling a new architecture for processing space data in real-time and at scale, as well as supporting new classes of satellite missions. (3/24)
Parabolic Flight Experiments Delve into Planetary Formation (Source: Universe Today)
To see if these instabilities can form in protoplanetary disks (or, if other conditions keep them from forming), Holly Capelo's team built an instrument called TEMPusVoLa in 2020. It contains high-speed cameras to track the behavior of dust particles in an extremely thin gas under vacuum conditions, and the team built it specifically to fly in microgravity parabolic flights. "On Earth, gravity influences the behavior of the dust and gas," said team member Lucio Mayer from the University of Zurich "Only conditions that simulate the absence of gravity allow us to probe an extremely dilute flow regime, similar to the gas and dust disks orbiting around young stars." (3/23)
SpaceX's Orbiting Data Center Satellites are Huge (Source: PC Mag)
Elon Musk offered a first look at his plans for orbiting data centers this weekend, and they will be longer than the ISS. The satellites stand out for their exceptionally large solar arrays. The SpaceX CEO's presentation didn't give an exact length, but each one is significantly longer than the Starship V3 rocket, which stands at 124.4 meters. The satellites also dwarf the length of the ISS, which spans 109 meters and is visible in the night sky. Musk indicated the satellites can capture plenty of solar energy to power the high-density AI processing inside. The rendering shows "the solar panels and radiator to scale,” he said. (3/23)
From Missions to Systems: The Architecture Enabling a Sustained Lunar Economy (Source: Space News)
At Voyager Technologies, habitation systems, life-support architectures, airlock operations, and orbital infrastructure represent decades of operational experience already validated in space. Platforms such as Starlab — the company’s planned commercial space station for research, manufacturing and long-duration habitation — are intended to support government missions, commercial activity and scientific research in orbit.
Succeeding on the moon requires systems built for constant radiation, extreme temperatures, abrasive regolith, intermittent power and autonomous operation. It also means integrating habitation, logistics, power, computing and mobility into a broader, expandable system — a clear departure from convention.
The company delivers scalable life-support systems, durable airlocks designed to handle regolith contamination or radiation-hardened electronics and in-situ computing designed to minimize dependence on traditional Earth-based operations. The reason: future crews will need to operate with local processing capability comparable to their terrestrial counterparts. (3/24)
Moog Taps Redwire to Provide Solar Arrays for Meteor (Source: Redwire)
Jacksonville-based Redwire has been awarded a $12.8 million contract to deliver Extensible Low-Profile Solar Array (ELSA) wings to Moog. The wings will be integrated with Moog’s METEOR satellite bus in support of a LEO mission for an undisclosed national security customer. This marks the first sale of Redwire’s ELSA, a new high-performance, low-mass solar array product. ELSA expands Redwire’s power technology portfolio to support customers with low to medium-power applications across all orbits, including volume production programs with faster delivery timelines. (3/24)
NASA rolled out a major revamp of its exploration plans Tuesday, including development of a lunar base. At a day-long event at NASA Headquarters, agency leaders discussed changes to its Artemis architecture that include halting work on the lunar Gateway. In its place, NASA proposed spending $20 billion over the next seven years to start development of a lunar base, including landers, rovers and other infrastructure. The base would leverage some existing programs, although with modifications, along with new projects. NASA also proposed increasing the cadence of crewed and robotic lunar lander missions and developing a nuclear electric propulsion demonstration mission that would launch to Mars in late 2028. (3/25)
NASA Wants SLS and Orion Out After Artemis 3 (Sources: Spectrum News, Payload)
NASA is moving to retire the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion capsule after the Artemis III mission to reduce costs, shifting toward commercial alternatives like SpaceX's Starship for lunar missions. The SLS is considered too expensive—roughly $4 billion per launch—and prone to delays, prompting a pivot toward more sustainable commercial partnerships for long-term exploration.
The Trump administration would add $647 million to NASA’s human space exploration budget compared to the fiscal 2025 enacted level. Total spending on crewed lunar exploration would top $7 billion. The plan would also add $1 billion in new investments “for Mars-focused programs.” This is just the first volley in the debate over the fiscal 2026 budget. Congress will draft and consider its own proposals before ultimately approving a spending plan for the next fiscal year. (3/25)
SES Orders 28 Satellites From K2 (Source: Space News)
SES has ordered an initial 28 satellites from manufacturing startup K2 Space for a future medium Earth orbit (MEO) constellation. SES said Tuesday the meoSphere satellites would deliver high-speed broadband, support optical intersatellite links for data relay and enable hosted payloads across commercial and government missions.
SES is co-developing meoSphere with K2, providing payloads built in Luxembourg for integration with K2's satellite bus in California. SpaceX is slated to launch an initial SES-K2 meoSphere pathfinder March 30 on a rideshare mission. The pathfinder, which at 2,200 kilograms would be the same size as the operational spacecraft, includes optical technology designed primarily to test links between satellites and an optical ground station supplied by France's Cailabs. (3/25)
Geopolitics Clouds Space Business Plans (Source: Space News)
Geopolitical shifts are creating new opportunities but also new challenges for satellite operators. As countries increasingly prioritize national security and sovereignty, satellite operators are being forced to rethink a historical push toward globalized supply chains in favor of less efficient, more regionally aligned models. That pressure to adapt is matched by a surge in demand tied directly to geopolitical tensions as space becomes an increasingly strategic domain. That surge in national security demand, though, brings new risks to operators as they potentially become targets. (3/25)
Electronic Warfare a Growing Space Threat (Source: Space News)
Electronic warfare is a growing threat to U.S. space systems. During a threat briefing, U.S. Space Force Chief Master Sergeant Ron Lerch, senior enlisted advisor to the Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Intelligence, said China and Russia are developing electronic warfare technologies, such as jamming satellite communications services with drones. Another recent Chinese research paper described a high-power ground-based microwave to target satellites. (3/25)
Russia Docks Progress Cargo Craft to ISS (Source: NASA)
A Russian Progress cargo spacecraft docked to the ISS Tuesday. The Progress MS-33 spacecraft, called Progress 94 by NASA, docked with the station's Poisk module at 9:40 a.m. Eastern. Russian cosmonauts on the ISS handled the docking manually after one of the antennas for the spacecraft's automated docking system failed to deploy after launch on Sunday. (3/25)
NASA to Provide Neutron Spectrometer for Indian/Japanese Lunar Lander (Source: NASA)
NASA will provide an instrument for a joint Indian-Japanese lunar mission. NASA said it will provide a neutron spectrometer for the Lunar Polar Exploration (LUPEX) mission being developed by ISRO and JAXA. LUPEX will land near the south pole of the moon in 2028 and deploy a rover to identify and characterize water ice. (3/25)
Payload Processing Scarcity is a Launch Industry Bottleneck (Source: Via Satellite)
At a conference on Tuesday, launch providers reported strains from growing commercial demand from multiple megaconstellation deployments, sovereign launch and ambitious civil space programs. According to Stephanie Bednarek at SpaceX, the launch vehicle is not the only bottleneck. “A unique situation that we’re looking at right now is that rockets don’t seem to be the limiting factor. It’s more about payload processing space,” she said.
Satellite manufacturers that initially contract for launch are posting delays, requiring flexibility on the part of launch providers, Bedneck continued. (3/25)
Kratos Scores $447M Space Force Award for Missile Tracking Ground System (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Space Force has awarded Kratos Technology and Training Solutions a new award worth up to $446.8 million to build the ground system for the service’s medium Earth orbit (MEO) constellation to track ballistic and hypersonic cruise missiles. Kratos Technology and Training Solutions will support launch of the first two iterations of the Space Force’s Resilient Missile Warning Tracking (MWT) architecture in MEO, called Epoch 1 and 2. (3/24)
Space Company Execs Outline Supply Chain Challenges (Source: Defense Daily)
Solar panels, electric propulsion systems, software, and increasing production of subsystems and components are core supply chain challenges for spacecraft companies, industry executives said on Monday. The number of satellites and related hardware that industry is building for the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) are beyond anything previously imagined, said Melanie Preisser at York Space Systems. (3/25)
Launchers Cite Busy Manifests as Commercial Demand Grows (Source: Via Satellite)
“Really, really busy.” That’s how launch providers described manifests for the next two years during a conversation on heavy-lift launch competition on Tuesday. SpaceX is looking at a “packed” manifest from 2026 through 2028, and a “very busy” 2029, said Stephanie Bednarek, vice president of Commercial Sales at SpaceX. After launching 165 missions in 2025, the company is continuing to execute on Falcon 9 while working toward operational Starship launches.
At Blue Origin, the company continues to ramp up capacity and cadence on New Glenn. Laura Maginnis anticipates the new super-heavy New Glenn 9×4 will be rolled out “in the coming years,” with four boosters and a larger 8.7-meter fairing to deliver 70 metric tons to Low-Earth Orbit (LEO).
At ULA, Mark Peller says the company is “burning off” its Atlas V backlog in the early part of this year and working to transition customers from Atlas to Vulcan. “Beyond our initial flights, we’ve been putting a tremendous amount of effort into increasing our capacity,” Peller said. ULA has doubled payload processing infrastructure at its Eastern launch site and will bring its West Coast launch site online later this year with modifications to serve Vulcan, Peller said. (3/25)
Third Indian Spaceport Planned (Source: Times of India)
After Sriharikota spaceport and the upcoming launch port at Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district, India’s third satellite launch centre is likely to come up in Gujarat.
Gujarat science and technology minister Arjun Modhwadia recently announced in state assembly that a proposed launch site near Gir Somnath district along the Arabian Sea coast has been identified. Modhwadia said the site was identified after consultations with space regulator and promoter Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe). (3/25)
Texas Quietly Approves Starbase Expansion (Source: San Antonio Express-News)
State regulators have signed off on SpaceX’s plan to expand its Starbase launch site even farther into the surrounding wetlands amid lawsuits and a record of violations at the complex near Boca Chica Beach. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality recently said it had approved the project that would add 21 acres to the launch site. The agency was required to complete a review under the Clean Water Act to certify the project wouldn’t harm state waters as part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ permitting process. (3/24)
'Fufill That Need': Cecil Spaceport to Expand, Applying to Become a Reentry Site (Source: First Coast News)
Space Florida CEO, Rob Long, says each spaceport serves its own unique purpose. To keep up with the growing demand for more space travel, the Cecil spaceport is working with the Jacksonville Aviation Authority on expanding their facilities eastward.
"The goal for that area is for aerospace-related development," said Cecil Airport and Spaceport Director Matt Bocchino. "So things are not necessarily aviation-centric, like you would see around the rest of the airport, but businesses that will come here because we're a spaceport, that wouldn't come here otherwise."
In addition to the expansion, the spaceport is also in the initial stages of applying to become a reentry site, creating a new pathway from space to right here on the first coast. "There's a huge benefit to the community for the type of payloads that could come through here," said Bocchino. Spaceport leadership says the application process is pretty lengthy and takes around two years to complete. (3/24)
Texas Supreme Court Weighs Constitutional Beach Access in Case Against SpaceX (Source: Texas Standard)
The issue is whether Texas is violating the state constitution by frequently closing Boca Chica Beach to allow SpaceX to conduct rocket launches. This is a constitutional issue because access to beaches is constitutionally protected in the state of Texas. But the Texas Legislature passed a provision that allows beach closures for spaceflight, which is part of what drew SpaceX to set up Starbase.
A lawsuit led by environmentalist and Indigenous groups claims this permission violates the beach access clause in the state constitution. All nine of the Texas Supreme Court justices are Republicans. Joe Pappalardo said it is unclear exactly how that will factor into this case. "They have to weigh the economics, they have to weigh the politics. They have to weigh the fact that NASA is counting on SpaceX to deliver a lander for their lunar lander, for their Artemis program.
“Police power", meaning zoning laws and fire code restrictions and local laws that allow or disallow certain things, is at issue here, says Joe Pappalardo. “How far does that police power go when it comes to economic development, fostering the economy, making sure that the beaches can be used for that greater good or that public good? The public good of economic growth was a direct argument made during this case.” (3/24)
Orbital Data Centers: There’s No Way This is Economically Viable, Right? (Source: Ars Technica)
Instead of being stored in 19-inch racks, the individual server elements would instead be built around—and attached to—a “satellite bus.” This is a spacecraft with large solar arrays to gather energy, thermal systems to manage heat (in a vacuum, heat must be radiated away), propulsion for orbit-keeping and maneuvering, and high-bandwidth communications gear. Historically, building things in space has been enormously expensive. The ISS, which has about the same amount of habitable space as the average American home, cost more than $150 billion to construct in space.
The biggest and most obvious advantage of putting data centers in space is the abundant energy provided by the Sun. Another significant advantage comes on the regulatory side. People on Earth don’t like living near data centers, considering them noisy neighbors that affect local water supplies and electricity prices. The biggest affordability factor is launch costs. Then there’s the cost of the satellites. Starlinks are an order of magnitude cheaper than previous satellites.
A third significant factor is the cost of silicon. Whereas startup companies like Starcloud may seek to use Nvidia chips, SpaceX is likely to develop its own microchips to avoid paying a premium for a name brand. “This is not physically impossible; it’s only a question of whether this is a rational thing to scale up economically,” Andrew McCalip said. “The answer is it’s really close. And if you own both sides of the equation, SpaceX and xAI, it’s not a terrible place to be. I wouldn’t bet against Elon.” Yet betting on Elon also requires a giant leap of faith. (3/24)
Launch Services To Gain From Artemis Moon Mission Revamp (Sources: Aviation Week, Va Satellite)
NASA’s repositioning of the Artemis program and efforts to build a Moon base should be a boon to the rocket industry, launch service executives said shortly after the agency announced changes in plans. “The lunar plans present a great opportunity,” ULA COO Mark Peller said.
Even with tight manifests and soaring demand, launch providers are excited by NASA’s announcement that it would build a $20 billion base on the Moon’s surface over the next seven years. “It is going to require a lot of mass into space, a lot of mass to the surface of the moon,” said Stephanie Bednareck of SpaceX's support for the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. (3/24)
NASA Pushes Space Industry to Use the ISS as a Test Ground for Future Stations (Source: Scientific American)
NASA officials announced that a formal request for information would open on March 25, kicking off a race for private space industry players to weigh in on potential future stations. NASA has long said that it will not build another space station itself. It is instead intent on supporting the construction of commercial outposts that NASA astronauts would be able to visit while the agency focuses its efforts on destinations farther in space. But despite a lot of space start-ups aiming to build orbiting habitats, no commercial space station has materialized, and NASA leadership is losing patience.
The agency is expanding its approach to fostering independent stations by considering proposals to build new orbital outposts directly onto the ISS. Once docked, these fledgling stations could be tested thoroughly before they would detach to fly independently. From there, NASA envisions that it will be just one of many customers that will make use of commercial space stations—and that they will allow the agency to retain access to low-Earth orbit beyond the ISS’s lifetime, which is currently set to end in 2030.
Any awardees under the program would presumably join existing partners that are already working with NASA to develop commercial stations. These include Texas-based Axiom Space, Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin, space industry powerhouse Northrop Grumman and long-standing ISS partner Nanoracks. (3/24)
Space Force Adds Cyber Units to Guard Rocket Launches (Source: Breaking Defense)
Space Force has established two new cyber squadrons to defend against potential cyberattacks during launches, the service’s Space Systems Command (SSC) announced. SSC Space Launch Delta (SLD) 30 at Vandenberg Space Force Base activated 630 Cyberspace Squadron (CYS) March 10 while SLD 45 at Patrick Space Force Base 645 CYS was reassigned from Delta 6 in September. (3/23)
L3Harris Delivers 100,000 Military GPS Units (Source: UK Defense Journal)
L3Harris Technologies has delivered more than 100,000 next-generation military GPS receivers to U.S. and allied forces under the Modernized GPS User Equipment (MGUE) Increment 1 program, the company stated. The milestone reflects ongoing efforts to modernize positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) capabilities as military forces face increasing threats from jamming, spoofing and cyber interference. The receivers use Military-Code (M-Code), designed to provide secure and resilient GPS access in contested electromagnetic environments, according to the company. (3/23)
NASA's '1st Nuclear Powered Interplanetary Spacecraft' Will Send Skyfall Helicopters to Mars in 2028 (Source: Space.com)
Skyfall is happening, and it will get to Mars in a totally new way. Last summer, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Virginia company AeroVironment unveiled their Skyfall mission concept, which would send a fleet of tiny helicopters to explore the skies of Mars. NASA announced that it will develop Skyfall for a 2028 launch, and that the mission will journey to the Red Planet on a spacecraft that uses nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) — what NASA is referring to as "the first nuclear powered interplanetary spacecraft." (3/24)
A Rare Active Volcano on Mars May Be Causing the Whole Planet To Spin Faster (Source: Live Science)
Scientists know that Mars spins a little faster each year, but the cause has been a mystery. Now, a new study published Feb. 18 in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets suggests the reason may lie deep underground, where a huge plume of buoyant rock could be stirring beneath the Red Planet's crust. This strange plume could help to explain not just Mars' quicker rotation but also how the planet holds on to geologic heat far longer than expected — forcing scientists to rethink how small, rocky worlds cool and die. (3/24)
Chandra Resolves Why Black Holes Hit the Brakes on Growth (Source: Phys.org)
Astronomers have an answer for a long-running mystery in astrophysics: why is the growth of supermassive black holes so much lower today than in the past? A study using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and other X-ray telescopes found that supermassive black holes are unable to consume material as rapidly as they did in the distant past.
Ten billion years ago, there was a period that astronomers call "cosmic noon," when the growth of supermassive black holes (those with millions to billions of times the mass of the sun) was at its peak across the entire history of the universe. Between cosmic noon and now, however, astronomers have seen a major slowdown in how rapidly black holes are growing. (3/24)
Former Astronaut Mae Jemison: 'Space Accessibility Has to Be Expanded' (Source: France 24)
In 1992, Mae Jemison became the first woman of colour to go to space. Three decades later, she looks back on what's changed, how space helps advance research and what is still to be done. Her main concern is making space more accessible, but also including the humanities and social sciences in developing space exploration. 'Space accessibility has to be expanded', Jemison tells FRANCE 24, at an age where going to space is often reduced to billionaires. (3/23)
Ramon Space and Ingrasys Expand Partnership to Deliver Scalable Orbital Data Center Infrastructure (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Ramon Space and Ingrasys are expanding their ongoing collaboration to develop data center infrastructure for space by moving space computing from prototype to production-ready infrastructure. The expanded collaboration aims to build and scale data center capabilities in space to support emerging applications.
As data generated in orbit continues to grow, traditional Earth-based infrastructure faces increasing limitations due to latency, bandwidth constraints, power availability, and environmental challenges. Space-based data centers address these limitations by bringing compute, storage, and connectivity into orbit, enabling a new architecture for processing space data in real-time and at scale, as well as supporting new classes of satellite missions. (3/24)
Parabolic Flight Experiments Delve into Planetary Formation (Source: Universe Today)
To see if these instabilities can form in protoplanetary disks (or, if other conditions keep them from forming), Holly Capelo's team built an instrument called TEMPusVoLa in 2020. It contains high-speed cameras to track the behavior of dust particles in an extremely thin gas under vacuum conditions, and the team built it specifically to fly in microgravity parabolic flights. "On Earth, gravity influences the behavior of the dust and gas," said team member Lucio Mayer from the University of Zurich "Only conditions that simulate the absence of gravity allow us to probe an extremely dilute flow regime, similar to the gas and dust disks orbiting around young stars." (3/23)
SpaceX's Orbiting Data Center Satellites are Huge (Source: PC Mag)
Elon Musk offered a first look at his plans for orbiting data centers this weekend, and they will be longer than the ISS. The satellites stand out for their exceptionally large solar arrays. The SpaceX CEO's presentation didn't give an exact length, but each one is significantly longer than the Starship V3 rocket, which stands at 124.4 meters. The satellites also dwarf the length of the ISS, which spans 109 meters and is visible in the night sky. Musk indicated the satellites can capture plenty of solar energy to power the high-density AI processing inside. The rendering shows "the solar panels and radiator to scale,” he said. (3/23)
From Missions to Systems: The Architecture Enabling a Sustained Lunar Economy (Source: Space News)
At Voyager Technologies, habitation systems, life-support architectures, airlock operations, and orbital infrastructure represent decades of operational experience already validated in space. Platforms such as Starlab — the company’s planned commercial space station for research, manufacturing and long-duration habitation — are intended to support government missions, commercial activity and scientific research in orbit.
Succeeding on the moon requires systems built for constant radiation, extreme temperatures, abrasive regolith, intermittent power and autonomous operation. It also means integrating habitation, logistics, power, computing and mobility into a broader, expandable system — a clear departure from convention.
The company delivers scalable life-support systems, durable airlocks designed to handle regolith contamination or radiation-hardened electronics and in-situ computing designed to minimize dependence on traditional Earth-based operations. The reason: future crews will need to operate with local processing capability comparable to their terrestrial counterparts. (3/24)
Moog Taps Redwire to Provide Solar Arrays for Meteor (Source: Redwire)
Jacksonville-based Redwire has been awarded a $12.8 million contract to deliver Extensible Low-Profile Solar Array (ELSA) wings to Moog. The wings will be integrated with Moog’s METEOR satellite bus in support of a LEO mission for an undisclosed national security customer. This marks the first sale of Redwire’s ELSA, a new high-performance, low-mass solar array product. ELSA expands Redwire’s power technology portfolio to support customers with low to medium-power applications across all orbits, including volume production programs with faster delivery timelines. (3/24)
March 24, 2026
Scientists Narrow Down the Hunt for
Aliens to 45 Planets (Source: 404 Media)
Scientists have discovered more than 6,000 exoplanets, which are planets that orbit other stars, but most of these worlds are hopelessly inhospitable to life. To home in on the best candidates for habitability, a team combed through the catalogue of exoplanets to identify the best potential alien homes.
The short-list includes 45 rocky worlds that are no bigger than twice the size of Earth and orbit within the habitable zone (HZ) of their stars, which is the region where liquid water might exist on the surface. The most exciting destinations include four planets that orbit the red dwarf star TRAPPIST-1, about 40 light years away, or Proxima Centauri b, which is the closest known exoplanet, located just four light years from Earth. (3/23)
Russia Launches Broadband Constellation Satellites on Soyuz From Plesetsk (Source: Bloomberg)
Russia launched the first satellites of a new broadband constellation Monday. A Soyuz-2.1b rocket lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia, placing 16 Rassvet satellites into orbit for Russian company Bureau 1440. That company is planning a constellation of broadband satellites to serve as a competitor to systems like Starlink and Amazon Leo, but with few details on the constellation's capabilities or schedule. (3/24)
Missile Warning/Tracking Capabilities Require Data Sharing (Source: Space News)
Missile warning and tracking could be improved if U.S. government agencies shared the raw data they gather. Experts said missile defense is fundamentally a big-data problem, with a wide range of data form ground- and space-based sensors that need to be effectively combined. However, panelists said that data structures and, in some cases, classification issues keep agencies from collaborating on data sharing and analysis. (3/24)
German Comsat Constellation Worries IRIS² Supporters (Source: Reuters)
The German military's plans for a satellite constellation are raising concerns in the EU. Germany plans to spend 10 billion euros ($11.6 billion) on a 100-satellite constellation for communications, which would run in parallel to the EU's IRIS² constellation. Some European officials worry the planned German system could create inefficiencies as it will provide many of the same services as IRIS². Italy is also studying its own constellation, but at a much earlier phase of development. (3/24)
Namibia Rejects Starlink (Source: Business Insider Africa)
In a rare move, a country has said no to Starlink. The telecommunications regulator in Namibia said Monday it denied a SpaceX application for a license to provide Starlink services in the African nation. The regulator did not give a reason for the denial. SpaceX was accused in 2024 of operating Starlink in the country without a license. (3/24)
SpaceShipOne Pilot Pelvill Passes at 85 (Collect Space)
The first person to fly to space on a privately funded vehicle has died. Mike Melvill was a test pilot at Scaled Composites when he flew that company's SpaceShipOne suborbital vehicle to just above the Kármán Line, or 100 kilometers altitude, on a suborbital flight in June 2004. He flew it again in September 2004 on the first of two spaceflights needed to win the $10 million Ansari X Prize. He was 85. (3/24)
Arianespace Picked to Launch Katalyst Servicing Spacecraft (Source: Space News)
Arianespace won a contract to launch a startup's satellite servicing spacecraft. Katalyst Space Technologies will launch its Nexus-1 spacecraft on an Ariane 64 in the second half of 2027, the companies announced Monday. Nexus-1 will be deployed into geostationary transfer orbit and install a space situational awareness sensor on a U.S. Space Force satellite in geostationary orbit, and later serve commercial customers. Katalyst is working on a separate mission to reboost NASA's Swift astrophysics spacecraft; that is scheduled to launch in June on a Pegasus XL. (3/24)
Amazon Set to Increase Leo Production and Launch Cadence (Source: Space News)
Amazon said Monday it would ramp up deployment of its broadband constellation. The company vowed to double the annual launch rate for its low Earth orbit broadband constellation to more than 20 missions, including three in the coming weeks. The next launch, an Atlas 5 on Sunday, will carry 29 satellites, two more than previous Atlas launches, thanks to engine upgrades. Another Atlas 5 is due to fly next month, along with a second Ariane 64 launch for the constellation. Amazon is facing pressure to accelerate deployment of its 3,232-satellite constellation as it asks the FCC to extend or eliminate a July deadline to have half the constellation in orbit. (3/24)
Space Force Sending Cyber Teams to Spaceports (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force is deploying dedicated cybersecurity teams at its primary launch sites. Two units known as Defensive Cyber Operations Squadrons will monitor activity during launch operations at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Vandenberg Space Force Base, Space Systems Command announced on Monday. Those units will be tasked with detecting and countering attempts to interfere with launches via cyberattacks. The move reflects rising concern that adversaries could disrupt rocket launches through digital means rather than physical interference. (3/24)
York Scaling Up Satellite Production (Source: Space News)
York Space Systems is scaling up satellite production but faces uncertainty from its major customer. The Denver-based satellite manufacturer said last week annual revenue rose 52% to about $386 million in 2025, driven largely by work on the Space Development Agency's proliferated low Earth orbit constellation. The company has built a sizable backlog tied to that work, with roughly 140 satellites ordered to date. However, the future of its work with the SDA is uncertain, with the SDA Transport Layer constellation likely to be absorbed into a broader Space Force effort known as the Space Data Network, a concept still being defined. The transition raises questions about how future contracts will be structured and when they will be awarded. (3/24)
Space Force to Issue First Kronos C2 Contracts Next Month (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Space Force is set to issue the first contracts for the Kronos project next month, aiming to modernize operational command, control, and battle management systems for space domain awareness. Kronos was separated from the troubled Advanced Tracking and Launch Analysis System project, which has struggled to replace the outdated Space Defense Operations Center. The Space Force will use Other Transaction Authority contracts for Kronos, starting with prototyping efforts. (3/23)
Ground-Based Radar Digitization Program Expands (Source: Breaking Defense)
The US Space Force has expanded its Ground-Based Radar Digitization program to all eight legacy radar systems, aiming to enhance missile defense and space monitoring. The initiative will provide a unified software architecture and modernize both the front-end and back-end components of the radars. Initial operational capability is expected by early 2030, with full completion by mid-2031. (3/23)
The Science of Artemis 2 (Source: Space Review)
Artemis 2 is back on the pad for a launch as soon as next week. Jeff Foust reports that while the mission is primarily a test flight, there will be opportunities to do lunar and other science along the way. Click here. (3/24)
NavIC: India’s “Jinxed” Navigational Program, or a Cornerstone of India’s Misplaced Space Priorities? (Source: Space Review)
A recent in-orbit failure has deprived India of a functioning navigation satellite system. Ajey Lele says what appears to be bad luck may instead be a sign of management flaws. Click here. (3/24)
Zarya: the Super-Soyuz That Only Lived Twice (Source: Space Review)
In the 1980s, the Soviet Union proposed a spacecraft that could be a successor to the Soyuz, only to see it cancelled, revived, and cancelled again. Maks Skiendzielewski examines the history of the Zarya spacecraft. Click here. (3/24)
The Legal Aspects of Outer Space Settlers and Settlements (Source: Space Review)
Any future with humans living permanently in space raises some key legal issues. Dennis O’Brien explores those issues, from existing space treaties to the prospects of independent settlements. Click here. (3/24)
ISS-Affiliated Accelerator Expands Capital and Startup Resources (Source: CASIS)
The ISS National Laboratory® is about to launch the 2026 Orbital Edge Accelerator program in partnership with returning global investors Cook Inlet Region, Inc., E2MC, and Stellar Ventures, as well as leading industry participants. Now entering its second year, the one-of-a-kind program expands access to capital, business mentorship, and orbital flight opportunities for startups developing market-changing, space-enabled technologies. Click here. (3/24)
Artemis II Launch May Bring $160 Million Impact to Florida's Space Coast (Source: Florida Today)
NASA's milestone Artemis II launch to the moon from Kennedy Space Center may draw 400,000 visitors to Florida's Space Coast — generating $160 million in Brevard County economic impact, a national consulting firm projects. “Most folks are going to spend a few days in town. They’re going to spend money in restaurants, hotels, bars. All of that drives economic impact, and it all creates new tax revenue," said John Boyd, principal with The Boyd Company Inc. of Boca Raton. (3/23)
Giant Craters May Reveal if Psyche is a Lost Planetary Core (Source: Universe Today)
One asteroid approximately the size of the State of Massachusetts called 16 Psyche is made of metal, which planetary scientists hypothesize could be the remnants of a protoplanet’s core that didn’t build into a full-fledged planet. But how did such a unique asteroid form?
Now, an international team of scientists might be one step closer to answering that conundrum, as they attempted to ascertain how a large impact in the north polar region of 16 Psyche might have formed. In the end, the researchers developed several hypotheses regarding the interior of 16 Psyche, which they note they will confirm once the Psyche spacecraft arrives at the asteroid. (3/24)
Scrubbing Away Lunar Dust (Source: Aerospace America)
The engineers and scientists behind the Lunar SCRUB (Surface Cleaning Robotic Unit with electron-Beam) project propose to solve the dust problem with an electrostatic cleaning device. A smaller version of the toaster-sized metal box prototype could be mounted on the robotic arm of an autonomous lunar terrain vehicle or carried by an astronaut and passed over surfaces at an arm’s length distance to lift the dust away, said David Asner, chief science officer of Orbital Mining Corp. The Colorado company is developing the device with another startup as subcontractor, Space Dust Research & Technologies (SDRT), under a $150,000 NASA contract. (3/23)
NASA Reduces Support for Commercial Space Stations (Source: Douglas Messier)
NASA has announced that it will no longer support the development of two separate commercial space stations in low Earth orbit (LEO) that are currently in development to follow the decommissioning of the International Space Station (ISS) in 2030. Instead the space agency will procure a module that will be attached to ISS that will host commercial modules and serve as the core of a separate station. (3/24)
Eutelsat Expands LEO Connectivity for Global Rail Market (Source: Runway Girl)
Eutelsat today highlighted the growing adoption of its OneWeb LEO connectivity service in the global rail market, including the development and testing of new terminals by Kymeta and Hughes Network Systems. Eutelsat’s OneWeb LEO service is available to rail operators worldwide through a broad network of distribution partners, specialized rail integrators, and direct relationships with train operators. (3/24)
Future Artemis Missions Could Use Fiber-Optic Cables to Monitor Moonquakes (Source: Space.com)
The moon may soon get a high-tech seismic sensing system — and it could be as simple as rolling out cables across the lunar surface. Two recent studies suggest that fiber-optic cables laid directly on the lunar ground could double as sensitive detectors for moonquakes, offering a lightweight, low-cost alternative to traditional seismometers. The idea builds on a technique called distributed acoustic sensing in which laser pulses sent through optical fibers can pick up tiny vibrations along the entire length of the fibers. (3/24)
China’s Astronstone Raises $29 Million for Reusable Rocket with Chopstick-Style Recovery (Source: Space News)
Astronstone, a Chinese launch startup founded only in 2024, has secured new funding as it builds toward the first flight of its reusable AS-1 rocket. Last year it secured over $13 million in early-stage funding to develop its AS-1 rocket — a stainless steel, methane-fueled, fully reusable launch vehicle. Clearly, the company is mirroring SpaceX’s design philosophy, as shown by its plan to implement “chopstick”-style arms for catching the rocket’s first stage during landing.
The AS-1 will be powered by a customized version of the 80-ton-thrust Longyun engine, developed by Jiuzhou Yunjian (JZYJ). With a diameter of 4.2 meters, a length of 70 meters, and a liftoff mass of 570 metric tons, the rocket is designed to deliver 10,000 kg to low Earth orbit in reusable mode, or 15,700 kg when expended. (3/24)
Space Development Agency Slows Satellite Launches to Focus on On-Orbit Performance (Source: Space News)
The Space Development Agency is slowing the pace of launches for the Pentagon’s low Earth orbit satellite constellation, stepping back from an earlier plan for frequent deployments as it works through technical issues with spacecraft already in orbit. (3/24)
NASA Second X-59 Flight Cut Short from Warning Light (Source: AIN)
NASA’s X-59 supersonic demonstrator returned to the skies on Friday morning for a nine-minute flight that was cut short after a warning light illuminated. However, NASA officials said they were still able to gather data during the second flight from the aircraft built in collaboration with Lockheed Martin at its Skunk Works facility in California. The aircraft first flew on October 28, reaching 12,000 feet and 200 knots. Plans for the second mission called for an hour-long flight that would expand the envelope to 20,000 feet and 225 knots.
This would be followed by a series of successive flights to further expand the flight profile as it prepared to participate in the NASA Quesst program to examine the effect of quieter supersonic technologies on a variety of communities. This data would be used internationally to contemplate whether supersonic flight over land could once again become possible.
The second flight was initially delayed after a caution light for a vehicle system went off at around 10 a.m. Friday morning, according to Cathy Bahm, project manager for the low boom flight demonstrator at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The system was reset, and “we were good to go,” Bahm said. At 10:54 a.m., the aircraft took off from Edwards Air Force Base in California, but landed at 11:03 a.m. after a separate, unrelated vehicle system warning illuminated. (3/23)
Scientists have discovered more than 6,000 exoplanets, which are planets that orbit other stars, but most of these worlds are hopelessly inhospitable to life. To home in on the best candidates for habitability, a team combed through the catalogue of exoplanets to identify the best potential alien homes.
The short-list includes 45 rocky worlds that are no bigger than twice the size of Earth and orbit within the habitable zone (HZ) of their stars, which is the region where liquid water might exist on the surface. The most exciting destinations include four planets that orbit the red dwarf star TRAPPIST-1, about 40 light years away, or Proxima Centauri b, which is the closest known exoplanet, located just four light years from Earth. (3/23)
Russia Launches Broadband Constellation Satellites on Soyuz From Plesetsk (Source: Bloomberg)
Russia launched the first satellites of a new broadband constellation Monday. A Soyuz-2.1b rocket lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia, placing 16 Rassvet satellites into orbit for Russian company Bureau 1440. That company is planning a constellation of broadband satellites to serve as a competitor to systems like Starlink and Amazon Leo, but with few details on the constellation's capabilities or schedule. (3/24)
Missile Warning/Tracking Capabilities Require Data Sharing (Source: Space News)
Missile warning and tracking could be improved if U.S. government agencies shared the raw data they gather. Experts said missile defense is fundamentally a big-data problem, with a wide range of data form ground- and space-based sensors that need to be effectively combined. However, panelists said that data structures and, in some cases, classification issues keep agencies from collaborating on data sharing and analysis. (3/24)
German Comsat Constellation Worries IRIS² Supporters (Source: Reuters)
The German military's plans for a satellite constellation are raising concerns in the EU. Germany plans to spend 10 billion euros ($11.6 billion) on a 100-satellite constellation for communications, which would run in parallel to the EU's IRIS² constellation. Some European officials worry the planned German system could create inefficiencies as it will provide many of the same services as IRIS². Italy is also studying its own constellation, but at a much earlier phase of development. (3/24)
Namibia Rejects Starlink (Source: Business Insider Africa)
In a rare move, a country has said no to Starlink. The telecommunications regulator in Namibia said Monday it denied a SpaceX application for a license to provide Starlink services in the African nation. The regulator did not give a reason for the denial. SpaceX was accused in 2024 of operating Starlink in the country without a license. (3/24)
SpaceShipOne Pilot Pelvill Passes at 85 (Collect Space)
The first person to fly to space on a privately funded vehicle has died. Mike Melvill was a test pilot at Scaled Composites when he flew that company's SpaceShipOne suborbital vehicle to just above the Kármán Line, or 100 kilometers altitude, on a suborbital flight in June 2004. He flew it again in September 2004 on the first of two spaceflights needed to win the $10 million Ansari X Prize. He was 85. (3/24)
Arianespace Picked to Launch Katalyst Servicing Spacecraft (Source: Space News)
Arianespace won a contract to launch a startup's satellite servicing spacecraft. Katalyst Space Technologies will launch its Nexus-1 spacecraft on an Ariane 64 in the second half of 2027, the companies announced Monday. Nexus-1 will be deployed into geostationary transfer orbit and install a space situational awareness sensor on a U.S. Space Force satellite in geostationary orbit, and later serve commercial customers. Katalyst is working on a separate mission to reboost NASA's Swift astrophysics spacecraft; that is scheduled to launch in June on a Pegasus XL. (3/24)
Amazon Set to Increase Leo Production and Launch Cadence (Source: Space News)
Amazon said Monday it would ramp up deployment of its broadband constellation. The company vowed to double the annual launch rate for its low Earth orbit broadband constellation to more than 20 missions, including three in the coming weeks. The next launch, an Atlas 5 on Sunday, will carry 29 satellites, two more than previous Atlas launches, thanks to engine upgrades. Another Atlas 5 is due to fly next month, along with a second Ariane 64 launch for the constellation. Amazon is facing pressure to accelerate deployment of its 3,232-satellite constellation as it asks the FCC to extend or eliminate a July deadline to have half the constellation in orbit. (3/24)
Space Force Sending Cyber Teams to Spaceports (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force is deploying dedicated cybersecurity teams at its primary launch sites. Two units known as Defensive Cyber Operations Squadrons will monitor activity during launch operations at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Vandenberg Space Force Base, Space Systems Command announced on Monday. Those units will be tasked with detecting and countering attempts to interfere with launches via cyberattacks. The move reflects rising concern that adversaries could disrupt rocket launches through digital means rather than physical interference. (3/24)
York Scaling Up Satellite Production (Source: Space News)
York Space Systems is scaling up satellite production but faces uncertainty from its major customer. The Denver-based satellite manufacturer said last week annual revenue rose 52% to about $386 million in 2025, driven largely by work on the Space Development Agency's proliferated low Earth orbit constellation. The company has built a sizable backlog tied to that work, with roughly 140 satellites ordered to date. However, the future of its work with the SDA is uncertain, with the SDA Transport Layer constellation likely to be absorbed into a broader Space Force effort known as the Space Data Network, a concept still being defined. The transition raises questions about how future contracts will be structured and when they will be awarded. (3/24)
Space Force to Issue First Kronos C2 Contracts Next Month (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Space Force is set to issue the first contracts for the Kronos project next month, aiming to modernize operational command, control, and battle management systems for space domain awareness. Kronos was separated from the troubled Advanced Tracking and Launch Analysis System project, which has struggled to replace the outdated Space Defense Operations Center. The Space Force will use Other Transaction Authority contracts for Kronos, starting with prototyping efforts. (3/23)
Ground-Based Radar Digitization Program Expands (Source: Breaking Defense)
The US Space Force has expanded its Ground-Based Radar Digitization program to all eight legacy radar systems, aiming to enhance missile defense and space monitoring. The initiative will provide a unified software architecture and modernize both the front-end and back-end components of the radars. Initial operational capability is expected by early 2030, with full completion by mid-2031. (3/23)
The Science of Artemis 2 (Source: Space Review)
Artemis 2 is back on the pad for a launch as soon as next week. Jeff Foust reports that while the mission is primarily a test flight, there will be opportunities to do lunar and other science along the way. Click here. (3/24)
NavIC: India’s “Jinxed” Navigational Program, or a Cornerstone of India’s Misplaced Space Priorities? (Source: Space Review)
A recent in-orbit failure has deprived India of a functioning navigation satellite system. Ajey Lele says what appears to be bad luck may instead be a sign of management flaws. Click here. (3/24)
Zarya: the Super-Soyuz That Only Lived Twice (Source: Space Review)
In the 1980s, the Soviet Union proposed a spacecraft that could be a successor to the Soyuz, only to see it cancelled, revived, and cancelled again. Maks Skiendzielewski examines the history of the Zarya spacecraft. Click here. (3/24)
The Legal Aspects of Outer Space Settlers and Settlements (Source: Space Review)
Any future with humans living permanently in space raises some key legal issues. Dennis O’Brien explores those issues, from existing space treaties to the prospects of independent settlements. Click here. (3/24)
ISS-Affiliated Accelerator Expands Capital and Startup Resources (Source: CASIS)
The ISS National Laboratory® is about to launch the 2026 Orbital Edge Accelerator program in partnership with returning global investors Cook Inlet Region, Inc., E2MC, and Stellar Ventures, as well as leading industry participants. Now entering its second year, the one-of-a-kind program expands access to capital, business mentorship, and orbital flight opportunities for startups developing market-changing, space-enabled technologies. Click here. (3/24)
Artemis II Launch May Bring $160 Million Impact to Florida's Space Coast (Source: Florida Today)
NASA's milestone Artemis II launch to the moon from Kennedy Space Center may draw 400,000 visitors to Florida's Space Coast — generating $160 million in Brevard County economic impact, a national consulting firm projects. “Most folks are going to spend a few days in town. They’re going to spend money in restaurants, hotels, bars. All of that drives economic impact, and it all creates new tax revenue," said John Boyd, principal with The Boyd Company Inc. of Boca Raton. (3/23)
Giant Craters May Reveal if Psyche is a Lost Planetary Core (Source: Universe Today)
One asteroid approximately the size of the State of Massachusetts called 16 Psyche is made of metal, which planetary scientists hypothesize could be the remnants of a protoplanet’s core that didn’t build into a full-fledged planet. But how did such a unique asteroid form?
Now, an international team of scientists might be one step closer to answering that conundrum, as they attempted to ascertain how a large impact in the north polar region of 16 Psyche might have formed. In the end, the researchers developed several hypotheses regarding the interior of 16 Psyche, which they note they will confirm once the Psyche spacecraft arrives at the asteroid. (3/24)
Scrubbing Away Lunar Dust (Source: Aerospace America)
The engineers and scientists behind the Lunar SCRUB (Surface Cleaning Robotic Unit with electron-Beam) project propose to solve the dust problem with an electrostatic cleaning device. A smaller version of the toaster-sized metal box prototype could be mounted on the robotic arm of an autonomous lunar terrain vehicle or carried by an astronaut and passed over surfaces at an arm’s length distance to lift the dust away, said David Asner, chief science officer of Orbital Mining Corp. The Colorado company is developing the device with another startup as subcontractor, Space Dust Research & Technologies (SDRT), under a $150,000 NASA contract. (3/23)
NASA Reduces Support for Commercial Space Stations (Source: Douglas Messier)
NASA has announced that it will no longer support the development of two separate commercial space stations in low Earth orbit (LEO) that are currently in development to follow the decommissioning of the International Space Station (ISS) in 2030. Instead the space agency will procure a module that will be attached to ISS that will host commercial modules and serve as the core of a separate station. (3/24)
Eutelsat Expands LEO Connectivity for Global Rail Market (Source: Runway Girl)
Eutelsat today highlighted the growing adoption of its OneWeb LEO connectivity service in the global rail market, including the development and testing of new terminals by Kymeta and Hughes Network Systems. Eutelsat’s OneWeb LEO service is available to rail operators worldwide through a broad network of distribution partners, specialized rail integrators, and direct relationships with train operators. (3/24)
Future Artemis Missions Could Use Fiber-Optic Cables to Monitor Moonquakes (Source: Space.com)
The moon may soon get a high-tech seismic sensing system — and it could be as simple as rolling out cables across the lunar surface. Two recent studies suggest that fiber-optic cables laid directly on the lunar ground could double as sensitive detectors for moonquakes, offering a lightweight, low-cost alternative to traditional seismometers. The idea builds on a technique called distributed acoustic sensing in which laser pulses sent through optical fibers can pick up tiny vibrations along the entire length of the fibers. (3/24)
China’s Astronstone Raises $29 Million for Reusable Rocket with Chopstick-Style Recovery (Source: Space News)
Astronstone, a Chinese launch startup founded only in 2024, has secured new funding as it builds toward the first flight of its reusable AS-1 rocket. Last year it secured over $13 million in early-stage funding to develop its AS-1 rocket — a stainless steel, methane-fueled, fully reusable launch vehicle. Clearly, the company is mirroring SpaceX’s design philosophy, as shown by its plan to implement “chopstick”-style arms for catching the rocket’s first stage during landing.
The AS-1 will be powered by a customized version of the 80-ton-thrust Longyun engine, developed by Jiuzhou Yunjian (JZYJ). With a diameter of 4.2 meters, a length of 70 meters, and a liftoff mass of 570 metric tons, the rocket is designed to deliver 10,000 kg to low Earth orbit in reusable mode, or 15,700 kg when expended. (3/24)
Space Development Agency Slows Satellite Launches to Focus on On-Orbit Performance (Source: Space News)
The Space Development Agency is slowing the pace of launches for the Pentagon’s low Earth orbit satellite constellation, stepping back from an earlier plan for frequent deployments as it works through technical issues with spacecraft already in orbit. (3/24)
NASA Second X-59 Flight Cut Short from Warning Light (Source: AIN)
NASA’s X-59 supersonic demonstrator returned to the skies on Friday morning for a nine-minute flight that was cut short after a warning light illuminated. However, NASA officials said they were still able to gather data during the second flight from the aircraft built in collaboration with Lockheed Martin at its Skunk Works facility in California. The aircraft first flew on October 28, reaching 12,000 feet and 200 knots. Plans for the second mission called for an hour-long flight that would expand the envelope to 20,000 feet and 225 knots.
This would be followed by a series of successive flights to further expand the flight profile as it prepared to participate in the NASA Quesst program to examine the effect of quieter supersonic technologies on a variety of communities. This data would be used internationally to contemplate whether supersonic flight over land could once again become possible.
The second flight was initially delayed after a caution light for a vehicle system went off at around 10 a.m. Friday morning, according to Cathy Bahm, project manager for the low boom flight demonstrator at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The system was reset, and “we were good to go,” Bahm said. At 10:54 a.m., the aircraft took off from Edwards Air Force Base in California, but landed at 11:03 a.m. after a separate, unrelated vehicle system warning illuminated. (3/23)
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