July 6, 2026

NASA’s TESS Mission Finds Planetary System in New Way (Source: NASA)
For the first time, NASA’s TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) mission has identified a planet orbiting a distant star thanks to ripples in space-time. Unlike the star-hugging transiting planets TESS regularly reveals, the newfound world is a super-Jupiter orbiting far from its host star. Astronomers found the first hint of the planet, called Gaia23bra b, in 2023 using ESA's (European Space Agency) now-retired Gaia space telescope.

Gaia’s alert system flagged a star that brightened — something that can happen when a foreground star passes in front of a more distant one and magnifies its light through gravitational microlensing. Researchers later looked back through archived TESS data and found TESS had caught it too. (7/1)

SES Falls as Barclays Flags 2026 Growth Risks and Starlink Threat (Source: Investing.com)
SES shares fell over 2% on Monday after Barclays downgraded the stock to “underweight” from “equal weight” rating and lowered its price target to €7.05 from €7.75. The broker cited three reasons for the downgrade. First, it said significant underlying improvement is required in several areas in 2026 to deliver consensus forecasts, which it called "possible but uncertain."

Second, Barclays said it is 5% below 2028 consensus on revenue and 3% below on adjusted EBITDA, driven by "fears around competition in particular." Third, the broker said it expects more focus on where Starlink and Amazon LEO satellite constellations can hurt incumbent operators as Starlink "continues to demonstrate strong growth." (7/6)

Space Travel’s Heavyweights Ponder a Future with Antimatter Rockets (Source: The Hill)
Recently, two of the powerful men on the planet where space policy is concerned had an exchange on the social media platform X about antimatter. The exchange is another example of how what was once science fiction is becoming reality. While the name antimatter invokes countless references in science fiction, it is a real thing. Antimatter is the mirror twin of matter, having the same mass but having opposite properties such as electric charges.

The reason that antimatter could become the ultimate spacecraft propellant is that when matter and antimatter collide, they are both transformed 100 percent into energy. Even a nuclear bomb converts only a small amount of its mass into an explosion that can wipe out a city. An antimatter rocket, one that uses the explosion caused by the fusion of matter and antimatter, would be orders of magnitude more efficient that a chemical or even a nuclear rocket. (7/5)

The Investors Scrambling to Keep SpaceX - and Elon Musk - Out of Their Portfolios (Source: Bloomberg)
Christopher Bejnar has spent the last couple of months combing through the fine print of exchange-traded funds, emailing financial advisers and moving money into European stocks – all to keep SpaceX out of his $1 million portfolio.

As Elon Musk’s newest public company heads into Nasdaq’s stock indexes this week, the 46-year-old software engineer in Philadelphia is making sure that none of his money is backing the Tesla and SpaceX founder who recently became the world’s first trillionaire. To stay away, Bejnar said he’s moved $50,000 into European index funds and bought shares of Rocket Lab Corp, a SpaceX rival. (7/6)

AI, Ex-Soviet Engineers, and the Holy Grail of Rocketry: Inside the Bold Bet to Rival SpaceX (Source: Fast Company)
Aerospace startup Aspire is designing a fully reusable rocket that could make launches cheaper. It might just beat Elon Musk at his own game. “The engine that we have now could have probably taken seven years and up to half a billion dollars,” said Stan Rudenko. “In our collaboration, it basically took half a year . . . and we already have a first version."

Rudenko is the CEO of Aspire Space Technologies, and the collaboration he’s talking about is with Leap 71, a Dubai-based computational engineering startup. They have formed an almost sci-fi alliance: A team staffed by the legends of the Soviet space program—engineers who built the Energia rocket and the fully autonomous Buran space shuttle—is joining forces with an autonomous AI software system and HBD, a Shanghai-based large-format metal additive manufacturer.

If they pull it off, they could become the most formidable enemy to SpaceX’s quasimonopoly on the commercial space economy. They plan to do it not by copying Elon Musk’s massive Starship, but by resurrecting the decades-old aerospace dream of the aerospike engine. They want to put it on Oryx, a two-stage vehicle that will make space launches cheaper than what’s available today. If it all works and they complete their timeline—from its late 2026 full-scale engine test to its 2031 first flight. (7/6)

‘Flight Originated From the Imagination’: How Artists Have Captured Space Travel (Source: Guardian)
Wearing a shiny silver spacesuit, Alan Shepard clutches his helmet and looks like an archetypal blue-eyed American hero. The 1961 portrait by Bruce Stevenson paid tribute to the first US astronaut in space. It also planted a seed. James Webb, the then administrator of NASA, saw the painting and was inspired to start the space agency’s own art program, believing that artists could bring a unique perspective to exploring the cosmos. From 1962 to 1974 it was led by James Dean, who then became the first art curator at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington. (7/6)

NASA Chief Says Agency Aiding Blue Origin Explosion Inquiry: ‘We Can’t Slow Down’ (Source: Washington Examiner)
NASA is assisting the investigation into Blue Origin’s May rocket explosion, its administrator confirmed Sunday, as the space agency tries to keep up the momentum for its Artemis moon program. Blue Origin’s New Glenn malfunction has threatened NASA's Artemis timeline, as the rocket in question and its payload could be selected for Artemis IV, the first crewed lunar landing since 1972. Jared Isaacman said the space agency is supporting Blue Origin in its investigation and expressed optimism that the company will solve the anomaly responsible for the New Glenn failure. (7/5)

Shetland Spaceport to Spend More Than £100k on Security (Source: The Herald)
Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) has been given permission to launch from the SaxaVord spaceport in Shetland, and a successful launch would be the first time satellites have been carried into space from Scottish, or British, soil. RFA appears to be on the verge of holding its first flight, with SaxaVord spaceport submitting a building warrant application detailing plans for a perimeter fence, which would cost around £120,000.

The application was submitted last week after the launch window began. RFA's maiden mission will carry a 500kg Earth observation satellite for a Scandinavian customer. Residents have been advised to apply for 'local residents passes' during the launch window, with temporary traffic restrictions to be in place for several hours at a time. (7/6)

China's Long March-8A Rocket Launches New Satellite Group (Source: Xinhua)
China sent a new satellite group into space on Sunday on a Long March 8A rocket from a commercial spacecraft launch site in the southern island province of Hainan. The satellite group was launched and entered its preset orbit successfully. (7/5)

NASA Leader Flew His Vintage Jet at DC Air Show Over FAA Objections (Source: Wall Street Journal)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman flew a vintage jet fighter at the Fourth of July air show over Washington, D.C., despite objections by federal air-safety regulators. The regulator initially denied Isaacman’s request to fly in the Freedom 250 celebration, calling the aircraft too dangerous for densely populated areas. A representative for Isaacman late last month petitioned the FAA to allow four 1970s-built jets to join aircraft flying over the National Mall. (7/5)

Euclid Discovers the Most Ancient Quasar in the Universe (Source: ESA)
The European Space Agency’s Euclid space telescope has discovered 31 of the most ancient quasars ever found. Two of these giant and dazzling galaxy cores, powered by gargantuan black holes, are the earliest quasars yet observed in cosmic history. They shone with the light of a trillion Suns back when the Universe was 670 million years old – just 5% of its current age. (7/6)

NASA Astronauts Will Plant Capitol-Flown Flag on Next Moon Landing (Source: Collect Space)
NASA now has the next United States flag to be deployed on the surface of the moon. A member of the last mission to land on the moon, joined by the most recent astronauts to fly there, accepted the red, white and blue banner during a speech by President Donald Trump late night on Saturday (July 4) as part of a "Salute to America" semiquincentennial celebration. (7/5)

Isaacman: China May Land on Moon Before US Does it Again (Source: TASS)
China could land a man on the Moon before American astronauts return to it, said NASA Director Jared Isaacman. "The Chinese will land their taiconauts on the moon. There's no question," he said. "The question is ‘Will the United States return before them, and will we do so in a different way this time? Will we build the base, establish that enduring presence.’ I think the answer is ‘Yes’. "We are very much in a space race right now, and the Chinese are moving at incredible speeds." (7/5)

NASA Tests Advanced New Mars Rover Prototype in the California Desert (Source: Space.com)
A new rover prototype is teaching NASA scientists how to design robots that can think for themselves and navigate terrain that would leave old rovers stuck in the lunar or Martian dust. The Exploration Rover for Navigating Extreme Sloped Terrain (ERNEST), developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, recently completed a 16-mile (26 kilometers) trek through the desert in Southern California. The journey took more than 37 hours of driving time over the course of seven days, and ERNEST completed it almost entirely autonomously, "with minimal intervention" from engineers monitoring the test, according to a JPL statement. (7/5)

Mysterious Debris Found on Queensland Beaches Could be ‘Space Balls’ – and May Contain Toxic Rocket Fuel (Source: The Guardian)
Six pieces of suspected space debris found washed up on north Queensland beaches could be “space balls” that are often left over from rocket launches, according to one expert. The Australian Space Agency confirmed on Sunday it was working to determine the nature and origin of the mysterious objects, which police said were suspected of containing hazardous chemicals. (7/5)

A Rapid Advance to a European Manned Space Launcher (Source: Robert Clark)
Adding a 4th Prometheus engine to Europe's Maia launch vehicle's first stage will allow carriage of 8 tonnes to orbit. Note that the Apollo capsule only massed 6 tons. This means already by 2027 Europe could have its own manned-flight-capable all-liquid launcher. I’m aware that there has been discussion of making the Ariane 6 a manned launcher, but after the Challenger accident the use of large SRBs is less desirable, the SLS notwithstanding. (7/4)

South Korea's LG Innotek Seeks to Provide Satellite Substrates for SpaceX (Source: Maeil Business)
If LG Innotek succeeds in supplying satellite substrates to SpaceX, it will join the supply chain for the rapidly growing Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite market. There is also speculation that the company could connect to the space-based AI data center market that SpaceX is pursuing as a future industry.

However, despite SpaceX's aggressive goals, some analysts say it will take more than 10 years for Starlink and space-based AI data centers to become a reality because of technical and financial burdens. Even if the deal leads to an actual contract, it will take time before it translates into meaningful results in revenue and operating profit. (7/5)

Scientist Who Cleaned Space Toilet on Work Experience Now Leading Mars Exploration Teams (Source: BBC)
Cleaning a space toilet while on work experience was Claire Parfitt's first introduction to a career away from Earth's orbit. But she never imagined her time at the National Space Science Centre in Leicester, when she was 14, would one day see her lead a team exploring future Mars missions.

Parfitt, originally from Nottingham, now works for the European Space Agency's European Space Research and Technology Centre in the Netherlands. The 42-year-old joined the space industry after securing a physics degree and a PhD in spacecraft power systems engineering. (7/5)

Japan's Hayabusa2 Successfully Observes Asteroid Torifune (Source: Jiji)
Japan's Hayabusa2 unmanned probe successfully flew past the asteroid Torifune at close range on Sunday, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said. The probe is in normal condition, JAXA said. According to the plan, Hayabusa2 passed about 800 meters from the center of Torifune at around 6:30 pm Japan time to take pictures of its surface and observe it with an infrared camera and a spectrometer. Torifune is located about 100 million kilometers from Earth. (7/5)

Gaganyaan Mission: ISRO Successfully Conducts First SOLVE Ground Test (Source: The Hindu)
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully carried out the first ground test of the Sub-Orbital Launch Vehicle for Experiments (SOLVE) solid motor at the Static Test Facility, Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. The SOLVE solid motor is a key component for conducting Gaganyaan Test Missions and the first ground test was carried out on July 3. (7/5)

July 5, 2026

Semiconductor Manufacturing Test Bed Took Suborbital Flight on Falcon 9 Starlink Launch (Source: Spaceflight Now)
Two semiconductor fabrication test beds hitched a sub-orbital ride on the first stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that launched another batch of Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral shortly after sunrise Sunday. The Falcon 9 first-stage booster carried two manufacturing pods for Washington, D.C.-based startup Besxar Space Industries on an eight-minute, 19-second ride to space and back.

In October 2025, the company revealed it had booked 12 Falcon 9 flights to test the space-based semiconductor substrate manufacturing plants it calls ‘Fabships’. In announcing its plans, Besxar said it would use the vacuum of space to produce ultra-pure substrates and precursor materials for the semiconductors essential for electronic devices. (7/4)

Austria Taps R-Space for Its Second Military Sat (Source: Payload)
The Austrian Ministry of Defense has selected local startup R-Space to act as the prime contractor for the country’s second military satellite, which is expected to launch in 2027. The mission—dubbed Aurora—will attempt to demonstrate space-to-ground laser communications, as well as quantum encryption technologies, using Austrian space industry expertise. (7/2)

Military Spectrum is Now Fair Game for Private Sector; X-Band is a Target at the ITU’s WRC-27 Conference (Source: Space Intel Report)
International regulators are facing increased pressure from the private sector to free up historically military spectrum for commercial space and terrestrial networks, part of a broader push by the private sector on the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Regulators said the pressure will only increase as new technology could make it simpler for satellite constellation operators to bypass the ITU as too slow and too wedded to consensus. (7/2)

Vodafone Ireland Conducts Emergency Services D2D Call With AST SpaceMobile (Source: Via Satellite)
Vodafone Ireland has conducted a successful test call with AST SpaceMobile’s satellite constellation as part of tests for connectivity for emergency and first responders. Vodafone Ireland reported the tests on July 2, which were conducted with Satellite Connect Europe, the joint venture between Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile, also working with Ireland’s Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO). (7/2)

Southern Launch Closes $25 Million Funding Round (Source: Southern Launch)
Southern Launch, Australia's leading space company, the force behind the nation's first commercial rocket launch and the world's first commercial spacecraft re-entry, has closed a $25 million Series A to scale its spaceport infrastructure, grow its workforce and accelerate launch, re-entry, and range services. (6/30)

Nebex Raises $30M to Build Market Infrastructure for the Global Space Economy (Source: Nebex)
Nebex announced a $30M seed investment led by GV (Google Ventures). The company also announced a banking relationship with J.P. Morgan. The capital raise and new banking relationship will help Nebex scale its platform and connect sovereign space programs with the founders and companies building new technologies to serve the space industry. Nebex builds on a $1B-plus track record in commercial space deals with sovereign governments, SpaceX, and NASA. (6/29)

Ascent Solar’s Thin-Film Space Solar Products Experience Zero Damage in Atomic Oxygen Exposure Test Campaign (Source: Ascent Solar)
Ascent Solar Technologies, an innovator in the design and manufacturing of featherweight, flexible thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solutions, announced the results of its preliminary Atomic Oxygen (AO) exposure testing for its space grade thin-film PV products. Testing has shown significant resilience to Atomic Oxygen in Low-Earth Orbit. (6/29)

ICEYE Extends Wildfire Intelligence Coverage to Canada (Source: ICEYE)
ICEYE announced the expansion of its wildfire intelligence capabilities to Canada, cementing the company’s position as a global wildfire intelligence provider and bringing critical tools to one of the world’s most wildfire-exposed countries. (7/1)

Texas Space Commission Approves Multiple Studies and Grant Initiatives (Source: TSC)
The Texas Space Commission (TSC) Board of Directors (Board) met last week and approved multiple solicitations and information-gathering instruments, including for: a study and report on the viability of Texas sites that may support launch and/or re-entry activities; and a matching fund for SBIR/STTR grants.

Also approved were: an RFI to identify existing thermal vacuum chamber facilities that could support in-space environmental testing and evaluation; an RFI to identify existing facilities and mobile technologies that could support vibroacoustic and electromagnetic environment evaluation; an RFI to identify critical infrastructure needs for Texas companies engaged in national security space architecture; an RFI to identify environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS) for emergent human spaceflight missions; and an RFI to identify a shared-user propulsion facility for testing, evaluation as well as research and development. (7/3)

Unseen Threats Overhead: Drones Endanger U.S. Launch Sites (Source: Space News)
Drones have already proven disruptive to launch operations, and spaceports and launch sites need better technological, legislative, and military protection in order to keep the launch cadence running, according to Greg Hoyt and Chuck Webb at ENSCO. They argue that "we need better situational awareness, proper response plans and an updated legal framework to respond to drone interference with space launch."

Specifically, they suggest that FAA controllers, range safety teams and security forces need better shared situational awareness that's intuitive to use across multiple sensors and systems. Also, Hoyt and Webb argue that every launch should develop a drone risk assessment and response plan, and that military and security forces be enabled to prevent and intervene when a drone approaches a launch site.

"The question for policymakers and leaders is not whether unauthorized drones will continue to appear near launch sites; they will. The question is whether U.S. space launch ranges will be prepared to prevent the drone disruption when they do," they wrote. (7/3)

GAO Flags Satellite Costs, Launch Risks in Space Force Portfolio (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force has earned a reputation inside the Pentagon for moving faster than traditional military acquisition programs. But a new government watchdog report suggests some space procurements continue to confront many of the same problems that have plagued defense acquisitions for decades. (7/4)

South Korea Sets 2035 Target for Homegrown Starlink-Style Network (Source: Korea Economic Daily)
South Korea plans to build a homegrown low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications network by 2035, as it seeks to reduce its reliance on foreign systems such as SpaceX’s Starlink. The initiative comes as satellite connectivity becomes central to 6G, national security and commercial space ambitions. (7/3)

SpaceX Launches Wednesday Starlink Mission From California (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites Wednesday night. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 10:57 p.m. Eastern, placing 24 satellites into orbit. The satellites joined more than 1,600 launched in the first half of the year. (7/3)

China Launches Marine Science Satellite on Long March 4B (Source: Xinhua)
China launched a marine science satellite. A Long March 4B lifted off at 7:46 p.m. Eastern Wednesday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. It placed into orbit Haiyang-2E, the latest satellite in a program to study ocean conditions. (7/3)

Explosion at Anduril Solid Rocket Motor Plant (Source: WIRED)
Defense technology company Anduril suffered an explosion at a plant that produces solid rocket motors. The explosion took place last Friday on a test stand at an Anduril factory in Mississippi. There were no injuries, but the extent of the damage was not clear. The company is developing motors there for use in testing prototype motors. The company had planned to start full-scale motor production there a year ago, but sources said that has yet to get underway. (7/3)

ESA Decommissions Sentinel 1-A, Prepares for De-Orbit (Source: ESA)
ESA has decommissioned a radar-imaging satellite. Sentinel-1A ended operations on Monday, more than 12 years after launch. Controllers will now work to deorbit the satellite. Sentinel-1A, part of the Copernicus Earth observation program, has been replaced by two newer satellites, Sentinel-1C and -1D. (7/3)

NASA Seeks Volunteers for Exploration Analog Mission at JSC (Source: NASA)
If you're looking to really get away from it all, NASA has just the thing. The agency is seeking volunteers for a year-long analog astronaut mission called the Moon and Mars Exploration Analog, in which people will spend a year in simulated habitats at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. The agency has done similar tests before, including an ongoing year-long mission in a simulated Mars habitat. The upcoming test will combine the Mars habitat with another habitat that will simulate a spaceship. The simulated mission is scheduled to begin no earlier than August 2027. (7/3)

First Known Congressional SpaceX Stock Buys Surface After Record IPO (Source: CNBC)
Reps. Dan Meuser, R-PA, and Gil Cisneros, D-CA, appear to be the first members of Congress known to have disclosed that they or their family members purchased SpaceX stock after Elon Musk’s company went public in June. The filings are notable because Meuser sits on the House Financial Services Committee, while Cisneros sits on the House Armed Services Committee, which oversees the Defense Department, a major SpaceX customer.

There is no evidence either lawmaker traded on nonpublic information or violated the law. The purchases could be an early sign of more congressional SpaceX trades to surface in coming disclosures. (7/3)

July 4, 2026

Surface CubeSat Contracted for Ramses Asteroid Mission (Source: ESA)
The European Space Agency has contracted Spanish company EMXYS for the first CubeSat designed to operate on the surface of an asteroid. Don Quijote is a shoebox-sized spacecraft that will be deployed onto the Apophis asteroid by ESA’s Ramses mission before the asteroid flies by Earth on 13 April 2029. (7/2)

Isar Aerospace to Launch Satellite for Planet Germany (Source: European Spaceflight)
The German-based subsidiary of Planet Labs has selected Isar Aerospace to launch one of the company’s Pelican Earth observation satellites aboard a Spectrum rocket. The companies plan to complete the launch in less than 12 months. The strategic launch agreement includes provisions for additional satellites to be carried aboard future launches. (7/2)

Former Transport Canada Executive Elsa Henchiri Leads New NordSpace Ottawa Office (Source: SpaceQ)
NordSpace has expanded its footprint with a new Ottawa office dedicated to policy, regulatory compliance, and government relations. The office marks the company’s fourth domestic site as the space manufacturer works toward initiating orbital launches. To lead the Ottawa operation, NordSpace hired Elsa Henchiri as vice-president of policy and government relations. (7/2)

UNOOSA Calls for More Forward-Looking and People-Centered Space Policy at European Space Forum (Source: Tech Review Africa)
The UN Office for Outer Space Affairs has called for more forward-looking and people-centered space policymaking, emphasizing the need for global institutions to adapt to a rapidly evolving commercial and technological space environment. Director Aarti Holla-Maini delivered a keynote address alongside senior representatives from the European Commission and ESA, focusing on how the global space sector has transformed over the past five years. (7/4)

India's Skyroot Readies Maiden Vikram-1 Flight (Source: Space News)
Skyroot Aerospace Pvt announced that it was gearing up for the debut launch of Vikram-1 — India’s first privately designed and developed orbital rocket — between July 12 and August 4, in what would be a critical milestone for the country’s first space unicorn after facing several delays. “This will be partially commercial flight, with the company planning to commence full commercial flights after one or two successful demonstrations to orbit,” Skyroot said. The test flight will have a mix of domestic and international customers, it added, without disclosing names. (7/2)

Russia’s High-Stakes Bid to Chase SpaceX Stumbles Out of the Gate (Source: Bloomberg)
Russia’s efforts to create its own version of Starlink, Elon Musk’s internet satellite network, are off to a rough start. Some six years after SpaceX began launching its network — now comprising more than 10,000 units in low-Earth orbit — Russia’s first batch of 16 Rassvet (“Dawn”) satellites finally went to orbit in March. Then by June 9, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that one of them had already failed. (7/2)

Amazon’s Leo LEO Constellation Nears 400 Satellites After ULA Launch, Setting Up Initial Service Later This Year (Source: Space News)
Amazon says its Leo low-Earth-orbit satellite broadband network is now large enough for continuous service across initial latitudes, following a United Launch Alliance mission that pushed the orbiting satellite count over 390. Amazon plans to begin initial internet service later this year as it competes with SpaceX’s Starlink dominance. (7/2)

Starship in Florida Pushing for Launch This Year (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
Starship launches from Cape Canaveral are getting closer and closer as SpaceX and its contractors continue to finish work on LC-39A and the Gigabay. There has also been significant progress at SLC-37A, the fourth Starship pad to be built. The Gigabay at Roberts Road began around March of 2025, when the foundation was laid. Since then, crews have made tons of progress. The structural steel is finished, with the cladding and roof nearly completed. So far, both smaller doors have been installed, with work proceeding on the two large doors where completed vehicles will roll out.

Since work on LC-39A resumed in February 2025, the pad is likely just a few months away from becoming operational. A major indication that the pad is nearing operational status is that ridge cap and bucket deluge testing has begun. So far, only a few tests have been observed, but it’s a good sign as SpaceX needs to hone in on the new setup compared to Pad 2. At LC-39A, SpaceX has added additional gas generators to each water deluge subsystem.

SpaceX’s second Starship launch complex, located at SLC-37, is progressing with construction. So far at SLC-37A, the LR13000 crane has stacked four out of nine modules for that tower. Each module for this tower was outfitted with more hardware before stacking than the other three towers SpaceX has stacked so far, thanks to the awesome power of the LR13000 crawler crane. Also, the flame trench for this pad has been fully excavated, and rebar installation for the 3 sections of the trench floor is underway. (7/3)

Chinese Satellite Maker Raises $191M (Source: NatSec Pulse)
Hongqing Technology, a Chinese satellite manufacturer, has secured $191 million in funding, one of the largest raises for a Chinese commercial satellite maker. The company is an affiliate of launch firm Landspace. This funding round could enhance China's satellite manufacturing capabilities, potentially impacting the global space industry and national security. The investment may also accelerate the development of new space technologies. (7/3)

Nature's Mars Simulator Scores Your Terraforming Skills (Source: Boing Boing)
The journal Nature has posted a simplified but surprisingly entertaining and informative Mars terraforming simulation. For each of the five steps in the process: heat the planet, make a water plan, clean the dirt, start to farm, and make an atmosphere safe for people, you select an option from a list of choices. Each step is scored, and links are provided to further reading about your choice.

For a more complex take on making the red planet habitable, try the Terraforming Mars board game, but be sure to set aside a few hours. The game takes a while to learn and two to three hours to play, but it is considered one of the best modern tabletop games. It is also available as a well-implemented video game on Steam. (7/1)

Report Links Starliner Problems to Overconfidence and Unrealistic Schedules (Source: Space News)
A new report links the long-running technical problems with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner commercial crew vehicle to a combination of overconfidence, unrealistic schedules and NASA’s lack of insight into the vehicle. The report by NASA’s Office of Inspector General adds to the uncertainty about when Starliner will be approved for crewed missions to the International Space Station despite optimism from Boeing’s chief executive. (7/1)

Webb Studies How a Planet Survived the Death of its Star (Source: ESA)
An international team of astronomers has used the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to watch the Jupiter-sized exoplanet WD 1856 b transit its host star, measuring the planet’s mass and temperature and even detecting its atmosphere. They found that the planet is significantly warmer than expected and determined how it most likely reached its very tight orbit around the star, a white dwarf. The results are our first window into the future of planets like Jupiter after the death of the Sun, billions of years into the future. (7/1)

NASA's Kennedy Space Center to Host U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds in November (Source: Florida Today)
In a newly announced show, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will take to the sky Nov. 7-8 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Florida's Space Coast. The November appearance at KSC was included in a revised season schedule posted last week on the Thunderbirds' Facebook and Instagram pages. The show has yet to be added to the Thunderbirds' website. (7/2)

In a First For Science, a Satellite Has Identified What It's Seeing From Space (Source: Science Alert)
The standard approach to satellite imagery is to snap huge batches of pictures and beam them back to Earth, where they can be sifted through by human operators and the best available algorithms. It's all worked well so far, but the time, transmission bandwidth, and energy required are starting to become bottlenecks. Modern satellites are simply capturing more pixels than scientists have time to look at.

However, the YAM-9 satellite has just done something different: It has identified and described features in its image scans without needing to check back with ground control. Not only that, but it can be instructed with natural prompts that you might use with Google Gemini or Siri, such as "find me all the railway hubs in this country". (7/1)

FCC Moves to Speed Up Approvals for Next-Gen Satellite Broadband Launches (Source: PC Mag)
It used to take a year or longer for new satellite systems to secure FCC approval to launch into space. But a new proposal aims to shorten the wait to as little as weeks or months to help the US unleash more next-gen satellite services. The FCC today announced that it will vote on a new Space Modernization Order at its July 22 meeting. It's intended to speed up satellite licensing approvals, “significantly reducing red tape and boosting the rollout of space-based broadband.”

The new rules are the culmination of the agency's push to fast-track satellite approvals by eliminating outdated rules and adopting a “licensing assembly line” approach to make the process more predictable and easier for companies to navigate. (7/1)

NASA’s Newest Wind Tunnel Builds on Legacy of Innovation (Source: NASA)
For more than 100 years, wind tunnels at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, have helped shape the future of flight. Now, two of NASA’s longest-serving facilities — the 12-Foot Low-Speed Tunnel and the 20-Foot Vertical Spin Tunnel — will pass the torch to the Flight Dynamics Research Facility (FDRF), the first major NASA wind tunnel built in more than 40 years. 

When the FDRF opens later this year, it will provide enhanced versions of the capabilities offered by the two legacy facilities. The FDRF’s test section will allow researchers to drop models into a rising vertical airflow. This will offer researchers the ability to conduct spin tests of aircraft and free-flight tests of vehicles designed to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere from space. (6/29)

DeSantis Signs $117.6 Billion Florida Budget, Vetoes Millions in Central Florida Projects (Sources: Click Orlando, SPACErePORT)
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed Florida’s fiscal year 2026-27 budget into law, approving a $117.6 billion spending plan that he says continues the state’s trend of reducing overall spending. The governor vetoed more than $800 million from the final budget, cutting several projects across Central Florida. In Brevard County, vetoes included $2.5 million for the Brevard Zoo Indian River Lagoon Innovative Wastewater System and Education Hub, along with $400,000 for a replacement facility for the Melbourne Fire Department Training Center.

Space-focused spending includes $17.5 million for Space Florida, $21 million for strategic aerospace project investments and economic development initiatives intended to attract and expand launch, manufacturing, and space technology companies in Florida. $1 million was earmarked for an Off-World Data Backup Program, directing Space Florida to contract with a Florida-based aerospace company to provide active orbital data storage services designed to bolster state disaster recovery and cybersecurity resilience. Editor's Note: I'm guessing that's for Chris Stott's Lonestar Space data storage company, based in St. Petersburg. Or their partner Sidus Space. (6/30)

LINK Spacecraft Launched on Pegasus to Rescue Swift Observatory (Source: Douglas Messier)
Teams have successfully established communications with Katalyst Space’s robotic servicing spacecraft LINK, which is designed to raise the orbit of NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to a higher altitude. Making contact with LINK was the spacecraft’s first in-orbit operation, after launch and separation Friday from Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL rocket and power-on. Over the next several weeks, Katalyst will perform checkout procedures for LINK, including assessments of its propulsion, sensor, and navigation systems. (7/3)

Amazon Leo Ready For Initial Service After Final Atlas V Deployment (Source: Aviation Week)
Amazon says it is ready to commence initial service with its low-Earth-orbit broadband offering following the deployment of 29 satellites on an Atlas V rocket. The Atlas V lifted off at 12:30 a.m. ET from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral SFS in what was the rocket's final mission for Amazon. It deployed 29 satellites, growing the Amazon Leo constellation to more than 390 satellites. (7/1)

Space Force’s Proposed Budget Increase Would Largely Go to Existing Programs (Source: Aerospace America)
The majority of the increased funding the Pentagon is requesting for the U.S. Space Force for fiscal year 2027 would be directed “into existing programs,” according to Melissa Blakesly, an Air Force official working on the budget process. The Pentagon has requested $71.1 billion for the Space Force for fiscal 2027, up from the $31.6 billion the service received in fiscal 2026. The request includes “about $40 billion for RDT&E and $19 billion for procurement,” Blakesly said. (7/1)

AST SpaceMobile Finalizes Assembly of Next-Generation BlueBirds for August SpaceX Launch (Source: SatNews)
Direct-to-device (D2D) satellite operator AST SpaceMobile, Inc. has officially entered final flight preparations and logistics processing for its next major orbital campaign. According to an updated programmatic roadmap released by corporate leadership, the company’s next three next-generation satellites—BlueBirds 11, 12, and 13—are scheduled for an orbital rideshare deployment during the first half of August 2026. (7/1)

Polish Space Tech Company Sybilla Technologies Secures Funds to Enter U.S. Market (Source: Space News)
The Polish state-owned bank BGK and European venture capital firm 3TS Capital Partners have unveiled an investment of around 35 million zloty ($10 million) in Poland’s space tech company Sybilla Technologies. The funding is aimed at enabling the company’s entry into the U.S. market. (7/2)

FAA Issues 10-Year Forecast for Licensed Commercial Space Operations (Source: FAA)
In its new 10-year forecast for licensed commercial space operations, the FAA is predicting nearly 4,300 launches and reentries under the high-case scenario between FY 2026 and FY 2036. Operations would steadily increase annually from more than 200 to more than 500 per year.  The projected growth reflects anticipated demand for satellite deployment, crew and cargo transportation, in-orbit servicing, assembly, and manufacturing, development of lunar outposts, space tourism, and Mars settlement efforts.

The forecast is based on data provided by existing licensed operators, and to the extent possible, planned activity of prospective license applicants. It also accounts for potential changes in the number of launch operators and the increased use of reusable and larger launch vehicles with greater payload capacities. Click here. (7/2)

Perovskite Solar Panel Startup Verde Technologies Shifts Focus to Space (Source: Space News)
Verde Technologies is turning to space to commercialize perovskite-based solar panels, shifting its initial focus away from rooftops in a bet that the thin-film material can help power orbital data centers and other large constellations. (7/2)

SpaceX Analyst Debut Set to Test $2.2 Trillion Valuation (Source: Bloomberg)
Investors in SpaceX have been largely flying blind since the company’s record-breaking IPO last month, with few financial projections to help determine what the stock is actually worth. That changes next week, when the quiet period ends for analysts at banks that underwrote the $86 billion initial public offering, which was led by Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Morgan Stanley, Bank of America Corp., Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase & Co., with 18 other banks participating.

Starting Tuesday, investors should expect a pile of new research, price targets and growth estimates, all of which should help shed light on where the shares are likely headed in the near term and over the next few years. (7/2)

Private Space Pilots are Flying Orbital Missions for the US Space Force (Source: Tech Crunch)
True Anomaly and Rocket Lab, completed a rendezvous mission for the U.S. Space Force last week so complex, it was like something out of “Top Gun.” Their two rival satellites met up in orbit, close enough for one to capture imagery of the other. The exercise, dubbed Victus Haze, demonstrated the close inspection of a space vehicle soon after it arrived in orbit, a necessity in a world where the U.S., Russia, and China are deploying novel space weapons. (7/2)

China has 400 Private Space Companies. The West is Barely Paying Attention (Source: MSN)
China’s private space industry barely existed a decade ago. Today, more than 400 commercial space companies are operating in the country, developing reusable rockets, satellite constellations, space-tourism ventures, and even asteroid-mining projects. While most Western attention remains focused on SpaceX and Elon Musk, a new generation of Chinese entrepreneurs is quietly transforming China’s role in the global space economy.

This development is often overlooked because many Western observers continue to see China’s space program as a purely state-run enterprise. That perception is increasingly outdated. While state-owned organizations remain powerful, private companies have become an important driver of innovation and competition. Until 2014, virtually all space activity in China was conducted by government organizations and state-owned enterprises. Then a series of reforms opened the door to private investment. One of the most important catalysts for this change was the rise of SpaceX. (7/3)

July 2, 2026

The War Hits Home for Roscosmos (Source: Douglas Messier)
The Ukraine General Staff reported that the military conducted strikes against a subsidiary of the government-owned Roscosmos corporation that runs Russia’s space program. The JSC Research Institute of Physical Measurements (NIIFI) in Penza, Russia was struck over the night of June 30 and July 1. NIIFI is a leading manufacturer of sensors for space vehicles, fighter jets, strategic bombers, and cruise and ballistic missiles.

NIIFI is part of the Russian Space Systems holding company, which is a subsidiary of Roscosmos. The United States imposed sanctions on Russian Space Systems in January 2025. NASA continues to cooperate with Roscosmos on operation of the International Space Station. (7/1)

End of SpaceX's FOMO Trade Exposes Deeper Problem (Source; Bloomberg)
SpaceX, the most hyped initial public offering in years, peaked on its third day of trading and has lost about 15% of its value since. It’s been a volatile and somewhat disappointing performance for the FOMO-driven retail traders who bought record1amounts of its shares in those frenzied early days. If SpaceX turns into a dog in public markets, it will join a long line of ultra-hyped megacap IPOs that underperformed in their early years — after making private market investors immensely rich. (7/1)

Space Florida Announces Israel Aerospace Partnership Winners (Source: Space Florida)
Space Florida, the state's aerospace finance and development authority, and the Israel Innovation Authority, an independent publicly funded agency dedicated to fostering innovation ecosystems, announced the award recipients of the 13th round of funding from the Space Florida-Israel Innovation Partnership Program. To date, Florida and Israel have helped fund over $23 million in valuable and innovative research.

This year's winners are two Florida-Israeli partnerships advancing next-generation aerospace and aviation technologies:  MySky Eco, Inc. of Port Orange, FL and Airwayz  of Tel Aviv, Israel will receive $400,000. SRF Consulting Group, Inc. of Tallahassee, FL and Mobility Insight LTD of Kfar Saba, Israel will receive $200,000. The Space Florida-Israel Innovation Partnership Program has supported the research, development, and commercialization of aerospace and related technology projects for the benefit of Florida's and Israel's economy since 2013. (7/1)

Nebex Raises $30 Million Seed Round (Source: Mach 33)
Nebex, a space fintech founded by former Axiom Space CEO Tejpaul Bhatia, disclosed a $30 million seed round, and concurrently announced a banking relationship with J.P. Morgan. Nebex is building an online exchange to connect U.S. space companies selling technology, foreign governments seeking to acquire space capabilities, and the investors financing those transactions, to resolve the cross-border payment friction that national security export controls impose.

U.S. ITAR and EAR controls restrict technology transfers to foreign governments, and Nebex cannot clear sovereign deals at scale until its compliance-automation layer satisfies them. Bhatia reports that foreign space agencies and institutional investors are already approaching the company to negotiate contracts ahead of a launch targeted for later in 2026, none of which becomes revenue until the platform is live. (6/29)

White House Picks Harvard Professor with Polarizing Alien Theories to Lead New UFO Council (Source: PBS)
A polarizing Harvard astronomer known for splashy theories about alien visits has been tapped by the White House to lead a team of outside scientists to study the national security risks posed by UFOs. Avi Loeb, a cosmologist who studied black holes and served as head of Harvard's astronomy department until 2020, was recently appointed to helm a new scientific advisory council tasked with investigating the origins of mysterious orbs and other objects reported by military personnel in recent years. It's part of President Donald Trump's push to declassify more information about the issue. (6/30)

Port Canaveral Weighs Future of Unused Exploration Tower, Closed Since 2022 (Source: Florida Today)
Exploration Tower at Port Canaveral opened to great fanfare in 2013, and the $23 million building quickly an iconic sight welcoming visitors to one of the world's busiest cruise ports. But for the last four years the building has sat empty, and the Port still has not decided its future. Exploration Tower currently costs the Canaveral Port Authority $250,000 annually in maintenance. Port officials are actively weighing the building's future, considering options between a costly reuse or potential demolition.

The iconic 22,000-square-foot structure was originally designed as an exhibition center, museum, and observation tower, but it struggled financially, losing more than $2 million during its first nine years. Port officials have evaluated its viability and continue to deliberate, as finding a tenant willing to cover the proposed $803,000 yearly lease has proven difficult. (7/1)

Thales Alenia to Build GEO Commsat for Qatari Operator (Source: Thales Alenia)
Thales Alenia Space won a contract to build a geostationary communications satellite for a Qatari operator. Thales Alenia said Tuesday it signed a contract with Es'hailSat to build Eshail-3/Türksat-Biruni. The satellite, based on Thales Alenia's Space INSPIRE (INstant SPace In-orbit REconfiguration) bus with a software-defined payload, will provide communications services from Europe through Central Asia, with Es'hailSat sharing the satellite with Turkish operator Turksat. The companies did not disclose a planned launch date for the spacecraft. (7/1)

Vera Rubin Begins Night Sky Survey (Source: New Scientist)
The Vera Rubin Observatory has kicked off a decade-long survey of the night sky. The observatory announced Tuesday it officially started the Legacy Survey of Space and Time, which will spend the next 10 years performing the most detailed survey to date of the universe using the observatory's eight-meter telescope in Chile. The telescope will be able to observe the entire southern sky every few nights, helping astronomers monitor changes ranging from supernova explosions to near Earth asteroids. Testing of the observatory over the last year has already led to the discovery of 11,000 asteroids. (7/1)

A Third of Humanity Can No Longer See the Milky Way (Source: Space Daily)
For nearly all of human history, the night sky was a fixed feature of being alive — and then, quietly, it wasn't. Every human who lived before roughly 1900 shared one experience we've nearly lost: a sky thick with stars, the Milky Way arcing overhead like spilled milk, bright enough to cast a shadow.

To not see it is not a small thing. It is to lose the oldest calendar, the oldest map, the oldest mirror humans ever had. What strikes us is how invisible the loss feels. Nobody mourns a sky they never knew was theirs. The glow that erases it looks like safety, progress, home. And yet the fix is almost absurdly reversible. Light pollution, unlike most environmental damage, vanishes the instant you switch off the lamp. The stars are still up there, waiting. (7/1)

X1.1 Solar Flare Triggers Radio Blackouts Across North America (Source: Space.com)
A powerful X1.1 solar flare caused radio blackouts across parts of North America on June 3. The flare raises questions about whether an accompanying CME could drive auroral activity, underscoring how space weather can quickly disrupt terrestrial communications. The reported X1.1 flare and resulting radio blackouts show how quickly space weather can affect communications over large geographic areas. The event links directly to space-derived hazard monitoring used by satellite operators and communications stakeholders managing service continuity. (7/1)

Dish/EchoStar Satellite-TV and Wireless Affiliates File for Bankruptcy to cut ~$9 Billion Debt After Spectrum Sales to SpaceX (Source: Space News)
Dish DBS and its EchoStar wireless subsidiaries have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy under a prepackaged restructuring plan aimed at repaying debt early. The move follows delays around a crucial AT&T-related transaction and follows spectrum sales to SpaceX and AT&T, reshaping the group’s capital position. (7/1)

Vantor (Maxar) Launches WorldView 3D with Updated High-Definition Earth Imagery (Source: Space News)
Vantor, the company previously known as Maxar Intelligence, unveiled WorldView 3D July 1, to provide customers with updated and high-definition imagery. The WorldView 3D line includes two products. WorldView 3D Rapid allows customers to task satellites and receive updated 3D maps with a resolution of 50-centimeters within 24 hours. For 3D maps at 15-centimeter resolution produced from satellite imagery, customers can opt for WorldView 3D High Definition (HD). WorldView 3D HD promises 3-meter accuracy in three dimensions, compared with 4 meters for WorldView 3D Rapid.  (7/1)

FAA Proposes Rule to Enable Supersonic Flight Over the Continental United States (Source: AeroTime)
The FAA has proposed a new rule that would set the stage for civil supersonic flights over the continental United States, a step toward lifting restrictions that have been in place since the 1970s. US Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced the proposed rule on June 30, 2026, saying advances in supersonic technology now make it possible to operate these aircraft without producing a disruptive sonic boom on the ground. (7/1)

Scientists Start Mapping Out Crewed Mission to Huge Saturn Moon Titan (Source: Space.com)
After Earth's moon and Mars, where could humans plant their footprints? The "Humans to Titan Summit 2026" explored the concept of Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, as the next human exploration destination, post-Mars. Researchers looked into how demanding such a trek could be and what would be required to make it, along with next steps to further that ambitious goal.

"Everyone recognizes that the reality of this is a long way off," said Amanda Hendrix, "but normalizing the idea   — that Titan is actually a very reasonable destination for humans  — is important." Taking this goal seriously means that "we can have a next destination in our minds, after Mars," she added. "That keeps the momentum going." (6/30)

NASA May Send a Backup, Nuclear-Powered Mars Rover to the Moon (Source: Ars Technica)
NASA officials said Tuesday that they are seriously considering sending the full-scale engineering model of the Perseverance rover, which is currently housed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, to the Moon to expedite their efforts to explore the south pole region.

The car-sized rover nicknamed “Promise,” which serves as a testbed for Perseverance and was not otherwise planned for a launch, would land equipped with a multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) to power it across difficult terrain and through the lunar night. NASA’s other rovers primarily operate on solar power. (6/30)

Latitude to Launch Inaugural Flight from Oman (Source: European Spaceflight)
French rocket builder Latitude has signed a letter of intent to conduct the planned inaugural flight of its launch vehicle from Oman’s Etlaq Spaceport. The company declined to disclose details of how the project would be funded. Latitude is developing a small two-stage rocket that remains unnamed and will be capable of delivering payloads of up to 200 kilograms to low Earth orbit. As recently as June 2025, the company had said that the rocket’s inaugural flight would take place from a new shared launch facility at the Guiana Space Center. (7/1)

Should the ISS be Extended Beyond 2030? (Source: Aerospace America)
NASA’s rationale to deorbit ISS in 2031 is the increased cost and risk associated with operating a nearly 30-year-old platform, but not everyone agrees a controlled deorbit is the best course. And although the handful of companies developing commercial successors have expressed confidence their stations will be operating by 2030, NASA and U.S. lawmakers are also concerned about the possibility of a gap in U.S. presence in LEO. Click here to see their opinions. (7/1)

July 1, 2026

Blue Origin Still Doesn’t Know Why its New Glenn Rocket Blew Up (Source: Tech Crunch)
Blue Origin wants to return the rocket to flight as quickly as it can because the company has become one of the central players in NASA’s push to return humans to the moon before President Trump leaves office. CEO Dave Limp said his company is still trying to “identify and correct the root cause” of the explosion. “Early analysis points to the aft section of the first stage” of the rocket, Limp wrote, saying the company is pulling on “extensive data from multiple camera angles and sensors.” (6/30)

Raytheon To Build Private Space Telescope For Eric Schmidt’s Nonprofit (Source: Aviation Week)
Raytheon is building a private, large-aperture space telescope for billionaire Eric Schmidt’s nonprofit, Schmidt Sciences. The Lazuli Space Observatory is in production and scheduled to be delivered in 2028, having passed an “accelerated” preliminary design review, Raytheon said on June 30. (6/30)

South Korea Studies Second Spaceport to Expand Launch Capacity (Source: Aviation Week)
South Korea is officially seeking metropolitan and provincial government bids to host its second national space center, with site evaluations concluding in a final selection in October. The proposed 5.6 million-square-meter spaceport will target the growing demand for reusable rocket operations and frequent satellite launches. The push for a second spaceport is being led by the Korea AeroSpace Administration, which is tasked with expanding domestic space transportation capabilities to reduce reliance on foreign launch providers. (6/30)

Rice Grown on the Moon? (Source: Tohoku University)
Securing sustainable food supplies is a key challenge for long-term human exploration and potential habitation of the Moon. The Moon's soil contains no organic material, and essential plant nitrogen sources like ammonia and nitrate are virtually nonexistent. Researchers from Tohoku University and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) addressed this obstacle by creating a green, energy-efficient plasma technology capable of synthesizing nitrogen fertilizer from atmospheric air. (6/30)

Astrobotic, Firefly, Intuitive Machines Win More NASA Moon Lander Missions (Source: Reuters)
NASA on Tuesday awarded $590 million worth of contracts to Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines for more uncrewed lunar lander missions in late 2028 ‌as the agency seeks to ramp up commercial moon activities under its Artemis program. Astrobotic, a Pittsburgh-based moon lander company in the process of being acquired by Voyager Technologies, won a $297.9 million contract to deliver two landers. ​Firefly won a $144.2 million contract for a single lander mission and Intuitive Machines was awarded $148.3 million, also for a single lander mission. (6/30)

FAA Says Employees Can’t Purchase SpaceX Stock (Source: Politico)
Federal Aviation Administration employees can’t buy or hold stock in Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which went public earlier this month, according to an internal agency web page. The FAA licenses the commercial spaceflight firm’s launches and reentries, and it requires company-led investigations into rocket mishaps. (6/30)

Thales Alenia Space Wins Software-Defined Satellite Order from Es’hailSat (Source: Via Satellite)
Thales Alenia Space has won a major new software-defined satellite order from Es’hailSat, one of the biggest satellite operators in the Middle East. The satellite called, Eshail-3/Türksat-Biruni, will offer high-speed broadband connectivity services across Europe, Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East, and will be shared with Turkish satellite operator Türksat. Thales Alenia Space announced the contract on June 30.

Eshail-3/Türksat-Biruni will rely on Space Inspire, the Thales fully software-defined satellite platform, which is designed to offer instant in-orbit adjustment to broadband connectivity demands. As prime contractor, Thales Alenia Space is responsible for the design, manufacturing, testing, and on-ground delivery of the satellite, as well as for the ground segment and associated services. (6/30)

SpaceX Cuts Starlink Internet Prices in Memphis After Data Center Opposition (Source: Bloomberg)
SpaceX is offering discounts for Starlink internet plans in Memphis, Tennessee, as the Elon Musk-led company endures blowback and legal challenges from opponents of its data centers in the area and neighboring Mississippi. Customers that opt in will be able to access Starlink service plans for half the monthly price, which can range from $55 to $130 per month. The discount can be shared with friends and family. New users won’t have upfront hardware costs, according to a company statement. (6/30)

MaiaSpace Plans to Double Its Rocket’s Performance with One Extra Engine (Source: European Spaceflight)
ArianeGroup subsidiary MaiaSpace is examining the possibility of doubling the performance of all variants of its Maia rocket “if market response for such a configuration is favorable.” According to the company, this upgrade would involve the addition of a fourth Prometheus rocket engine powering its first stage and would not increase the average cost per launch.

MaiaSpace is currently working toward an early 2027 debut of Maia. The two-stage rocket’s first and second stages are powered by Prometheus methalox engines developed by ArianeGroup under a European Space Agency contract for the Themis demonstrator. (6/30)

Space Force Fields Mobile Satellite-Jamming System (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force has placed into operational service a new mobile satellite-jamming system capable of temporarily disrupting an adversary’s communications. The Meadowlands system, developed by L3Harris, uses ground-based radio frequency units to disrupt satellite communications. (6/30)

Germany's Satellite Lasercom Terminal Builder Tesat: Production Ramping to 5 Per Day (Source: Space Intel Report)
Tesat Spacecom of Germany, which pioneered the use of satellite optical laser communications terminals on satellites, has seen multiple competitors surface and a veteran competitor, Mynaric, purchased out of bankruptcy from Rocket Lab of the United States. Based in Backnang, Tesat is a subsidiary of Airbus but acts with a degree of independence that can be useful in Europe, especially for the future Iris2 multi-orbit secure communications network. (6/30)

NASA Tests New Device for Future In-Space Refueling Missions (Source: NASA)
For NASA’s next generation of deep space exploration missions, spacecraft may need to refuel in Earth orbit before pushing farther into the solar system. Similar to how a gas pump needs a nozzle to fit your fuel tank, future spacecraft could require a special device in order to fill up prior to departure, known as a cryocoupler.

Cryocouplers would allow spacecraft to connect to future orbital propellant depots, which would serve as the gas stations of space. The technology comes with the challenge of reliably transferring cryogenic, or super-cold, fluids without losing propellant or performance. Cryogenic propellants like liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen must stay chilled to hundreds of degrees below zero Fahrenheit, placing strict demands on the materials, seals, and mechanisms that move them. (6/26)

South Korea Prepares Naro Spaceport for Private Launches (Source: UPI)
South Korea's space agency released guidelines Monday for private companies seeking to use the Naro Space Center, beginning preparations for the country's first dedicated commercial launch facilities. The Korea AeroSpace Administration said the guidelines outline a four-stage consultation and approval process, methods for calculating fees and safety and security requirements. (6/29)

Australian Spaceport CEO Owed $2.3m After Employer's Misconduct Defense Fails (Source: HCA)
When Australia's first commercial spaceport collapsed into liquidation, its former chief executive came out of court owed millions over the payout she was promised. On June 19, 2026, the Federal Court found that Carley Scott, the former CEO of Equatorial Launch Australia, was entitled to $2,367,430.25 under a special contract built around her work for the start-up, plus $17,458.58 in unpaid employment entitlements. (6/30)
   
Southern Launch Secures $25m to Help Scale Australia's Sovereign Launch Infrastructure (Source: Business News Australia)
Adelaide-based spaceport operator Southern Launch has raised $25 million in a funding round led by national security investor Brindabella & Company, with the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (NRFC) committing $10 million in direct equity to help scale Australia's sovereign launch infrastructure.

The capital will fund expansion of Southern Launch's two facilities - the Koonibba Test Range on the far west coast of South Australia and the Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex near Port Lincoln - as the company works to meet growing demand from domestic and international launch customers. Among them is US-based Varda Space Industries, which manufactures pharmaceuticals in microgravity and uses Southern Launch's Koonibba facility to land its reentry capsules. (6/30)

NordSpace CEO Rahul Goel Details Canadian Spaceport Progress and New Tempest Rocket (Source: SpaceQ)
It’s been a few months since the announcement of the three Phase 1 winners of Canada’s Launch the North IDEaS Challenge. NordSpace, Canada Rocket Company, and Reaction Dynamics evenly split a $25-million award to “develop and demonstrate breakthrough technologies to advance Canada’s sovereign space launch capabilities.”

Each is pursuing a somewhat different type of launcher technology: Reaction Dynamics is developing hybrid solid/liquid propellant rockets, NordSpace is working on launchers that use more traditional liquid kerosene/oxygen propellants and Canada Rocket Company, which recently emerged from stealth mode, is working on launchers with methalox engines that use liquid oxygen and liquid methane as propellants. (6/29)

So Paso Robles Wants to Build a Spaceport? Here’s What It Has to Do (Source: The Tribune)
The space industry is booming — in fact, its economy is projected to go from $500 billion in 2025 to $1 trillion by 2030. And Paso Robles wants a piece of the pie — since 2022, in fact. But before it can create its own spaceport, it must first be licensed through a process that’s known to be highly complex and rigorous with the FAA. After four years of pursuing such a goal, the city announced that it finally had a “solid foundation for advancing the project while identifying the remaining steps needed to complete the licensing process.”

By June 16, the city opened an RFP in hopes of finding a consulting firm to help with the final push of its application for license. The city is preparing an application to the FAA to convert its municipal airport into a spaceport, which would accommodate space planes. The FAA’s launch and reentry site operator license authorizes a non-federal entity to operate a launch or reentry site within the United States, allowing them to host, manage and facilitate third-party commercial vehicle activities. (6/29)

New SpaceX Millionaires are Reshaping SoCal Coastal Real Estate (Source: KTLA)
The recent initial public offering of SpaceX stock has created a wave of new millionaires, boosting demand for luxury homes in Southern California. The Hawthorne-based aerospace company went public June 12 and quickly raised $75 billion. Around 4,000 current and former SpaceX employees are expected to become millionaires, with roughly 400 of them making $100 million or more from the stock.

With its headquarters in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County, Realtors expect a surge of interest in homes along the “Silicon Beach” corridor, from Santa Monica to the Palos Verdes Peninsula, including Venice and Manhattan Beach. Other upscale neighborhoods could also see a bump in wealthy homebuyers. Melissa Pilon, a South Bay real estate agent with Compass, told the Times that one SpaceX buyer contacted her the day of the IPO about a property in north Redondo Beach. (6/29)

ISU Seeking Investors or Buyer (Source: Douglas Messier)
The financially distressed International Space University, based in Srasbourg, is seeking investors or a buyer: "An investment or takeover opportunity is currently open for International Space University, a private higher education institution specializing in the space sector...  Interested investors or buyers can contact the CBF Associés teams for more information. CBF Associes bills itself as “a team of 28 crisis management and turnaround professionals.” The company appears to be an administrator appointed by the court to deal with ISU’s financial problems. (6/30)

AIA Highlights Need to Grow Space Industrial Base (Source: CyberWire)
Aerospace Industries Association Vice President for Space Systems Steve Jordan-Tomaszewski highlights challenges facing the space industry's supply chain, citing limited system capacity and the need to "grow and scale the current supply chain to match all of this new, incoming demand." He says expanding the space industrial base will require close collaboration between industry and government. (6/28)

BAE Systems Validates Endura SOC for Space Radiation (Source: ExecutiveBiz)
BAE Systems successfully demonstrated its Endura system-on-chip processor in severe radiation environments. This test validated the processor's ability to operate reliably under high-radiation conditions, confirming its suitability for challenging space missions requiring robust performance in harsh environments. (6/29)

‘Pink Planet’ Surrounded by Salty Clouds (Source: News Nation)
The universe’s famous “Pink Planet” is surrounded by salty clouds, astronomers have discovered using data from the James Webb Space Telescope. A team of astronomers led by Northwestern University discovered exotic chemistry in the rosy atmosphere of a planet too faint for scientists to dissect its light from Earth. The new study, published in the Astronomical Journal, supplies direct evidence for salt clouds in a cold object’s atmosphere, something scientists first theorized over 15 years ago. (6/29)

SpaceX is Putting Top Starship and Starlink Engineers to Work on Grok (Source: Business Insider)
It's all hands on deck at SpaceX as the company plays catch-up in the AI race. Elon Musk said on Sunday that SpaceX had deployed "a few dozen" top Starlink and Starship engineers to help overhaul its Grok model. "The SpaceXAI cadence of model and harness improvement is speeding up tremendously, particularly due to a few dozen of the top Starlink/Starship engineers shifting much of their time to AI," wrote Musk in a post on X. (6/29)

Orbital Seeks FCC Approval for 100,000-Satellite Data Center Constellation (Source: Space News)
Another company has filed plans for a massive constellation of orbital data center satellites. Orbital asked the Federal Communications Commission for permission to deploy as many as 100,000 data center satellites, aiming to bring 10 gigawatts of computing power from space to meet rising artificial intelligence demand. The filing comes just weeks after the company emerged from stealth with $5 million in pre-seed funding ahead of a demonstration mission next year.

Orbital is seeking to deploy 100-kilowatt-class satellites in low Earth orbit at altitudes of 500 to 850 kilometers, with solar arrays and radiators spanning around 100 meters and a dry mass of 1.5-2.5 metric tons. Orbital joins fellow startups Cowboy Space and Starcloud, along with Blue Origin and SpaceX, seeking permission for giant orbital data center constellations. (6/30)

Isakowitz Joins Vast as Advisor (Source: Space News)
The former CEO of The Aerospace Corporation is now an adviser to commercial Space station developer Vast. The company announced Tuesday that Steve Isakowitz, who retired from Aerospace last year, has joined its team of advisers, leveraging his experience in industry and government. The move comes as Vast and other companies await a draft request for proposals from NASA on the next phase of its Commercial LEO Development program to support the development of commercial successors to the ISS. (6/30)

Space Force Is Learning To Scramble Rocket Launches Like They're Fighter Jets (Source: Jalopnik)
Planning a rocket launch usually takes ages, as in months of sometimes even years. Rocket Lab just demonstrated it can be done in less than a day, and with an actual payload that then went on to do actual work. Essentially, the Space Force is figuring out how to scramble space rockets the way the Air Force scrambles fighter jets. As activity in space gets bigger and bigger, it's getting more and more likely that satellites could get targeted in a conflict. The USSF wants to be able to respond rapidly, like every other military branch does. (6/28)

June 30, 2026

Study Argues Bigger Launch Vehicles May Not Always Be Better (Sources: Space News, Aerospace Corp.)
The Aerospace Corporation report "Super Heavy Lift Launch: Unlocking the Future of Space" analyzes the commercial viability of SHL vehicles and notes that, similar to the Airbus A380, excessive scaling can lead to diminishing returns, high operational complexities, and potential market unsuitability. While mega-constellations drive demand, the study suggests that over-sizing vehicles can reduce cost-effectiveness and market flexibility. Click here. (6/29)

Blue Origin Shares Update on Path Forward at LC-36 (Source: Blue Origin)
We know that we lost the lightning tower, the transporter-erector, and the hydraulic cylinders, but we caught a lot of breaks, too, and intend to make the most of them. The tank farm, Integration Facility (IF), vehicle access tower, and water tower are in good shape. As part of our pad cleanup and rebuild efforts, we've relocated Never Tell Me the Odds and three GS2 vehicles from the IF. Hardware recovery and debris removal operations are complete, and reconstruction of the pad has started.

To return to flight this year, we're not rebuilding the same pad. We're going straight to a horizontal/vertical hybrid CONOPS we had already been developing for our 9x4 New Glenn launch vehicle, using existing infrastructure, skipping a new transporter-erector, and creating a common CONOPS across two pads. Click here for a CONOPS video. (6/30)

Ukraine Hits Moscow’s Space Communications Node for Second Time (Source: Kyiv Post)
Ukraine on Tuesday said it has struck a major Russian space communications facility near Moscow for the second time, targeting what Zelensky described as a satellite system used for military reconnaissance and coordination. Kyiv said the facility is part of a broader campaign against Russian long-range military infrastructure. USF commander Brovdi confirmed involvement, while Russia has not independently detailed the damage. (6/30)

TMC Technologies Awarded 1-Year Contract Supporting NASA IV&V Program (Source: TMC)
TMC Technologies announced the award of a 1-year contract to provide specialized systems and software engineering support to The Katherine Johnson Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) Facility, the home of NASA’s IV&V Program in Fairmont, West Virginia. TMC will contribute technical expertise that enhances the reliability, safety, and performance of complex aerospace systems through rigorous verification and validation processes. (6/23)

NextSTEP-3 A: Lunar Enabling Technology (Source: NASA)
NASA issued a draft Broad Agency Announcement under NextSTEP‑3, Appendix A, on June 29, 2026, to advance concepts that accelerate the technological readiness of critical systems for lunar surface and cislunar architecture. This solicitation seeks to close key technology gaps and mature capabilities in vertical solar arrays, ISRU oxygen production systems, Stirling radioisotope generators, in‑space manufacturing, and advanced nanomaterials production. (6/29)

Honeywell Aerospace Begins Trading as Standalone Company (Source: Breaking Defense)
Honeywell Aerospace has officially spun off as an independent, publicly-traded company focused on defense and commercial aviation. Honeywell previously announced in February 2025 its strategy to split its businesses into three parts: an automation business known as Honeywell Technologies, an advanced materials unit spun off in 2025 and now known as Solstice, and the aerospace segment. (6/29)

Firefly Advances Plans for Launching From Sweden (Source: Payload)
Firefly Aerospace aims to launch its Alpha rocket from SSC Space’s Esrange Space Center in Sweden as early as 2028. In 2024, SSC Space and Firefly signed an agreement to launch Alpha from Esrange, then targeting a first flight in 2026. In June 2025, the US and Sweden signed a Technology Safeguards Agreement, providing the legal framework for US commercial launches to fly from Swedish spaceports.

In April, the Swedish National Space Agency signed an agreement with the FAA to streamline the launch licensing process, clearing the way for Alpha to fly from Sweden. Firefly and SSC Space have begun work on the launch infrastructure and completed multiple milestones at Esrange, including a launch control center, payload processing facility, vehicle integration facility, and tracking and control systems. What's left now is the launch pad. (6/30)

Restructuring at Germany's Mynaric After Rocket Lab Acquisition (Source: Aerospace Insiders)
According to information shared by a current Mynaric employee who requested anonymity, the company is undergoing significant restructuring, with its R&D activities potentially being reduced to a fraction of their previous scale. The official narrative is the usual one: become cash flow positive as fast as possible. The reality could be much bigger than a simple cost cutting exercise.

The concern inside Germany is obvious. When foreign acquisitions of critical technology companies are approved, they often come with commitments regarding domestic capabilities, research activities and national interests. If R&D is gradually hollowed out and transferred elsewhere, the spirit of those agreements becomes meaningless even if the legal paperwork remains intact. European governments keep talking about technological sovereignty while allowing the engineering base to disappear one acquisition at a time. (6/30)

Rocket Lab’s $8 Billion Deal Shows Growth Means Owning The Whole Ecosystem (Source: Business Index)
Launch providers compete on price and reliability for a service that, frankly, anyone can shop around for. Owning the satellites and the communications layer on top is a different game entirely — it's recurring revenue, customer lock-in, and a story you can tell investors that doesn't depend on how many rockets you can physically build this quarter.

Owning the ecosystem around your core service, even partially, is how you turn a single offering into something stickier and harder to replace. And for larger, more established players watching this unfold: consolidation in capital-intensive industries tends to reward whoever moves first and decisively. $8 billion isn't a toe in the water. It's a statement that Rocket Lab intends to be a platform, not a contractor — and platforms get to set the terms that contractors just have to accept. (6/30)

Capella Prepares to Validate Mynaric Optical Terminal on Latest SAR Satellite (Source: Satellite Today)
Capella Space is preparing for tests to validate a Mynaric optical communications terminal on its newest satellite — the first time Capella has deployed an optical terminal. Capella Space released the first synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images from its Acadia-10 satellite on Wednesday, after the satellite launched in March. Capella is currently completing operational check out on the Acadia-10 satellite and planning to conduct operational tests with the terminal at 2.5 gigabits per second. (6/25)

A Swift Effort to Boost the Prospects for Satellite Servicing (Source: Space Review)
A Pegasus XL is set this week to launch a mission to reboost NASA’s Swift space telescope. Jeff Foust reports on the rapid development of the unique mission and the prospects of using that technology for other applications, including boosting Hubble. Click here. (6/29)
 
Security and Sustainability in Space: a Proposed Cap-and-Trade Model for Orbital Debris Mitigation (Source: Space Review)
Orbital debris poses a growing risk to satellite operations with no clear solution for addressing it. Isha Gupta proposes an approach based on regulating pollutants as a way to control the debris population. Click here. (6/29)
 
The Last Days of the Persian Cats (Source: Space Review)
The conflict in the Middle East may have destroyed the last of Iran’s F-14 Tomcats that it bought from the US a half-century ago. Dwayne Day and Harry Stranger describe how spysats tracked the status of those planes for decades. Click here. (6/29)
 
A New Age for Astronomy Enabled by Space-Based Solar Power (Source: Space Review)
One of the criticisms of space-based solar power (SPSB) systems is that the platforms would interfere with astronomy. Benjamin Calloway describes how SBSP could also create technologies to enable space-based astronomy. Click here. (6/29)

NASA Faced More than $5.3B in Overruns on Canceled Artemis Elements (Source: Douglas Messier)
NASA was facing projected cost overruns of more than $5.3 billion and delays of up to 9 years on four elements of the Artemis Moon program before it issued stop-work orders on earlier this year, according to an interim memorandum from the space agency’s Office of Inspector General (OIG). OIG estimated the final cost of the Habitat and Outpost Module (HALO), Exploration Upper Stage (EUS), Mobile Launcher 2 (ML-2), and Universal Stage Adapter (USA) would have been at least $8.1 billion. (6/29)

ML2 Launch Tower at KSC Would Have Cost $2 Billion (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
The ML2, which took shape adjacent the Vehicle Assembly Building at KSC over the last two years, was near completion by prime contractor Bechtel National Inc., which had said it was targeting delivery by May this year. The company had added the last modular block to the tower last summer, bringing it to a height of 377 feet.

NASA halted work in February, though, and announced parts of the ML2 would be harvested to support the agency’s mobile launcher 1. ML1 had been used on both the Artemis I and II missions that used the SLS rocket, and is parked inside the VAB awaiting stacking of the SLS rocket for next year’s planned Artemis III flight.

ML2’s purpose was based on NASA using the EUS, which would have made the SLS rocket a little taller, and have required different propellant line connections than could be handled by ML1. The original $383 million contract issued in 2019 called for the ML2 to be delivered by March 2023. NASA’s OIG had signaled problems with its timeline and costs over the years because of management issues on both the contractor and NASA sides that were exacerbated by the COVID outbreak and supply chain challenges. (6/29)

Space Tango To Expand Kentucky Headquarters With $7.4 Million Investment, Create 25 New High-Wage Jobs (Source: Team Kentucky)
Gov. Andy Beshear announced exciting momentum within the state’s aerospace and technology sectors as Space Tango, a nationally recognized leader in commercial space infrastructure and mission operations, will expand its Lexington operation with a $7.4 million investment, creating 25 quality, good-paying jobs.

To support future company growth, Space Tango will expand its Kentucky presence, leasing and developing a substantially larger facility at the Greyline Station campus in Lexington. The new facility will include dedicated mission operations space, build laboratories, biological laboratories, electrical laboratories, machine shops, testing laboratories, engineering offices, collaboration areas and supporting employee amenities. The project will be implemented in phases beginning in 2026, with additional expansion capacity available for future growth. (6/25)

The Day Rocket Lab Became SpaceX's Only Real Peer (Source: Meidad Pariente)
When Peter Beck founded Rocket Lab, the pitch was small rockets for small satellites. Today, he's built a company that designs, manufactures, and launches satellites on its own rockets, and now operates a global communications constellation with exclusive spectrum rights and 2.55 million paying subscribers. That is not a launch company. That is a space utility.

This deal wouldn't make strategic sense if Rocket Lab were just a launch company. It isn't. Over the past five years, Rocket Lab has quietly assembled one of the most complete vertically integrated space hardware stacks outside of SpaceX. The strategic logic is clear: when Iridium's current NEXT constellation reaches end of life, Rocket Lab can design the replacement satellites in-house, manufacture them in its own facilities, and launch them on Neutron. No third-party launch costs. Margin captured at every step of the value chain. (6/29)

Rocket Lab Gains Valuable Spectrum, and Aireon, with Iridium Acquisition (Source: Meidad Pariente)
Iridium exclusively controls 7.775 MHz of globally licensed L-band spectrum (1616 to 1626.5 MHz), with an additional 0.95 MHz shared allocation. The L-band spectrum is among the most valuable and scarce radio-frequency assets in the world. It penetrates buildings, works in adverse weather, propagates well at low power, and is globally harmonized. The same frequencies work in every country on Earth without having to renegotiate local licenses.

To put the value in perspective: in terrestrial mobile, the L-band spectrum has traded for billions of dollars, despite far smaller allocations. Iridium's L-band rights are global, exclusive, and already operationally deployed with regulatory approvals in over 160 countries. You cannot buy this on the open market. There is no second source. Peter Beck just acquired what may be the single most strategically irreplaceable asset in commercial space.

Most analysts are not paying enough attention to this: Every single one of Iridium's 66 NEXT satellites carries an "Aireon" hosted payload, a space-based ADS-B receiver that tracks every ADS-B-equipped aircraft on Earth in real time. Before Aireon, over 70% of the planet's airspace (including oceans, poles, and remote regions) had no air traffic surveillance. Pilots flew procedural separation over the Atlantic because no one could see them. Aireon changed that overnight. (6/29)

June 29, 2026

ESA to Seek Lunar Mapping Capability for Argonaut Lander (Source: Space News)
The European Space Agency will rely on external lunar topographic data during the design phase of its Argonaut lunar lander, and possibly for its first mission, while working toward developing its own lunar mapping capability for later missions. Argonaut, first proposed at ESA’s Ministerial Council in Paris in 2022 and confirmed at the latest ministerial meeting in 2025, is a cargo lander designed to support NASA’s Artemis program while providing Europe with independent access to the lunar surface.

Several spacefaring countries with lunar ambitions have invested over the past two decades in high-resolution topographic mapping, which is essential for identifying safe landing areas and potential sites for future lunar infrastructure. (6/29)

ISS Risk Margin is "Alarming" as 2030 Extension Date Nears (Source: Payload)
Time is running out to keep the ISS in orbit, as the chair of a NASA advisory committee warned last week that risk margin for regular operations “is now reduced to an alarming level.” And the worry extends to parts, too: the supply chain for the decades-old spacesuits is wearing thin, according to Susan Helms, a former astronaut who chairs the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel. “It is increasingly difficult for NASA to ensure the ISS risks remain manageable for day-to-day operations, with enough contingency margins,” Helms said. (6/29)

Max Space Wins NASA Funding to Advance Expandable Lunar Habitat Technology for Permanent Lunar Presence (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Space Coast-based Max Space is among the companies picked by NASA under its Announcement of Collaboration Opportunity (ACO) to mature its "soft-goods" inflatable habitat design, solving a crucial bottleneck for the Artemis program: getting maximum usable floor area onto the lunar surface without prohibitive launch costs. (6/29)

JWST Observation Surprises Experts (Source: Space.com)
Using the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have spotted a massive and densely packed galaxy cluster that "is so highly evolved [it] could change theories of cosmic evolution, as it seems to exist before such structures were thought to be possible. Designated XLSSC 122 and first seen in 2014, the cluster immediately stood out because, being so large and concentrated, it resembled the galactic clusters found much closer to our own galaxy. However, this cluster is seen as it was around 10.4 billion years, just around 3.4 billion years after the Big Bang, a time when such structures were theorized to have only just begun to assemble. (6/29)

The Exploration Company is Recruiting for Its Nyx Crew Team in Houston (Source: European Spaceflight)
The Exploration Company has published some of its first dedicated job openings for the development of a future crewed variant of its Nyx spacecraft. All three of these initial positions will be based in Houston, Texas. When asked why it’s recruiting for these positions in Houston, the company cited “a deep pool of human spaceflight expertise” as one of its primary motivations.

While The Exploration Company is currently working towards completing an initial demonstration mission of its Nyx Earth cargo capsule, it has announced plans for several other variants of the vehicle. These variants would be used to transport cargo to lunar orbit and the Moon’s surface, and to ferry crew to and from low Earth orbit. (6/29)

Investor Summit Planned at KSC on Nov. 4-6 (Source: UP.Summit)
UP.Summit is an invitation-only gathering of 400+ of the world’s most innovative minds rethinking the future of transportation. Investors in attendance represent over $1T worth of investable capital. These are the leaders of the most impactful companies moving people and goods with a common goal of Transforming the Moving World. The UP.Summit was founded in 2017 and is co-hosted with our partners Tom and Steuart Walton, Ross Perot Jr. and Phillip Sarofim. Click here. (6/29)

GAO: NASA Fears Gap in LEO After End of ISS (Source: Douglas Messier)
In 2017, Congress directed NASA to plan for a smooth transition from operating the International Space Station (ISS) to commercial stations on which the space agency would be one of many customers to purchase services. Here we are nine years later. So, how’s that effort going with ISS retirement looming in 2030?

Not great. A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report said NASA is concerned there will be a gap between the ISS retirement and the debut of the new stations. The concerns come amid NASA’s shifting approach on how to support private stations and uncertainty about the amount of funding available to do so.

A gap would leave NASA and private companies without a way to conduct microgravity science and technology research in low Earth orbit (LEO). The U.S. risks ceding leadership in the commercial LEO space economy to China, which is planning to double the size of its Tiangong space station. (6/29)

Amazon Leo to launch 29 Satellites on Atlas V's Last Flight (Source: Advanced Television)
Amazon Leo is set to launch 29 satellites July 2 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, marking the final Atlas V flight for Amazon. Future Amazon Leo launches will use ULA's Vulcan Centaur, SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Blue Origin's New Glenn. Amazon Leo has more than 350 satellites in orbit. (6/29)

Rocket Lab to Acquire Iridium in $8 Billion Deal (Source: Aerospace Global News
Rocket Lab has agreed to acquire Iridium Communications in an $8 billion deal that would transform the launch and space systems company into a vertically integrated satellite communications operator.

The two companies announced on 29 June that Rocket Lab will purchase all outstanding shares of Iridium common stock for $54 per share in a cash and stock transaction. The transaction is expected to close in mid-2027, subject to Iridium shareholder approval and regulatory clearances.

If completed, the deal would combine Rocket Lab’s launch, satellite manufacturing and space systems capabilities with Iridium’s global low Earth orbit communications network, L-band spectrum and established customer base across government, maritime, aviation, emergency response and industrial markets. (6/29)

SpaceX Launches 15,000-Pound SiriusXM Satellite to Orbit From Florida (Source: Space.com)
SpaceX launched a big SiriusXM radio satellite to orbit from Florida's Space Coast on Sunday night (June 28). A Falcon 9 rocket topped with the 15,400-pound SXM-11 spacecraft lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport and its first stage came back to Earth for a landing about 8.5 minutes after launch as planned, touching down in the Atlantic Ocean on the SpaceX drone ship "A Shortfall of Gravitas." (6/29)

AiRanaculus to Advance Networking Technologies for NASA Lunar and Space Communications Networks (Source: Via Satellite)
Networking technology company AiRanaculus has received a $5 million award from NASA for its technologies to be used to support NASA lunar and space communications networks. Under a $5 million Civilian Commercialization Readiness Pilot Program (CCRPP) contract from NASA announced June 25, AiRanaculus will enhance two products — CLAIRE and INSPiRE — to support lunar and space networks. AiRanaculus will work with Nokia, which is under contract with NASA to deploy the first cellular network on the Moon. (6/26)

UK's SatVu Begins Service with HotSat-2 (Source: Space News)
British thermal imaging startup SatVu has resumed commercial services with a new satellite. The company said Monday its HotSat-2 satellite, launched in March, was now in commercial service, routinely delivering mid-wave infrared imagery to government and commercial customers such as Norwegian defense and aerospace giant Kongsberg's geospatial intelligence services. The company's first satellite, HotSat-1, failed in orbit in 2023 just six months after launch. SatVu is planning a constellation of at least 10 satellites to provide thermal imagery. (6/29)

China Focuses on VLEO with Industry Alliance (Source: Space News)
China has established a national very low Earth orbit (VLEO) industry alliance. The VLEO Technology Innovation and Industry Development Alliance, co-founded by 34 organizations including leading universities, research institutes and commercial space companies, was announced at a conference Saturday. VLEO offers potential significant advantages for Earth observation and communications, such as higher resolution imagery, lower signal latency and reduced power requirements, but satellites operating in orbits below 300 kilometers must also contend with increased atmospheric drag. Orbital data reveal that China currently has two experimental satellites operating in VLEO, while funding activity indicates a demand and backing for related technologies. (6/29)

Spain's FOSSA Raises $10.5 Million for Constellation Expansion (Source: Space News)
Spanish startup FOSSA Systems has raised about $10.5 million to expand its connectivity constellation. Spanish private investment firm Kibo Ventures led FOSSA's funding round announced last week, bringing its total raised to date to nearly 20 million euros. The round included participation from the Spanish Society for Technological Transformation, a technology investment vehicle backed by Spain's government. The proceeds will help fuel FOSSA's push beyond the tiny picosatellites it once used to connect low-power monitoring devices toward larger cubesats in low Earth orbit, enabling additional sovereign communications and space-based intelligence capabilities. (6/29)

India's First Gaganyaan Flight Might Slip to 2027 (Source: Express News)
The first test flight of India's Gaganyaan crewed spacecraft might slip to 2027. In a presentation Saturday, the chairman of ISRO, V. Narayanan, said the uncrewed flight was on track to launch by the end of this year, but his slides said the launch would instead take place in the third quarter of 2027. Asked about the discrepancy, Narayanan said that the Gaganyaan program is "undergoing constant review" and did not say whether his comments or his slides were correct. (6/29)

NASA Picks 41 Projects for ACO Collaborations (Source: NASA)
NASA will support the development of dozens of space technologies with potential to assist its Artemis lunar exploration program. NASA announced Friday it selected 41 technologies from 37 companies for the latest round of its Announcement of Collaboration Opportunity (ACO) program. ACO gives companies access to NASA expertise and facilities on a no exchange of funds basis. The selected technologies range from power generation and in-space logistics to dust mitigation techniques. (6/29)

China Leads in GPS-Style, Reconnaissance and Anti-Satellite Abilities (Source: SCMP)
China has leapfrogged the United States in a few mighty important sectors of space technologies: GPS-style navigation, spy-in-the-sky reconnaissance and even the ability to knock satellites out of orbit, according to a report from a US think tank.

The report from the Washington-based Information Technology and Innovation Foundation said China had rapidly built a powerful commercial space sector under strong state backing and was narrowing the innovation gap with the US.

“If the United States does not take decisive action soon, China will claim the top spot in the global space economy,” the report, released on June 8, said. The warning comes as analysts project the global space economy could exceed US$1 trillion within the next decade. According to the report, China has already surpassed Russia as America’s main competitor in space. (6/28)

Could Future Astronauts Use Oysters as Water Filters? (Source: Space.com)
Engineers looking for safe water and recycled air for astronauts should look no further than nature, according to one team of researchers. Oysters and other forms of "biogenerative" life support systems, which use living beings for food, water recycling and air regeneration, are under study at Pennsylvania's Harrisburg University with Monolith Space, a small company featured on the This Week in Space weekly podcast with Space.com's Tariq Malik and author Rod Pyle in March.

The shelled creatures aren't the only ones Harrisburg researchers are looking at: students and researchers are also examining algae, mollusks and even finfish. Hydroponics, or growing plants in water, is another approach. Monolith founder Jacob Scoccimerra, who is based in D.C., said the research is not only crucial for future astronaut living, but also unique among food projects in space. (6/28)

A First Look at NASA’s Newest Space Camp Facility (Source: Fodor's Travel)
The same VR simulator that astronauts and pilots use to practice parachute skills will now train the next generation of space enthusiasts attending Space Camp at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. The new parachute simulators are part of a 47,079-square-foot expansion that also includes a 90-foot zip line, an indoor drone launch, a night-vision lab, and more. The new facility, which opened in May 2026, is called the Inspiration4 Skills Training Complex.

Training in the facility will focus on lessons in robotics and space-related problem-solving. The opening comes on the heels of the Artemis II mission’s success, in which four NASA astronauts made an unprecedented orbit of the moon’s far side. Registrations for Space Camp doubled since the completion of the Artemis II mission in April. To meet that demand, the U.S. Space and Rocket Center have added this new facility, with plans to launch more later, including a new Space Camp dormitory. (6/27)

China Is About To Land On Earth’s ‘Mini-Moon’ (Source: Forbes)
China is about to begin one of the most unusual asteroid exploration missions ever attempted. In early July, the Tianwen-2 spacecraft is expected to arrive at a Statue of Liberty-sized near-Earth asteroid often described as Earth’s “mini-moon.” If it arrives safely, it will take a sample and send it back to Earth in a capsule.

Discovered in 2016 and also known as 2016 HO3, 469219 Kamoʻoalewa is one of only a handful of known quasi-satellites. Measuring just 130 to 330 feet (40 to 100 meters) across — roughly the size of the Statue of Liberty — it could become the smallest asteroid ever visited by a spacecraft. (6/28)

Potential Habitable Planet Just 18 Light-Years Away (Source: Space Daily)
The search for life beyond the Solar System often sounds impossibly remote. Many promising planets orbit stars so far away, or so close to their stars in the sky, that even knowing they exist is a technical achievement. GJ 251 c is different in one important respect. It is nearby.

Researchers report the discovery of GJ 251 c, a candidate super-Earth orbiting in the habitable zone of a red dwarf star about 5.5 parsecs away. That is roughly 18 light-years, close enough that the planet may become one of the best northern-sky targets for future direct imaging of a potentially rocky world in a temperate orbit. (6/27)