September 16, 2026

More Money! Budget Impasse Imperils 1 in 10 Space Force Programs, New Chief Says (Source: Breaking Defense)
A stopgap budget measure passed by lawmakers earlier this month may have averted a government shut down, but the continuing resolution set to stretch until mid-December will still carry considerable consequences for the Space Force, according to its new top uniformed official. Gen. Douglas Schiess, chief of space operations, said roughly “90 percent” of the Space Force’s programs come from last year — meaning they can continue under a CR. But about 10 percent of the Space Force’s planned efforts can’t proceed without a new spending bill, or a special congressional carveout. (9/15)

The Space Race Must Not Become a Race Against the Ozone Layer (Source: The Statesman)
Space exploration has always represented humanity’s highest aspirations. From the first satellite to the Moon landings, from Mars missions to sophisticated Earth-observation satellites, our journey beyond the atmosphere has transformed our understanding of the universe and, equally importantly, our understanding of our own planet. But the expanding space economy can no longer ignore an uncomfortable question about the impact of space missions on our atmosphere.

A study by NOAA and The Aerospace Corporation a few years ago examined what could happen if rocket launches increase dramatically in the coming decades. Their findings suggest that a substantial expansion in kerosene-burning rocket use could alter stratospheric temperatures and atmospheric circulation and, importantly, reduce ozone concentrations. The concern is not that today’s rocket launches will destroy the ozone layer. Rather, the warning is about what could happen if launch activity continues to grow at an unprecedented rate without considering its atmospheric consequences. (9/16)

How SpaceX Bought 125,000 Acres of Louisiana's Coast (Source: Axios)
One of the key pieces of the puzzle leading to the announcement of SpaceX's $100 billion planned Starbase Louisiana is that the company scored 125,000 acres of the state's coastline for $100,000,000. The no-bid deal was only made possible by a relatively new state law. During the 2025 legislative session, state lawmakers passed a bill later signed by Gov. Jeff Landry allowing Louisiana Economic Development to sell state property. That law has been used only twice, according to LED spokesperson Emma Wagner, to lure big economic development projects to the state: Meta and SpaceX. (9/15)

Trump Policies Speed European Campaign for Space Self-Reliance (Source: Bloomberg)
At the Space Security and Defense Summit in Paris, European officials and industry leaders called for stronger coordination, domestic capabilities and allied cooperation to protect space systems. Discussions covered Germany’s European Space Component Command, accelerating IRIS² and partnerships including Viasat–PGZ satellite-communications cooperation. Trump-era U.S. policy shifts and Ukraine's reliance on American systems are driving urgency for European autonomous space capabilities.

The EU will accelerates space self-reliance via IRIS², the €15.6B sovereign broadband satellite constellation led by SpaceRISE consortium. Governments will fund 60% of costs, while operators like Eutelsat and SES self-finance €4.75B in exchange for commercial revenue rights. The approach shifts risk to operators, who must prove commercial demand for co-funded low-orbit capacity beyond guaranteed government usage. (9/15)

SpaceX Signals Halt in Falcon 9 Launch Orders (Source: Space Intel Report)
SpaceX has told multiple prospective customers that it is no longer accepting new commercial Falcon 9 launch reservations, according to industry officials. The move appears to mark a gradual preparation for retiring the workhorse rocket in favor of the super-heavy Starship vehicle. (9/15)

Satellite Firms Pursue Ground-Based Deals for SpaceX-Style Cell Service (Source: Bloomberg)
Satellite companies are using discussions in Paris to pursue commercial agreements for satellite-based cellular connectivity, seeking to turn space infrastructure into direct-to-device services on Earth. The activity reflects growing interest in business models that could compete with or complement SpaceX’s satellite connectivity ambitions. (9/16)

Space Force Eyes Space Academy as Source of Civilian Talent (Source: Newsmax)
The Space Force could turn President Donald Trump's proposed U.S. Space Academy into a new source of highly skilled civilian employees while continuing to rely on the Air Force Academy to produce military officers, the service's top officer said. Chief of Space Operations Gen. Douglas Schiess said the NASA-led academy could help address the Space Force's growing demand for workers with specialized technical expertise. (9/15)

Nevada Eyes Space Force Academy Bid, Pointing to NNSS and Proposed Spaceport Site (Source: KSNV)
NASA is quickly moving forward with plans to establish and build a Space Academy for the U.S. Space Force, similar to the existing military academies for the Air Force, Army and Navy. Each state will have an opportunity to submit an offer to become the Space Academy’s new home, based on certain criteria. So what does Nevada have to offer that might pique the interest of NASA? Perhaps more than we might think. For starters, Nevada is home to the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), once known as the Nevada Test Site.

Rob Lauer, CEO of United Spaceports Corporation, says his private venture has a three-year jump on a space academy concept with plans to build a spaceport between Las Vegas and Pahrump, which would include flight training facilities, STEM programs, and someday, the ability to launch rockets and space planes into orbit. “I read the requirements from NASA, and one of them was 300 acres, and we have 240 acres,” Lauer said. “But we have 100,000 acres surrounding us of BLM land.” (9/15)

Moody Files STARS Act to Land Space Academy in Florida (Source: Florida Politics)
U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody wants Florida to be ground zero for the Space Academy, and she’s launching a legislative push to make it happen. Moody announced that she’s submitting a bill in the Senate to bring the institution to Brevard County on Florida’s Space Coast. She has been mounting a campaign to bring the Academy to the Sunshine State. Moody’s legislation is titled the STARS Act, which is an acronym for Securing The Advancement of Rising Spacefarers Act. Editor's Note: This is a performative move. What non-Florida member would vote in favor of this bill? (9/15)

U.S. Space Academy Belongs in Huntsville, Alabama Lawmakers Say (Source: AL.com)
The Alabama congressional delegation is pitching North Alabama as the site of the newly announced U.S. Space Academy. Led by U.S. Rep. Dale Strong, R-AL, the delegation addressed a letter to the Presidential Commission on the U.S. Space Academy, outlining the Tennessee Valley’s legacy and commitment to U.S. space superiority, Strong’s office said Monday. (9/15)

Russia’s Starlink Rival “Rassvet” Fails to Reach Target Orbit 6 Months After Launch (Source: United 24)
Russia’s Rassvet-3 satellite constellation, intended to form the basis of a domestic alternative to Starlink, has yet to reach its planned operational orbit six months after the first group of satellites was launched. None of the satellites from the initial Rassvet-3 deployment has reached the planned altitude of 800 kilometers, preventing the constellation from beginning full-scale operations as originally envisioned. (9/15)

Planet's German Subsidiary to Provide Imagery to German Government (Source: Space News)
The German government will acquire dedicated Earth observation capacity from Planet's German subsidiary. Under the agreement, the German Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy will coordinate and distribute high-resolution tasked imagery from Planet Lab Germany as well as related services. Germany is the first nation to adopt Planet's Constellation Services for civil government support. Through Constellation Services, Planet provides customers with dedicated capacity on Planet satellites with a path towards sovereign constellation ownership. (9/16)

Isar Aerospace Ready for Commercial Launch Operations (Source: Space News)
Isar Aerospace says it is ready to begin commercial Spectrum launches after a successful test flight earlier this month. Company officials said at a briefing Tuesday that the Sept. 5 launch, the second for the small launch vehicle, "achieved everything that we wanted" and will allow the company to begin commercial operations. The next Spectrum flight will carry smallsats from ESA's Boost! program, but Isar did not disclose a date for the mission. The company expects to perform four launches in 2027 and more than double that amount in 2028. Isar also announced it won a contract from launch services aggregator SEOPS for five Spectrum launches from 2028 to 2030. (9/16)

Isaacman Sees Lunar Race as National Security Imperative (Source: Space News)
NASA's return to the moon has national security implications, the agency's administrator says. In a speech at the Air Space & Cyber conference Tuesday, Jared Isaacman argued that the outcome of the intensifying lunar competition with China could shape alliances, technology standards and perceptions of U.S. power. He said NASA should collaborate with the Space Force, describing a division of labor in which NASA establishes a sustained American presence beyond Earth while the Space Force and Pentagon protect U.S. interests and work with the civilian agency on technologies and infrastructure useful to both. (9/16)

Viasat Expects to Build Equatys D2D Satellites (Source: Space News)
Viasat expects to announce a contract within weeks to build the first satellites for Equatys, a direct-to-device joint venture with Space42. A contract naming the U.S. satellite broadband operator as prime contractor will come shortly after Equatys clears remaining corporate regulatory approvals for the shared orbital infrastructure project, Viasat CEO Mark Dankberg said Tuesday.

While the two companies have spectrum filings for a combined 2,800 satellites, Equatys will start with fewer than 200 satellites that they plan to have in service by the end of 2029.  Viasat and Space42 earlier announced at the World Space Business Week conference that they will each commit $400 million of equity to Equatys, once the joint venture is formed. Space42 said it expects to invest an additional $200 million in a future equity funding round open to third-party investors. (9/16)

Space Force Acquisition Chief Focuses on Speed (Source: Space News)
The Space Force's new acquisition chief is focusing on using a recent acquisition overhaul to deliver satellites and other capabilities faster. Erich Hernandez-Baquero, in his first public remarks since taking office, said Tuesday that his priorities are making the Space Force's new portfolio acquisition structure work, ensuring separately developed systems function together and strengthening the workforce responsible for buying increasingly complex military space capabilities. At the center of the effort are nine newly established Portfolio Acquisition Executives, or PAEs, who have been given broader authority over entire mission areas. Hernandez-Baquero is also looking at how the government can encourage industry to build more capacity as military demand for launches and satellites grows. (9/16)

China Launches Twice on Tuesday with Zhuque-2E and Gravity-1 Rockets (Source: Xinhua)
Chinese rockets performed two launches within 24 hours. A Zhuque-2E rocket lifted off Tuesday from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone at the Jiuquan spaceport, putting into orbit 10 satellites. The satellites were described as a megaconstellation, but media reports did not identify the constellation. A Gravity-1 rocket lifted off Tuesday from a ship in waters offshore from Shanghai. It placed into orbit a set of Qianfan satellites and a technology demonstration satellite called EUHT. The launch set records for a China sea-based launch by reaching an altitude of 800 kilometers and carrying three tons of payload. (9/16)

Space Cargo Unlimited Contracts to Fly on SpaceX Starfall (Source: Space News)
Space Cargo Unlimited has signed a contract to fly payloads on SpaceX's Starfall reentry vehicle. The Luxembourg-based company said Tuesday it will fly a one-ton "space factory" on a Starfall spacecraft in 2028, launched on SpaceX's Starship. Starfall is SpaceX's vehicle designed for microgravity research and manufacturing, much larger than other commercial reentry vehicles. Space Cargo Unlimited says it plans to use the mission for customers ready to move from R&D to production, with smaller vehicles reserved for those still working on experimentation.  The company has also taken a stake in Novespace, the French company that operates an Airbus jet for parabolic aircraft flights that provide brief periods of microgravity. (9/16)

Broader Range of Military Users for Commercial Imagery (Source: Space News)
Commercial imagery and other forms of geospatial information are becoming available to a much broader range of military users. Companies say they are providing more services to national security customers, such as one, Danti, that supported Pentagon analysts and operators during the conflict with Iran. AI tools combine those collections with maritime tracking data, signals, weather information, news reports and other open sources, then identify what has changed and why it may be important. Some military customers are also using Danti to automate parts of intelligence production. (9/16)

Hydrosat's Osiris Constellation Aims to Provide Thermal Infrared Data (Source: Space News)
Hydrosat's next-generation Osiris constellation will provide thermal infrared observations for government and commercial customers. The company said at World Space Business Week that in addition to providing wide-area, high-resolution observations for Hydrosat's commercial data business, the Osiris constellation will include satellites deployed for government agencies focused on water and food security, critical infrastructure and natural security. the first two satellites are scheduled for launch in 2027. In addition to the thermal-infrared instrument, Osiris satellites will be equipped with a nine-band visible and near-infrared sensor to gather imagery with a resolution of 10 meters per pixel. (9/16)

Djibouti Signs Artemis Accords (Source: Space News)
Djibouti signed the Artemis Accords this week as the State Department provides new opportunities for signatories. Djibouti's ambassador to the U.S. signed the Accords on Monday at NASA Headquarters, becoming the 72nd country to do so. The signing comes days after the State Department announced the Space Catalyst Partnership, which will collaborate with companies that signed the Accords on foreign assistance projects, diplomatic outreach and fostering engagement on space-related issues. The partnership is starting with a rural connectivity project in Peru valued at $6.5 million. (9/16)

Former SES Executive is Interim Chief of Luxembourg Space Agency (Source: Delano)
A former SES executive is now the interim head of the Luxembourg Space Agency. The government appointed Ruy Pinto, former CTO and interim CEO of SES, as acting CEO of the agency. Pinto will serve in that role for six months with the possibility of an extension. Pinto replaces Marc Serres, who resigned for reasons neither he nor the agency disclosed. The agency’s deputy CEO left two months ago to take a job with Exobiosphere, a space biotech company. (9/16)

Mission Control Center Added to SaxaVord Proposals for Former RAF Site (Source: Shetland Times)
A mission control center and “associated support buildings” have been proposed on the former RAF camp in Haroldswick where 23 accommodation units are planned near the spaceport in Unst. The temporary, two-story unit would be built on the sports pitch at the old RAF Saxa Vord accommodation camp, new planning documents have revealed. (9/15)

ISRO Staff Step Up Privatization Protest (Source: Rediff)
The nine employee associations of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) are planning to step up their campaign over the future of the space agency by issuing pamphlets to employees and the public, after failing to get satisfactory answers from the top management. They also want a Joint Consultative Machinery (JCM) in vogue in ISRO. "We will be issuing pamphlets about our issues. The response of (ISRO Chairman Dr V) Narayanan is not satisfactory and it did not address the core issue raised by the nine associations in their letter," said a leader of an employee association. (9/15)

Venus Aerospace Opens New Test Stand at Houston Spaceport (Source: Community Impact)
Houston-based rocket propulsion company Venus Aerospace opened a new propulsion test stand at the Houston Spaceport on Sep. 10. The new test stand is part of "critical infrastructure to support the continued development and maturation of its rotating detonation rocket engine technology," according to the company. The $3.9 million test stand was funded through the Texas Space Commission's Space Exploration and Aeronautics Research Fund, which is part of the state's investment in growing Texas' aerospace and space economy. (9/14)

Human Spaceflight Key Agenda Item For ESA Intermediate Ministerial (Source: Aviation Week)
When ministers for European Space Agency member states convene in Rome in December, the full scope of autonomous human spaceflight will be on the agenda, says ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher. “We will prepare decisions on whether Europe would like to invest also in crewed transportation." (9/14)

U.S. Has Deployed Space-Control Weapons in Orbit, Air Force Secretary Says (Source: Space News)
U.S. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink on Monday revealed that the United States has deployed space-control weapons in orbit, while also disclosing new milestones for military satellite programs tied to missile defense and long-range targeting. “The United States now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action,” Meink said. The statement was unusually explicit for the Pentagon, which has increasingly discussed the need for weapons to defend U.S. satellites and counter adversary space capabilities but has disclosed few details about offensive or defensive systems operating in orbit. (9/14)

Moving Toward Sovereign Capabilities, But Not There Yet - U.S. Allies Commit $302 Million to Complete Funding for Space Force Communications Satellite (Source: Space News)
Ten U.S. allies have agreed to provide $302 million to cover launch, ground-system upgrades and operations for the U.S. Space Force’s next Wideband Global SATCOM satellite, completing a funding plan for the Boeing-built military communications spacecraft. The agreement expands a longstanding arrangement under which allied governments help finance the U.S.-owned WGS constellation in exchange for access to its communications capacity. Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland and the United Kingdom are participating in the latest agreement. Poland is the newest member of the multinational WGS partnership. (9/14)

Congress Delays Decision on $200 Billion Defense Funding Gap (Source: Washington Post)
Congress faces a $200 billion military funding gap, with major decisions delayed until after the midterm elections. President Trump is pushing for a [staggering] $1.5 trillion defense budget, but the House has only passed a [also staggering] $1.15 trillion version of the National Defense Authorization Act, which is stalled in the Senate. Republicans are attempting to add $350 billion through reconciliation, but unexpected costs from the U.S.-Iran war complicate efforts. (9/13)

FAA Wants America to Go Supersonic Again — FJET CEO Says the Billion-Dollar Bet Still Faces a Big Problem (Source: Benzinga)
"It is obvious that regulators want more data, which means they need more test flights," Tim Franta told Benzinga in an exclusive interview. The FAA still has another major piece to write. A separate proposal covering takeoff and landing noise is expected later this year, with the agency targeting completion of both standards by mid-2027. "It remains to be seen how regulators will measure and qualify different boom-mitigation approaches," Franta said, including possible weather, atmospheric and altitude restrictions.

That gap is why Grant Holve, director and lead analyst for commercial aerospace at Forecast International, sees a narrower immediate opportunity. "Testing and certification is the only plausible near-term application," Holve said in an interview. He expects the civil market over the next 10 to 15 years to remain "a niche sector with the potential for a few operators." Holve says investors should focus deeper in the development cycle. "Financing relative to certification progress is the single most critical aspect to evaluate," he said.

Franta sees the nearer opportunity one step earlier. He wants a U.S. supersonic and hypersonic test corridor through low-density airspace that could boost flight cadence while letting regulators test how high-speed aircraft coexist with subsonic traffic. Starfighters is positioning its Mach 2-plus F-104 fleet around precisely that demand through its ‘Wind Tunnel in the Sky’ testing platform. "Since February we have seen a consistent increase in interest from government and commercial organizations wanting access to the high-speed environment," Franta said. (9/10)

More Hotels and Roads? Here's How SpaceX Could Change the Economy in Louisiana (Source: The Advocate)
Every time a rocket launches at SpaceX’s south Texas site, about 20,000 people stay at hotels to watch it take off into space. In Vermilion Parish, where SpaceX is planning a $100 billion launch site near Pecan Island that could to start launching rockets in 2030, there are only three hotels of significance, with the largest being a three-story Best Western with fewer than 200 rooms.

Hotel construction will be among the visible changes to the area’s economy as the first rocket launch nears, said Gilberto Salinas, president and CEO of the Greater Brownsville Economic Development Corp. Downtown Brownsville is about 20 miles from the south Texas SpaceX complex, known as known as Starbase.

Expect increases in jobs, education, tourism and local spending. In Brownsville, SpaceX contributed $13 billion to the regional economy over a two-year span, according to a report the company released last year. The city will host the third annual SpaceFest later this month as a nod to its newest industry. (9/12)

State Dept. Launches Space Catalyst Partnership (Source: Douglas Messier)
The Space Catalyst Partnership (SCP), the Department of State’s flagship initiative to deepen civil and commercial space cooperation between the United States and Artemis Accords signatory countries, was launched today in Lima, Peru. The SCP aims to create opportunities for foreign governments, industry, space agencies, and research organizations to benefit from the vibrant U.S. space ecosystem through commercial partnerships and scientific collaboration, while ensuring outer space is used safely, peacefully, and transparently to the benefit of mankind.

As part of the SCP, the Department is working with Congress to launch a $6.5 million rural connectivity project to offer satellite-based internet to rural schools, small businesses, community centers, and public institutions across Peru’s southern regions. This project is among the first SCP projects that, subject to the availability of funds, will assist priority countries’ efforts to integrate space-related technology and services into their economies. (9/15)

Airbus to Build First IRIS Satellites for Eutelsat (Source: Composites World)
Airbus Defence and Space has signed a contract with Eutelsat to design and build satellites for Europe's IRIS² constellation, with Thales Alenia Space providing payloads. The project, part of the EU's secure connectivity program, will deliver at least 66 satellites by 2029. (9/14)

Space Force Chief Says Iran War Shows Service’s Expanding Combat Role (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force played a direct combat role in the war with Iran, with guardians conducting electromagnetic warfare against an adversary in addition to providing satellite communications, navigation and missile warning to U.S. forces, the service’s top general said. His remarks portrayed the Iran conflict as a significant evolution in the six-year-old service’s combat role, with guardians moving beyond the satellite-based support that has traditionally defined military space operations to deliver combat effects directly against an adversary. (9/15)

Forget Lunar Metropolises: Water Limits Could Cap Moon's Population (Source: ABC)
According to new research, grand lunar ambitions may need to be tempered because of a shortage of lunar water and the challenge of generating enough power to sustain a large city. Martin Elvis and Jonathan McDowell investigated how large a lunar city could grow and how long it could be sustained based on the amount of water believed to be available on the Moon. They also looked at how challenging it would be to meet the power requirements.

"There's been so much talk and enthusiasm about a future in which the moon is a part of our civilization and abundantly populated, and science fiction shows with extensive cities on the moon and space traffic around it, and so we just wanted to, I guess, throw some cold water, literally, on some of that overoptimism," McDowell said. He believes there will eventually be settlements on the moon but "there are physics limits to how much of a lunar society you can end up having."

Elvis and McDowell, who used other researchers' lunar water estimates, point out that a billion tons of water ice is an optimistic projection. But even when using a billion tons as a baseline, which they say could fill Manhattan's Central Park to a depth of nearly 400 feet, they found it wasn't enough. "I was very surprised that if you don't do any recycling, then it's about two years for a city of a million people, which is ludicrously short. You couldn't even build the city in that time," said Elvis. (9/14)

Golden Dome Czar Sees AI Role To Speed Up Decision-Making (Source: Aviation Week)
As the Golden Dome’s command-and-control (C2) system takes form, senior U.S. military leaders see a key role for artificial intelligence (AI) to help human operators sift through the reams of data coming off of the multiple systems coming through that nascent network. (9/15)

Open Cosmos Raises €300M Funding Round (Source: Payload)
Open Cosmos has closed a €300M ($348.6M) funding round—the latest sign that the European VC landscape is heating up. The funding round for the European satellite-manufacturing company, announced today, was led by investors on the continent, including participation from Lightrock, ETF Partners, Institut Català de Finances (ICF), and Entrepreneurs First. (9/15)

Pratt licenses Hermeus to Build F100 Fighter Jet Engine (Source: Breaking Defense)
Engine maker Pratt & Whitney is licensing aircraft startup Hermeus to produce Pratt’s F100 fighter jet engine, the first such license for a fellow American firm. Jill Albertelli, the president of Pratt’s military engines business, described the agreement as a natural one to boost the industrial base in the face of growing powerplant demand for existing aircraft and for in-development programs like the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft project.

Hermeus has a particular interest in the F100: it powers the company’s high-speed Quarterhorse drone. In an interview with Breaking Defense, Hermeus CEO Zach Shore said the deal means the company would additionally be the first vertically integrated aircraft manufacturer under the Quarterhorse program. (9/15)

September 15, 2026

An Analysis of Ukraine’s Missile Strike on the Progress Rocket Factory (Source: Space Review)
Ukrainian cruise missiles struck a Russian factory last month that produces Soyuz rockets, with some reports claiming the attack caused serious damage. Bart Hendrickx examines the evidence to better understand the significance of the attack. Click here. (9/15)
 
A Collision Probability is Not Permission to Maneuver (Source: Space Review)
Satellite operators are increasingly turning to automated systems to avoid potential collisions based on when the probability of a collision passes a threshold. Burak Oktenli argues that threshold alone should not be sufficient to trigger a maneuver. Click here. (9/15)
 
The Junkers Spaceplane (Source: Space Review)
In the early 1960s, a German aerospace company pursued studies of a spaceplane with support of a famous designer. Hans Dolfing explores the designs Junkers examined for a reusable spaceplane. Click here. (9/15)
 
Voyager 6 Seeks the Creator (Source: Space Review)
The first Star Trek movie features a spacecraft based on the recently launched Voyager missions. Dwayne Day describes how the filmmakers worked with NASA on the design of Voyager 6. Click here. (9/15)
 
The Road to the Asteroid belt Runs Through the Moon (Source: Space Review)
NASA is leading a new effort to develop a lunar base, one that requires development of many technologies needed to live on the lunar surface for extended periods. Chad McElroy and Jacob Smagula discuss how these technologies can also help create an asteroid mining industry. Click here. (9/15)

The Space Race That Will Decide the Future of Freedom (Source: National Review)
What America does in space during the next ten or 20 years may determine humanity’s trajectory for centuries to come. We are in a race with China that will decide whether tens of billions of people yet to be born will live in freedom or under rules established by the Chinese Communist Party. The nation that first achieves rapid, fully reusable orbital flight will dominate commercial space. Commercial space dominance will lead to military space dominance. Military space dominance will confer decisive advantages across the entire planet — on land, at sea, and in the air.

The dominant military in space and on Earth will acquire unprecedented leverage over the international order and possess the ability to impose its values on billions. The key technological revolution in space is reusable launch — it is the Moore’s Law of space. Every integrated circuit, software platform, and artificial-intelligence system today rests on Moore’s Law, which states that as microchip technology improves, costs decrease, lowering the cost of computing. In the same way, everything humanity does in space rests on launches becoming cheaper, more reliable, and more frequent. (9/13)

UF Brings Experiments on Swiss Parabolic Flight Campaign (Source: UZH Space Hub)
The University of Florida space biomanufacturing initiative is taking flight at the 8th Swiss Parabolic Flight Campaign. A crew of nine faculty investigators, students, and a postdocs are working alongside partners at UZH Space Hub. Together they are flying 12 experiments designed to answer a fundamental question: How do living systems respond when gravity changes?

In every parabola, They are capturing real-time fluid behavior, monitoring enzyme activity, and measuring cellular responses through advanced fluorescence imaging. These insights will help advance technologies for producing medicines, supporting human health, and creating sustainable resource recycling systems beyond Earth. (9/15)

CubeSat Instrument Extends Solar Storm Warnings Tenfold (Source: Universe Today)
A new instrument aboard a CubeSat could extend advance warnings of solar storms by a factor of 10. The capability would improve monitoring of solar radiation, helping characterize space-weather conditions that can affect spacecraft, satellite operations and other space-based systems. (9/15)

Spaceports to Satellites: Here Are the Big Projects Canada Is Pitching (Source: Bloomberg)
Canada is putting some of its biggest ambitions on the table for global investors, including data centers, critical-mineral mines, high-speed rail and an Arctic trade corridor. A 66-page prospectus prepared for Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Canada Investment Summit in Toronto lays out 167 projects, with opportunities to invest in shovel-ready developments or get in at the planning stages. The pitch is part of a broader push to attract C$1 trillion ($721 billion) of investment over five years. (9/15)

Musk Revives Idea of Combining SpaceX and Tesla (Source: Bloomberg)
Elon Musk again raised the possibility of merging SpaceX and Tesla, calling the question of why the companies remain separate a “great question.” Musk pointed to the extensive cooperation between the rocket and electric-vehicle businesses, which he leads as chief executive of both. (9/15)

Novaspace Forecasts More Than Fourfold Growth in Space-Based ISR Satellite Launches Over Next Decade (Source: Defense News)
The number of satellites launched to provide militaries and defense departments with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data from space is expected to increase more than fourfold over the next decade, according to Novaspace, signaling sustained expansion in defense-oriented orbital infrastructure. (9/15)

Kuva Space Demonstrates Satellite Monitoring of Illegal Poppy Cultivation (Source: Payload)
Kuva Space released data from a pilot program demonstrating its ability to monitor illegal poppy farming from orbit. The results highlight a potential satellite-based approach for identifying illicit crop cultivation over broad areas without relying solely on ground-based surveillance. (9/15)

Maverick Books 10 Kepler Satellites on Portal’s Dedicated Launch to Use Excess Capacity (Source: Payload)
Maverick has booked 10 Kepler satellites on a dedicated launch operated by Portal, using available capacity as demand for orbital launch services continues to intensify. The deal highlights the value of flexible launch arrangements for satellite operators seeking access to increasingly constrained capacity. (9/15)

Sophia Space, SLI Set Terms for $300M Satellite Leasing Deal (Source: Payload)
Orbital compute startup Sophia Space and space asset leasing company SLI have set terms for a $300M asset-financing deal. Under the framework, SLI would fund construction of a 10-satellite edge computing constellation against build and launch milestones, take ownership upon in-orbit acceptance, and lease them to Sophia’s customers. Both companies are betting that space is entering its infrastructure capital era. As a result, they’re relying on the same financing tools that built aviation and shipping. (9/15)

Trump "Loyalty" Question Barred From Federal Job Applications (Source: FNN)
Agencies will be barred from including an essay question on federal job applications asking candidates which of the president’s executive orders are most “significant” to them. U.S. District Judge George O’Toole on Friday issued a stay order directing agencies to remove the question from all hiring announcements, after finding that the inclusion of the essay question likely violated job applicants’ First Amendment rights. (9/14)

Golden Dome Needs Congressional Buy-In, but Lawmakers are Still in the Dark (Source: FNN)
Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) said there is “a lot of work that has to be done” to build broad support in Congress for the Trump administration’s ambitious Golden Dome missile defense system, in part because lawmakers still do not have any meaningful information about the system more than a year after President Trump announced the initiative.

“To be able to, I think, first of all, get the information that we need is extremely important, but also to have a better understanding of just what Golden Dome involves,” Fischer said. Her comments come after a group of lawmakers sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in June saying that DoD needs to share its plans for the system before the department “spends one more taxpayer dollar” on the Golden Dome initiative. (9/14)

HawkEye 360 Establishes European Subsidiary (Source: Space News)
HawkEye 360 announced several steps Tuesday for addressing growing demand for sovereign space capabilities in Europe. The company, which operates satellites for radio-frequency intelligence, said it is establishing a European subsidiary, working with Leonardo to provide radio-frequency sensing to European customers and collaborating with ERA, part of the Czech Republic's Omnipol Group. Company CEO John Serafini said international demand for its services is "off the charts," prompting the new European partnerships. (9/15)

Finland's Iceye Expanding to Germany, Portugal, India, Netherlands, South Korea, UAE (Source: Space News)
Iceye is also expanding its global footprint to meet sovereign demand. In recent weeks, the Finnish synthetic aperture radar satellite manufacturer and constellation operator established Iceye Germany, Iceye Portugal, Iceye India, an Iceye technology hub in the Netherlands, a strategic partnership with South Korean satellite operator KT Sat and local leadership for Iceye United Arab Emirates. The company's new global COO said Iceye is responding to sustained customer demand in these locations where there's been a clear case for countries developing their homegrown intelligence value chain. (9/15)

SES Plans European Factory for Elveo Satellites (Source: Space News)
SES revealed plans Tuesday to establish direct-to-device satellite production capabilities in Europe with Elveo Mobile. Elveo said the factory would be geared around the D2D satellite bus, payload and software, but did not reveal the location, timing or other details about the European factory. The operator, formed by the recent merger of Lynk Global and Omnispace, announced on Monday it is working with satellite manufacturer Apex to establish a dedicated satellite factory somewhere in the United States. (9/15)

Airbus, Leonardo and Thales Alenia Continue Project Bromo Support (Source: Space News)
Executives of the three European companies planning to merge their space businesses say the joint venture still makes sense despite a changing market. Airbus Defence and Space, Leonardo and Thales Alenia Space announced last fall their intent to merge their space businesses into a joint venture codenamed Project Bromo.

The deal came as the companies were struggling, but they have since turned around their space businesses and are seeing growing demand, particularly from European governments. Despite the changing markets, executives said at World Space Business Week on Monday that the merger was still needed to provide sufficient scale for Europe in the global market. Bromo is going through regulatory reviews that could be aided by proposed changes to EU merger guidelines. (9/15)

Vega C Launches Two Satellites (Source: Space News)
A Vega C successfully launched two European Earth science satellites Monday night. The rocket lifted off from Kourou, French Guiana, at 9:21 p.m. Eastern, deploying the Sentinel-3C satellite an hour later and FLEX nearly an hour after that. Sentinel-3C is part of the Copernicus program by the European Commission and ESA for Earth science observations, while FLEX is an ESA Earth science mission. The launch was the second this year of the Vega C with another planned before the end of the year. At the International Space Summit last week, Avio CEO Giulio Ranzo said his company was planning to increase the vehicle's launch cadence to six per year in the near future, and could further increase it to nine per year. (9/15)

Satellogic Gets Navy Agreement for Six Satellites (Source: Space News)
Earth observation company Satellogic has an agreement to launch six satellites for the Office of Naval Research. The contract, through Innovative Defense Technologies, involves six of the company's Mark VI satellites to support the office's Slingshot III program. In 2025 and 2026, Satellogic conducted Slingshot III proof-of-concept demonstrations with Mark VI satellites, which gather imagery with native resolution of 70 centimeters per pixel and 50-centimeter super resolution in four spectral bands. With artificial-intelligence algorithms running onboard, the Mark VI satellites will share observations in real time through radio-frequency intersatellite links. Satellogic also announced it will launch three satellites, one Mark V and two Mark VI spacecraft, in October on a SpaceX rideshare mission. (9/15)

Australia's HEO Repurposes Earth Observation Sat to Inspect Chinese Rocket Body (Source: Space News)
Australian company HEO repurposed an Earth observation satellite to conduct close-range inspection of a Chinese Long March 2C rocket. HEO worked with Satellogic and the University of New South Wales Canberra Space to obtain images of the stage from various angles and imaging conditions using Continuum-1, the spacecraft HEO acquired in orbit from Satellogic earlier this year. HEO has performed non-Earth imaging through conventional flybys, where satellites gather imagery when they pass space objects during routine operations. In contrast, Continuum-1 moved to within 40 kilometers of the rocket body, obtaining images at a resolution of 7 centimeters per pixel. (9/15)

UK's Shield Space Readies Cubesat for Satellite Inspections (Source: Space News)
British startup Shield Space has completed the critical design review for a cubesat designed for satellite inspection. Shield Space is providing autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) software for an 8U cubesat EnduroSat is building to chase a 3U target, also based on the Bulgarian firm's standardized bus. The Broadsword mission, planned for 2027, will test the ability of the chaser cubesat to approach within 100 meters of the other cubesat. Shield Space argues that, if this mission is successful, it will show that cubesats can perform inspection missions, opening up what it sees as "pretty significant" defense applications. (9/15)

ColliMate Demos Nexus Software for Autonomous Satcom Downlinks (Source: Space News)
ColliMate Space has demonstrated its Nexus software for autonomously managing satellite downlinks on a spacecraft for the first time. Running on ESA's OPS-SAT PRETTY in-orbit software testbed, ColliMate said Nexus successfully combined simulated spacecraft sensor data with orbital, environmental and radio frequency information. ColliMate now aims to test multiple phenomenologies of real-time on-orbit sensors to further increase the system's flexibility, as well as move toward operational deployments on commercial and government spacecraft. ColliMate is part of a wider push to add more autonomy in orbit, leaning on increasingly capable and cheaper-to-deploy spacecraft. (9/15)

Space Telescope Gets Bonus Time From Fuel-Saving Maneuvers (Source: NASA)
An accurate launch will help extend the lifetime of NASA's newest space telescope. The agency said Tuesday that engineers have conserved fuel reserved for mid-course correction maneuvers after the launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope in late August. One maneuver was more accurate than required, conserving fuel. That, along with additional fuel loaded on Roman before launch and an upcoming second maneuver that will be smaller than expected, will give Roman more than 20 years of fuel reserves once it arrives at the Earth-sun L-2 point. The mission was designed to have 10 years of fuel. (9/15)

September 14, 2026

US Space Command Should Always Be Led by a Guardian (Source: Air and Space Forces)
General Stephen Whiting took command of U.S. Space Command in January 2024, and if customary three-year tenures hold, his tour would end in January 2027. The question now before the President and Senate is who should follow him? Whoever they choose, it has to be a Guardian—and so should every successor thereafter. The reason is operational, not parochial: Guardians are the military professionals best prepared to integrate spacepower into global, multi-domain operations, and the Space Force exists to generate the nation’s combat-ready space forces. (9/12)

Greek Astrophysicist Calls for European Space Autonomy (Source: Greek City Times)
Europe must achieve greater autonomy in the space sector to respond to geopolitical instability, wars and growing international tensions, Greek astrophysicist Athena Coustenis said. Coustenis, a research director at France’s National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and a member of the board of the Hellenic Space Center, took part in the International Space Summit in Paris, where she also represented Greece’s national space agency. (9/13)

Moon World Resorts Welcomes Rider Levett Bucknall (Source: Moon World Resorts)
Moon World Resorts has appointed Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB), a leading global organization specializing in program management, cost management, quantity surveying, advisory services, sustainability services and built asset consultancy, as Program Managers + Cost Consultants across all worldwide MOON Smart City developments.

MOON will rise in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania, and Africa. MOON will entirely redefine what hospitality and entertainment can achieve at the intersection of innovation and the human experience. As planet Earth’s most anticipated, integrated, iconic hospitality development, MOON is perfectly positioned in a unique "Category of One".

Each MOON development is conceived as a Building of Global Significance, anchored by the world's largest true Sphere and a 556-acre masterplan integrating hospitality, entertainment, longevity + wellbeing, education, technology, attractions, luxury residences and AAA commercial real estate. The delivery mandate requires disciplined cost and risk management at a scale and complexity matched by few organizations worldwide; a mandate where RLB's two-century legacy and global reach is uniquely aligned. (9/10)

Open Cosmos Raises $350 Million, Gaining $1 Billion+ Valuation (Source: Space News)
Open Cosmos is now a unicorn after raising nearly $350 million. The company announced Monday it closed a Series C round, raising 300 million euros ($348 million). The round was led by European investors Lightrock and ETF Partners, with Claret Capital Partners providing a relatively small debt element. A source said the round valued the company at more than $1 billion. Open Cosmos designs, builds and operates satellites for government and commercial customers, while also providing Earth observation and data services as it seeks to grow a newly launched connectivity business. A key part of its growth plans is ConnectedCosmos, a proposed sovereign Ka-band broadband constellation for Europe using spectrum filings originally assigned to Rivada Space Networks. Open Cosmos is also continuing to build out OpenConstellation, its shared Earth observation network. (9/14)

Sophia Space Arranges $300 Million for 10-Satellite Computing Constellation (Source: Space News)
Sophia Space has reached a financing agreement for a 10-satellite edge-computing system. Under the $300 million agreement announced Monday, aerospace leasing specialist SLI will purchase satellites from Sophia and lease them to end users who make monthly or quarterly payments. The system will have the performance of 240 "state-of-the-art edge servers." SLI, the aerospace subsidiary of Libra Group, is playing a growing role in the space sector with satellites purchased from ReOrbit and AscendArc. (9/14)

Apex Seeks to Expand US Presence for Elveo Satellite Production (Source: Space News)
Apex is helping establish a dedicated factory to build direct-to-device satellites for direct-to-device Elveo Mobile. The companies announced plans to set up vertically integrated production for Elveo in the US. The company aims to later replicate the model to deploy manufacturing facilities in Europe and Asia. Elveo declined to disclose the location but said the facility will be separate from Apex’s Factory One in Los Angeles. The goal is for satellite production to begin rolling off the line around mid-2027. Elveo recently started operations after the merger of Lynk Global and Omnispace. Editor's Note: I hear the Airbus satellite factory at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport might be for sale. (9/14)

SpaceX Launches SES Satellites Sunday From Florida (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX launched the final three SES O3b mPower satellites Sunday. A Falcon 9 lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport and deployed three Boeing-built satellites into orbit. The three will join 10 others previously launched into medium Earth orbits to provide broadband services. The launch was the 700th for the Falcon family of launch vehicles, which includes the original Falcon 1 and Falcon Heavy. [Spaceflight Now]

Exolaunch Secures Rideshare Launches (Source: Space News)
Exolaunch has secured two additional rideshare launches. The company said Monday it reached one deal to manifest satellites as secondary payloads on the Falcon 9 launch of GRACE-C, a pair of NASA-German Earth observation satellites launching in late 2028 into a near-polar orbit. It also announced a separate deal to launch satellites for several constellation customers on a Japanese H3 rocket launching in 2027 to a mid-inclination orbit. The deals are in addition to two dedicated Falcon 9 launches Exolaunch acquired in May as it and others in the industry scramble to prepare for the expected end of SpaceX's own dedicated rideshare missions in the next couple of years. (9/14)

BlackSky Was Rocket Lab's Mystery Customer for Recent Launch (Source: Space News)
BlackSky was the customer for a secretive Electron launch last week. The company announced Monday it commissioned its latest Gen-3 satellite and returned its first image less than 20 hours after launch. The satellite launched on an Electron Friday for what Rocket Lab described as only a confidential customer, but BlackSky later confirmed it was that customer. By decreasing the timeline from launch to initial operations, BlackSky seeks to expand access to Gen-3’s 35-centimeter imagery. (9/14)

NOAA to Expand Commercial Satellite Data Use (Source: Space News)
NOAA announced a significant expansion of its commercial satellite data program last week. The agency said it awarded its five-year Space-Based Environmental Monitoring contract, with a five-year option, to 14 companies to provide various types of commercial weather data. The indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract is worth up to $8 billion. NOAA will use the data to improve its weather forecasting models. (9/14)

NASA Hopes to Break Ground on Space Academy in 2028 (Source: Space News)
NASA has provided more details about a proposed U.S. Space Academy. The agency released an RFI last week for the academy, inviting states to propose how they would support the institution through access to land, educational institutions and other resources. President Trump signed an executive order last month creating a commission to study the academy over the next 120 days, and that commission met last week for the first time. NASA stated in the RFI is it looking to break ground on the academy as soon as next year with an initial 300-student class starting in 2028 on an interim campus, with the final campus ready by 2031. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman took to social media to defend the academy from criticism that it blurs the lines between civil and military space as well as its costs. (9/14)

DoD Wants AI Space Threat Intelligence Synthesis (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon is seeking an AI system capable of turning a flood of space, missile and intelligence data into operational threat assessments within seconds. The Defense Innovation Unit opened a competition for what it calls a “Space Threat Intelligence Synthesis Engine,” software designed to fuse fragmented sensor and intelligence feeds fast enough to support human operators and automated command-and-control systems. The Pentagon wants proposals by Sept. 24 for commercially developed software that can continuously ingest and correlate live video, satellite imagery, radar and other sensor feeds, geospatial information and classified intelligence. The system would use artificial intelligence and machine learning to detect, characterize and attribute threats and maintain an updated picture of the operating environment. (9/14)

Poland's Orbital Matter and Germany's Dcubed Conducting 3D Printing Flights for Cubesats (Source: Space News)
Two European companies are conducting on-orbit demonstrations of 3D printing in cubesats that could be used for in-space production of solar arrays. Polish company Orbital Matter 3D-printed a layer of photopolymer resin in August with one of four 3D printers in Replicator 2, an eight-unit cubesat launched in July on a SpaceX Transporter rideshare. Separately, German startup Dcubed is seeking confirmation that its Araqys-D1/Dcubed-1 satellite, launched in January, printed a 60-centimeter structural boom. It has been unable to establish communications with the cubesat after its deployment. (9/14)

Catalyx Developing Deployable Heat Shield for Reentry Vehicle (Source: Space News)
Catalyx Space is preparing to test a newly developed deployable heat shield for its planned ReX reentry vehicle. The startup said a 10-kilogram test vehicle carrying the hardware is slated to launch in mid-October aboard an Indian RH-300 sounding rocket to an altitude of around 110 kilometers, before splashing down in the Arabian Sea. The heat shield is designed to expand from 25 centimeters across when stowed to one meter. The flight also aims to validate a point-to-point delivery capability for defense applications. (9/14)

Chinese Tourist Arrested in Merritt Island NWR For Flying a Drone (Source: Talk of Titusville)
A Chinese tourist who flew a consumer drone from a Playalinda Beach parking lot in July is now facing federal charges after the aircraft climbed above the mangroves and recorded video of Kennedy Space Center. A criminal complaint was filed in Orlando in a case that began with a routine drone alert on a Saturday evening and ended with a family of four being escorted off federal property.

The charges, filed August 7 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida under case number 6:26-mj-1933, charges He with violation of National Defense Airspace under 49 U.S.C. 46307 and operating an aircraft without an airman’s certificate under 49 U.S.C. 46306(b)(7). Both are misdemeanors. The complaint was sworn before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leslie Hoffman Price. (9/12)

Sierra Space Secures Contracts For First Dream Chaser Mission (Source: Talk of Titusville)
Sierra Space said Tuesday it has signed national security and commercial customers to fly payloads on the inaugural flight of its Dream Chaser spaceplane, the long-delayed winged vehicle scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station aboard a ULA Vulcan Centaur. Sierra Space named no customers and disclosed no contract values, but this week’s announcement sharpens the Sierra’s pivot toward national security work for Dream Chaser ahead of a debut still targeted for late this year. (9/3)

September 13, 2026

Florida Has Become the New Hotbed for Defense Startup Money (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Venture-capital powerhouse Andreessen Horowitz is launching a new regional headquarters in South Florida, focusing on defense investments two years after it fled the region following a short-lived crypto office in Miami. The California-based firm said it is planning to open its new base next year in West Palm Beach, where a team will oversee the American Dynamism fund. That vehicle has raised $1.18 billion for startups building technologies for national security and the industrial economy. (9/10)

Senegal Moves Closer to Building Satellites Domestically (Source: CGTN)
Senegal is taking another step towards developing an independent space industry, with engineers working on the country's second satellite in collaboration with France's University Space Center in Montpellier. The project is part of a wider national program aimed at building local expertise and reducing Senegal's reliance on foreign satellite imagery. (9/10)

Why is NASA in the Air Show Business? (Source: Space News)
NASA recently announced Max Power, a spectacle-filled event at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) with air shows that the agency is ticketing as a series of "park experiences" and a major industry trade event. "Max Power might turn out to be a fun event, but it might also be an empty one. It could inspire the next generation of the space workforce, but so could a regular trip to KSC, writes Jeff Foust.

"Brian Hughes, the current director of KSC, said at the Max Power announcement his interest in space was kindled by a trip to the center when he was 3½ years old. The agency is involved in a lot more spectacles with greater significance, from exploring the universe to returning humans to the moon. And rocket launches are a lot more fun than an air show." (9/12)

Mars Astronauts Could Live in Houses 3D-Printed From Freeze-Dried Yeast (Source: The Register)
A paper published on Thursday describes a method for building structures on Mars that doesn’t rely on energy-intensive heating to turn regolith into building blocks. The team instead turned to bioengineered yeast and gelatin mixed with simulated Mars dirt to 3D print structures.

"My inspiration came from freeze-dried fruits that become harder,” says senior author Jishen Qiu. His idea is a relatively simple one once you break it down: Take one part yeast bioengineered to produce adhesive proteins that bind the components. Combine with artificial gelatin hydrosol to serve as a growth medium for the yeast. Add plain old Martian dirt, and extrude the material through a 3D-printing nozzle. (9/11)

Macron’s Space Summit Showed Europe Isn’t Ready for Takeoff Without the US (Source; Politico)
The international space summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday and Thursday was meant to show that Europe is getting serious about investing in its space sector. But the two-day gathering under the glass dome of Paris’ Grand Palais ended up demonstrating that Europeans are not spending enough to cut reliance on the U.S. to access space — at least not yet. (9/10)

DIU Moves to Prototype New Contract Model That Will Fast-Track Security Clearances for Startups (Source: Defense Scoop)
The Defense Innovation Unit will soon sponsor approved startups and non-traditional companies with certain temporary security clearances so they can participate in classified conversations to fully grasp the U.S. military’s real demands, ahead of winning major Pentagon contracts.

Senior defense officials on Thursday previewed a unique contracting solicitation that’s in the pipeline for release in the next few weeks and will prototype a process to grant venture-backed and other small businesses with fast-tracked Facility Security Clearances (FCL) held under DIU’s new Bridge Program. (9/10)

The FAA's Plan To Replace The Supersonic Flight Ban Could Change Commercial Aviation (Source: Simple Flying)
Boom Supersonic holds approximately 130 conditional orders from United Airlines, American Airlines, and Japan Airlines (JAL) for its Mach 1.7 Overture airliner. President Trump signed an executive order in June 2025 directing the FAA to repeal the ban. Congress is advancing bipartisan legislation with statutory deadlines. Regulatory, technological, and political conditions for supersonic overland flight are aligning for the first time since the ban.

Congress has pursued a parallel track through the Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act, known as the SAM Act. The legislation is sponsored in the House by Representatives Troy Nehls of Texas and Sharice Davids of Kansas with nine additional cosponsors. In the Senate, Senators Ted Budd of North Carolina and John Hickenlooper of Colorado lead the bill with four additional cosponsors.

Boomless Cruise does not require the aircraft's shape to prevent shock wave coalescence the way the X-59 does. It relies on atmospheric conditions and flight profile management to keep the boom above the surface. Whether Boomless Cruise can consistently keep ground-level overpressure below 0.11 lb per square foot across varying atmospheric conditions, seasons, and terrain is a question that flight testing and operational data will need to answer. (9/12)

Some Satellite Companies Still Have an Appetite for Boutique Launch Services (Source: Ars Technica)
If you ask most satellite companies aside from SpaceX, they will tell you the world doesn’t have enough capacity for launching payloads into orbit. This is despite the blistering launch cadence we’ve seen around the world in recent years, led by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.

Customers in any sector will, of course, usually welcome competition. Theoretically, competition will lead to lower prices and allow the best to rise to the top. It seems like the customers buying launch services were right. SpaceX is dialing back its Falcon 9 launch program, and there is no certainty about when SpaceX’s reusable next-generation super-heavy-lift rocket, Starship, will carry anything to orbit besides the company’s own Starlink satellites.

So it’s no surprise satellite operators are cheering the success of a new launch provider. This was especially the case a few days ago, when Germany’s Isar Aerospace reached orbit for the first time with its Spectrum rocket. The launcher delivered a batch of CubeSats to low-Earth orbit from a spaceport in northern Norway, and Isar tasted success after its first test flight ended in failure last year. (9/11)

FAA Advises of Sep. 18 Date for Next Starship Flight (Source: NSF)
An FAA Operations Plan Advisory lists Starship Flight 14 for September 18. The launch window opens at 7:15 a.m. CDT. (9/11)

Space Force Clears Design Milestone for 10 New Satellites To Track Maneuverable Hypersonic Missiles Worldwide (Source: Defence Industry Europe)
The U.S. Space Force has completed a critical design review for the first two orbital planes of its Epoch 2 missile-warning and tracking network. The milestone clears the program to advance towards construction of 10 new satellites for deployment in medium Earth orbit.

BAE Space & Mission Systems, the first of two planned Epoch 2 suppliers, supported the completed review. Selection of a second supplier is continuing, with a contract award planned for early fiscal 2027. Epoch 2 is the next phase of Space Systems Command’s Resilient Missile Warning and Tracking program. It will expand global coverage and improve the military’s ability to detect, track and assess advanced missile threats. (9/11)

Northrop Grumman Eyes 25,000 Rocket Motors Annually As It Adds 57,000-Square-Foot Maryland Facility (Source: Interesting Engineering)
Northrop Grumman opened a new 57,000-square-foot Propulsion Innovation Center in Elkton, Maryland, as part of a broader $100 million investment to expand the company’s solid rocket motor capacity across its propulsion manufacturing network. (9/12)

Boeing and Engineers’ Union Reach Tentative Contract Agreement (Source: Reuters)
Boeing and its engineering union reached a ‌tentative contract agreement on Friday, union officials said. The four-year offer includes higher general wage increases than the first offer, which members of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) overwhelmingly rejected in an August 21 vote. (9/11)

Axiom Space, ESA Partner On Innovation, LEO Access (Source: Aviation Week)
Axiom Space and ESA have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) emphasizing the importance of international collaboration and commercial innovation in space. They are also seeking to broaden cooperation for sustained European access to low Earth orbit (LEO). The partnership helps Europe secure continuous access to microgravity research and flight opportunities as the ISS nears its retirement.

Both organizations will explore future astronaut missions to both the ISS and the commercial Axiom Station. The collaboration covers potential European contributions to infrastructure, science payloads, and future transport systems like European cargo and crew vehicles. (9/10)

SpaceX: Louisiana’s Blueprint for Exponential Business Growth (Source: New Louisiana)
SpaceX may have given Louisiana more than a transformational investment. It may have given us a blueprint. When attracting the project mattered enough, Louisiana demonstrated its willingness to reconsider taxes, remove regulatory obstacles, coordinate government agencies, and provide greater legal certainty. In doing so, the state also provided a remarkable demonstration of what our own government believes stands in the way of investment. The question now is whether those lessons can be applied beyond aerospace. (9/11)

Finland Urges Musk To Allow Starlink Use Against Russia (Source: Aviation Week)
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb urged SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to loosen restrictions on Ukraine’s use of the company’s Starlink service in its battle against Russia. Stubb, during the International Space Summit here in Paris, called out Musk and said he should allow Ukraine to use the satellite system to target Russian ballistic missile launchers that are killing Ukrainians.

The appeal comes as Russia has been firing ballistic missiles at Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, on a near-daily basis. Ukraine has been struggling to defend itself against those attacks given its lack of missile defense interceptors. (9/10)

Gravity Molded Human Consciousness—But a Future in Space Could Make It Evolve (Source: Popular Mechanics)
The near-absence of gravity during space missions can temporarily alter astronauts’ bodies and brains. In one experiment, gene expression and chromosomal telomere length changed. Some scientists theorize that long-term life in microgravity could reshape human cognition, potentially even consciousness, and other aspects of human evolution.  Evidence for such future changes is limited for now. But researchers are looking for ways to predict how humans might adapt to long periods in space. (9/11)

September 12, 2026

Rocket Lab Protests Mars Telecom Award to Blue Origin (Source: Rocket Lab)
Rocket Lab announced on Friday that it has filed a formal protest with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) challenging NASA’s decision to award the Mars Telecommunications Network contract to rival Blue Origin. “NASA’s award decision appears to be inconsistent with the eligibility criteria mandated by Congress. In addition, the agency’s punitive review of Rocket Lab's technical volume was inconsistent, making incorrect assertions and conclusions,” Rocket Lab said. (9/11)

FAA Approves Hermeus to Fly Quarterhorse Mk 2.2 Supersonically (Source: Flight Global)
The FAA has officially granted approval for Hermeus to flight-test its Quarterhorse Mk 2.2 aircraft at supersonic speeds. The regulatory clearance marks a crucial operational step as the Atlanta-based aviation startup advances its iterative roadmap toward building reusable hypersonic aircraft. The decision follows a historic performance milestone set by the preceding Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 demonstrator, which successfully broke the sound barrier.

Hermeus built, flight-tested, and accelerated the uncrewed Mk 2.1 jet through Mach 1 threshold testing in record time. The new FAA authorization allows engineers to expand the flight envelope with the Mk 2.2 variant, maintaining a aggressive schedule funded in part through defense partnerships and private investments. Hermeus specifically designed the Mk 2 series to bridge the operational gap between conventional jet engines and high-mach propulsion platforms.

Operating under the new FAA flight authorization, Quarterhorse Mk 2.2 acts as a dynamic testbed to evaluate engine airflow, thermal loads, and vehicle stability during prolonged supersonic flight. These developmental achievements move the aviation industry significantly closer to realizing practical, routine hypersonic flight. (9/10)

The Closest Planet to Our Sun Is Shrinking (Source: WKTV)
Telltale wrinkles that cover Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, suggest it was once a larger world that has shrunk in size. As the heat escapes such worlds over time, the interiors shrink. Mercury’s cracked surface bears scars from such shrinkage — scientists call these ridges and cliffs shortening structures. Some of the cliffs can reach up to 1 mile in height and can extend for hundreds of miles in length. But asteroids and comets have also bombarded Mercury, riddling it with impact craters, much like the pockmarked surface of Earth’s moon. Debris from the impacts might have hidden just how much Mercury has contracted over time. (9/10)

Firefly to Launch Alpha Missions From Sweden's Spaceport (Source: Firefly)
Firefly Aerospace announced a multi-launch agreement with SSC Space for two Alpha rocket launches from Sweden’s Esrange Space Center, owned and operated by SSC Space. Targeted to launch no earlier than 2028, the missions will serve Sweden national security customers as well as additional commercial rideshare customers, marking a significant step forward in delivering orbital launch capabilities from mainland Europe. (9/8)

Space Force Taps Leonardo for Sensor Development (Source: Defense Post)
Leonardo DRS has secured a contract from the US Space Force to develop sensors to detect, track and target fast-moving threats in space, as well as to reduce the cost of sensor production. The contract, awarded under an Other Transaction Agreement for Prototype, will be led by the company's Electro-Optical and Infrared Systems business. "These investments allow our company to push the boundaries of advanced sensing and targeting and implement scaled manufacturing to support national security priorities," said John Baylouny. (9/10)

NASA Just Proved Satellites Can Navigate Without GPS (Source: SciTechDaily)
NASA has demonstrated a new way for satellites to navigate without GPS by using the objects around them as landmarks in space. NASA’s Starling mission has reached another milestone in spacecraft autonomy with a new system that can determine a satellite’s position by using other objects in space as reference points rather than depending on a traditional navigation network. (9/11)

Satellites Get a New Type of Armor (Source: Economist)
Hurtling around Earth at roughly seven kilometers a second, even tiny pieces of debris pack quite a punch. Such manmade junk poses a far greater threat to satellites circling in low orbits than natural space rocks do—and the risks are rising. Companies like Atomic-6 are developing lightweight materials like composite tiles to protect next-generation satellites. Meanwhile, firms like Odin Space are deploying vibration-sensing adhesive strips on spacecraft to measure and assess orbital impacts in real time. (9/7)

Sierra Space’s Ghost Reentry Vehicle Is Taken Through Logistics Paces (Source: Aviation Week)
A bottle of whiskey and a software-defined radio might make an unusual test load, but Sierra Space used the odd pair to help prove its Ghost reentry vehicle’s capabilities. The space and defense company demonstrated that its Ghost reentry vehicle can safely return cargo to Earth from high-altitude balloons positioned at 35,000 ft. and 68,500 ft. above sea level. The drop tests—the vehicle’s first in nearly two years—were part of a recent exercise known as Apollo Nexus hosted by U.S. Space Command in May at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah. (9/10)

Europe's Space Chief Raises Need for the Region to Coordinate its Satellite Plans (Source: Reuters)
Europe must ensure its ​countries' competing satellite programmes can work together effectively and do not duplicate each other, ‌European Space Agency Director General Josef Aschbacher said. He was speaking at a space summit in Paris, where new contracts for the European Union's IRIS² planned communications constellation were announced, bolstering efforts to create an alternative to non-European ​actors, most notably Elon Musk's SpaceX. (9/10)

World’s First Zinc Hall-Effect Thruster Fires in Space on its Maiden Attempt (Source: Interesting Engineering)
A satellite has fired a Hall-effect thruster fueled by solid zinc in orbit for the first time, giving spacecraft designers a new option for electric propulsion. Muon Space completed the test on July 1 aboard SERT-III, a dedicated propulsion test spacecraft. The mission tested the company’s Starlight propulsion system under real orbital conditions. (9/10)

NASA, IBM Launch AI Foundation Model for Lunar Science (Source: NASA)
NASA is bringing artificial intelligence to the study of the Moon, helping researchers transform how they analyze the Moon’s surface. In an ongoing collaboration with IBM Research and several academic institutions, NASA has launched the NASA-IBM Lunar Foundation Model, among the first open-source AI models built specifically for lunar science. The model, trained primarily on data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), is hosted publicly on Hugging Face for anyone to use, with the complete codebase available on GitHub for testing and experimentation.

The NASA-IBM Lunar Foundation Model supports the next generation of lunar science by helping researchers quickly analyze vast quantities of data to better understand the Moon’s surface. Using the model as a mapping tool, researchers can rapidly develop actionable strategies for evaluating the Moon’s rugged surface, understanding its geological past, and planning future lunar research. (9/10)

SpaceX Sues Grimes County a Month After Texas Terafab Announcement (Source: KHOU)
A month after Elon Musk and Gov. Greg Abbott officially confirmed Terafab was coming to Grimes County, the county itself and the Texas attorney general are facing a lawsuit from SpaceX. The complaint, which SpaceX filed in Travis County on Sep. 8, names Attorney General Ken Paxton and Grimes County as defendants. The lawsuit asks a district court judge to issue a temporary restraining order preventing Grimes County from releasing information through a public records request to Marie Egyed and Vanessa Burzynski, two residents of Grimes County.

It also asks the judge to permanently block the county and the attorney general from releasing SpaceX’s confidential information, arguing that no monetary compensation can make up for the damage SpaceX would suffer. SpaceX’s complaint centers on a pair of Texas Public Information Act requests that Egyed and Burzynski filed on behalf of the organization Grimes County Citizens for Responsible Development. (9/11)

Voyager Offering Throttleable Solid Propulsion for Golden Dome’s Architecture (Source: Breaking Defense)
Our propulsion systems have the capability to start and stop, which provides longer engagements on targets, the ability to conserve energy and much more accurate engagements on effects. And we’re always working on new tech. We’re now supporting a newly awarded DARPA program for solid rocket motors, providing tailorable thrust control to meet unique mission requirements. (9/11)

Poland Launches Process to Develop a Domestic Starlink-Like Satellite System (Source: C4ISRnet)
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Poland has begun a process that could lead to a national satellite communications system modeled on Starlink. The announcement, made at Poland’s International Defence Industry Exhibition in Kielce, signals an effort to build sovereign space-based connectivity capacity. (9/11)

Agile Space Industries Celebrates Colorado Headquarters Expansion (Source: Space News)
Agile Space Industries celebrated the completion of a 20,500-square-foot expansion of its Durango headquarters with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 26, joined by U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper, local leaders, community members and Agile employees. The expansion brings Agile’s headquarters at 820 Airport Road to approximately 40,000 square feet of combined office and manufacturing space, more than doubling the facility’s previous 19,500-square-foot footprint. Construction began in January and was completed in July. (9/2)

L3Harris Lands $4.7 Billion Missile Defense Production Deal (Source: AL.com)
L3Harris Technologies will expand the production of missile interceptor components under a $4.7 billion contract it received from Lockheed Martin. L3Harris said its two facilities under construction in Camden, Arkansas, will support the production of propulsion systems for PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement interceptor, which is designed to engage with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and aircraft threats. (9/9)

Millions in New Funding Boost Florida's Space Coast Launch Infrastructure (Source: WESH)
Space Florida announced funding for several new projects during its Thursday morning meeting. Relativity Space received $20 million for a payload processing facility, an upper-stage testing facility, and to expand its launch pad site. Blue Origin received $2.5 million for its payload processing facility. ULA received $10.8 million for a new water treatment facility. SpaceX received $7.7 million for improvements to the NASA Causeway. All of this will help increase launch cadence among the companies. (9/10)

Musk and SpaceX Face Expensive Tradeoffs on the Road to Mars (Source: Bloomberg)
SpaceX has big plans for Starship. The 407-foot-tall rocket will someday be used to build a network of orbiting artificial intelligence data centers and ferry humans to the moon and Mars, if all goes according to plan.

First, though, the company plans to use Starship to carry a new and improved batch of its money-making Starlink satellites into space. SpaceX aims to send its first V3 satellites into orbit on a crucial Starship test mission slated to blast off as soon as next week. Elon Musk faces a strategic dilemma between launching cash-generating satellites and sending humans into deep space — with an uncertain payoff. (9/11)

China Details Satellite Network Buildout Through the End of the Decade in New Telecom Plan (Source: Space News)
China’s telecommunications regulator has issued a roadmap for expanding the country’s satellite network through the end of the decade, building on a national five-year plan released in March. The plan signals continued government direction for satellite communications and related space infrastructure.  (9/11)

Quantum Computing Threatens the Cryptography Protecting Satellites and Critical Infrastructure (Source: Space News)
Cryptographic systems relied on for decades to secure sensitive communications and critical infrastructure could become vulnerable to sufficiently powerful quantum computers. Satellite operators and space-system developers face a long-term security challenge involving the protection of command, control and data links against future quantum-enabled attacks. (9/11)

Antares Wins $161 Million DoD Award for Space Nuclear Power (Source: Payload)
Antares has secured a $161 million Department of Defense contract to advance nuclear power for space, marking the largest DoD award to date for the technology. The award underscores growing U.S. investment in space-based nuclear power capabilities. (9/11)

Impulse Space Spacecraft Approach Within 650 Feet in Orbit to Demonstrate Precision Operations (Source: Space.com)
Two spacecraft operated by Impulse Space came within less than 650 feet of one another in orbit, showcasing what the company described as advanced capabilities. The maneuver highlights the growing role of commercial spacecraft in proximity operations, with implications for in-space servicing, inspection and other emerging orbital missions. (9/11)

Could United Launch Alliance’s Money Problems Finally Force its Owners to Sell? (Source: Ars Technica)
Pretty much every rocket company in the US, save one, has embraced reusability and diversification. They all realize launch is a low-margin business: SpaceX’s financial statements reveal just 8 percent of the company’s $12.5 billion in revenue this year has come from launch services. When ULA kicked off development of Vulcan, officials did not prioritize reusability, with no plans to reuse the rocket’s booster stage and only tentative plans to eventually recover and reuse Vulcan’s main engines. A decade later, ULA’s half-hearted stab at reusability hasn’t gone anywhere.

Vulcan’s first launch was delayed more than four years from ULA’s original target of 2019. Boeing and Lockheed Martin at first provided only tentative funding for Vulcan’s development. In the meantime, ULA shelved plans for an advanced, long-duration upper stage, a feature that, at least on paper, appeared to be one of the Vulcan rocket’s advantages over SpaceX’s Falcon rocket family. Then ULA ran into trouble on the rocket’s second flight in October 2024 when the exhaust nozzle on one of its Northrop Grumman-built solid rocket boosters shattered moments after liftoff.

At the same time, the financial situation at ULA is not great. Lockheed Martin said its earnings “primarily” attributable to ULA dipped from $325 million in 2016 to $100 million in 2022. Double that to get an idea of ULA’s net income. Last year, Lockheed reported its share of earnings from ULA was “not significant.” ULA was responsible for a quarter of the operating profit in Lockheed’s space business a decade ago. It dropped to less than 10 percent over the last five years, then to virtually nothing in 2025. (9/11)

Europe to Proceed Alone on Venus Mission After NASA Withdraws Radar Instrument (Source: Ars Technica)
European partners will move forward without NASA on a Venus mission after the agency withdrew its planned radar instrument, highlighting the potential impact of shifting U.S. space partnerships. The decision could push Europe toward greater independence in planetary science while increasing the significance of alternative international partners, including China. (9/10)

MaiaSpace Signs First Long-Term Asian Launch Deal with SAR Operator iQPS (Source: Via Satellite)
French launch provider MaiaSpace has secured its first long-term Asian customer agreement with Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space (iQPS), which plans to use the company to launch a range of synthetic-aperture radar satellites. The deal gives MaiaSpace an anchor customer as it builds its commercial launch business. (9/10)

EU Commission Signals Competition-Policy Shift to Support Thales-Airbus-Leonardo Space Consolidation (Source: Space Intel Report)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU is updating competition policy to favor strategic consolidations, citing the proposed Thales-Airbus-Leonardo space merger as an example. The policy shift could ease regulatory scrutiny of larger European aerospace combinations intended to strengthen the region’s industrial position. (9/10)

September 11, 2026

NASA Calls for Proposals to Accelerate Lunar Surface Technologies (Source: NASA)
NASA is seeking proposals to advance the technology and infrastructure needed to explore the Moon and establish a Moon Base in the lunar South Pole region. Announced on Sep. 8, the solicitation targets capability gaps, including power generation, oxygen extraction, and producing materials on the Moon required for construction and operations. These technologies are essential to making humanity’s next great leap in lunar exploration. (9/8)

Northern Virginia Benefits From Aerospace Boom (Source: Virginia Business)
“This whole area has become even more dynamic than ever,” Matt Desch says. “It’s perfect for attracting … the best employees who want to work on the future of space.” More than 125 aerospace and defense companies operate in Northern Virginia, according to the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, taking advantage of their proximity to federal government agencies and, to the east, NASA‘s Langley Research Center and Wallops Island flight facility.

“Aerospace represents an area of opportunity for this region,” says Marian Marquez, senior vice president of Alexandria Economic Development Partnership. And now, as space travel shifts further from its governmental origins to the private sector, local officials say its economic potential is practically galactic.

“All the big defense contractors are here,” Small notes, ticking off advantages the federal government has handed the region. “Most of them have space components or elements. You’ve got the FAA up here … and then you get, you know, these folks that break away from these companies and start their own businesses, or entrepreneurs that want to start their own businesses and be near those companies.” (8/30)

Amazon Plans Leo Service by Year-End (Source: Space News)
An Amazon executive said the company still expects to begin initial services with its Amazon Leo broadband constellation by the end of the year. In an interview, Chris Weber said the company plans to start offering services in higher latitudes in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere using the nearly 400 satellites currently in orbit. Deployment of the 3,200-satellite system has been slowed by problems with New Glenn and Vulcan, although Weber said he hoped that Vulcan could start launching Amazon Leo satellites later this fall. Amazon also has a contract for 10 Falcon 9 launches currently scheduled for 2027. The next set of Amazon Leo satellites are scheduled to launch in October on an Ariane 6. (9/11)

Tomorrow.io Plans New Weather Satellite Constellation (Source: Space News)
Tomorrow.io has outlined plans for a new weather satellite constellation. The company said Thursday that York Space Systems will build a dozen satellites for the DeepSky weather-observation constellation under a $187 million contract. York will use its M-class bus for the contract, with each satellite expected to weigh 800 kilograms. Those satellites will carry a suite of instruments, including microwave sounders, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) radio occultation receivers, GNSS reflectometers, precipitation radars and optical and infrared cameras. The constellation is designed to improve forecasts and recommendations for enterprise and government customers. (9/11)

China's Human Spaceflight Agency Takes Over Robotic Lunar Program (Source: Space News)
China's human spaceflight agency has taken over and appears to be reconfiguring the country's robotic moon landing program. Chang'e-8 had been slated for launch in 2028 or 2029, testing in-situ resource utilization technologies such as 3D printing bricks that could be used for assembling lunar habitats. However, a presentation at a planetary science conference this week stated that the China Manned Space Agency had taken over the exploration program and that payloads planned for Chang'e-8 had been remanifested on later missions. It is unclear if Chang'e-8 will keep to its former schedule but with different payloads, or if the mission concept itself is changing, along with its schedule, as China moves from parallel lunar robotic and human spaceflight efforts to a combined program. (9/11)

TrustPoint Orders 40 Satellites From EnduroSat (Source: Space News)
TrustPoint has ordered 40 satellites from EnduroSat for its planned LEO navigation network. EnduroSat's U.S. subsidiary will build the spacecraft and deliver them in three batches, TrustPoint said Thursday, but did not disclose a schedule or financial details. The order marks a significant increase in scale for TrustPoint, which has so far launched and operated three demonstration satellites carrying its C-band navigation payload and is building four more under a U.S. Space Force-backed program. The company is developing a commercial positioning, navigation and timing, or PNT, system intended to complement or provide an alternative to GPS and other government-operated navigation constellations using C-band signals. (9/11)

SpaceX Launches Classified Payload for Space Force From California on Thursday (Source: Space.com)
SpaceX launched a classified Space Force mission Thursday. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on a mission designated USSF-153. Neither the Space Force nor SpaceX disclosed details about the payloads on the mission, although some speculated it could be a set of Starshield satellites. (9/11)

China Launches Reconnaissance Satellites on Long March 4B (Source: Xhinhua)
China launched two groups of reconnaissance satellites Thursday. A Long March 4B lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 5 a.m. Eastern, placing an unspecified number of Yaogan-54 and Yaogan-56 satellites into orbit. Chinese media said the spacecraft are used for civil remote sensing applications, although the Yaogan satellite family is usually associated with military missions. (9/11)

Rocket Lab Launches Confidential Satellite From New Zealand (Source: Rocket Lab)
Rocket Lab launched a satellite for a confidential customer overnight with no advance notice. The company said an Electron rocket lifted off at 11:28 p.m. Eastern from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand on the "Happily Ever Faster" mission, placing a single Earth observation satellite into a 500-kilometer orbit. Rocket Lab did not announce the launch in advance and said the mission was for a confidential customer. Similar confidential launches in the past year have placed satellites into orbit for BlackSky, an operator of commercial imaging satellites. (9/11)

SpaceX to Launch Starlink Payloads on Next Starship (Source: Space News)
A SpaceX executive confirmed the next Starship launch will place Starlink satellite into orbit. SpaceX CFO Bret Johnsen said at an event Thursday that the Flight 14 mission will be the first to place payloads into orbit, carrying a set of V3 Starlink satellites. SpaceX said last month that Flight 14 would be the vehicle's first orbital launch but has not provided updates since then. That launch, once planned for late August, is now expected no earlier than mid-September. Johnsen emphasized the importance of Starship for deploying next-generation Starlink satellites as well as direct-to-device and orbital data center spacecraft that will be based on the V3 Starlink design. (9/11)

Space Force Turns to Auria Simulation Technology to Prepare for Warfare in Orbit (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force is expanding its use of simulation technology to train guardians for complex satellite operations that are difficult to practice with spacecraft performing real missions. The service awarded Auria Space two contracts for satellite communications and space warfare training systems. (9/10)

Europe Needs to Compete in Spaceflight, Says France's Macron (Source: DW)
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called on Europe to strengthen its space sector to close the gap with the United States and China. "Space Europe is still weak," he said during a discussion at the International Space Summit in Paris. "We want Europe to assert its ambition in crewed spaceflight," he said. "Our European space program remains fragile and we must step up our efforts."

"And in 10 years' time, I want to see the first European crewed capsule take off from Kourou with European astronauts and those from other nations on board." The French president also said Europe needs to reduce its dependence on US and Russian services. At the moment, Europe's space exploration relies on rockets and satellites from the United States and Russia for communication and surveillance. (9/10)

NASA Issues RFI on U.S. Space Academy (Source: Douglas Messier)
NASA has issued a request for information on locations for the United States Space Academy (USSA) proposed by President Donald Trump. NASA has invited each of the 50 states to submit information that: a) identifies potential locations for the permanent establishment of the USSA campus, including a groundbreaking no later than 2027; b) details solutions that may allow the USSA to begin instruction in 2028 and facilitate a smooth transition to a permanent campus by 2031; and c) explores the estimated costs of establishing the USSA and potential state, local, and other non-Federal partnerships that could support its establishment. (9/10)

This NASA Color Trick Was Meant for Mars. Now It’s Unveiling Rock Art on Earth (Source: Gizmodo)
In 2005, archaeologist Jon Harman was attending a conference on rock art when he came across an unexpected source of inspiration: images of Mars. One showed the planet’s familiar rusty-red surface; another, created using a method developed at NASA, transformed the Martian landscape into a striking mosaic of red, green, and yellow, revealing remarkable detail. Harman immediately saw how the technique could help researchers study some of the world’s oldest paintings.

The technique, known as decorrelation stretch, is used to enhance contrasts in digital imagery. It was first developed by researchers at NASA JPL in 1978 to improve the interpretation of high-correlation remote sensing and satellite imagery. The archeologist first applied it to photos he had taken of rock art in Baja California, Mexico, revealing a new yellow figure in one image that seemed to appear out of nowhere. “That convinced me of the usefulness,” he said. (9/10)

SpaceX Is a Huge Threat to Earth-Bound Rivals (Telecoms), Too (Source: Bloomberg)
SpaceX isn’t just about orbital data centers and off-world colonies. Down here on planet Earth, Elon Musk’s $2 trillion satellite goliath has been talking up its ambitions in mobile telecoms, and investors have started to pay attention. Concerns around Musk’s competitive threat look more likely to worsen than ease. Mobile telephony appears hard for satellite technology to disrupt. The signals don’t travel well through buildings and they’re bad at serving densely populated towns and cities. But Musk isn’t someone to shy away from an engineering challenge. (9/10)

Space Coast Argotec Engineers Help NASA Watch Dangerous Solar Storms (Source: WESH)
Engineers in Brevard County are helping NASA find a cheaper way to protect technology in space from the sun. That could have a major impact here on Earth, because dangerous solar storms can disrupt satellites, GPS, and even commercial flights. Corbett Hoenninger is the general manager for Argotec’s U.S. location. The Italian company is famous for ISSpresso, the first espresso machine made to work in space. After more than 30 years in business, Argotec recently opened its Melbourne shop this spring, complete with its own clean room.

Their next mission will be a major milestone for NASA. It could change how we watch dangerous solar storms coming from the sun, which can directly impact satellites. “Everything we use has to do with satellites,” Hoenninger said. “Your phone, your watch, your car — almost everything has an interaction with satellites somehow.” If a solar storm impacts those satellites, it could disrupt your GPS, air travel, spacecraft and communication systems. (9/10)

Space Florida Celebrates 20 Years (Source: Space Florida)
On Sep. 1, 2006, a new Florida statute created Space Florida as the state’s aerospace finance, development, and spaceport authority. As we celebrate, we’re looking back at two decades of growth for Florida aerospace, from record launch years and billions in investment to a workforce helping shape what comes next.

Editor's Note: Governor Bob Martinez signed the Spaceport Florida Authority Act into law on July 5, 1989. The legislation, still enshrined in Chapter 331, Part Two, Florida Statutes, provides the broad empowerment still used by Space Florida to finance, develop, and operate space infrastructure statewide. The Legislature split the agency into three entities in 1999: the Florida Space Authority, the Florida Aerospace Financing Corp., and the Florida Space Research Institute. Years later, a commission recommended re-combining them (on Sep. 1, 2006) into a single agency: Space Florida. (9/10)

The Data Center Backlash Comes for SpaceXAI’s Colossus (Source: SciAm)
he power plant is mostly hidden. Along the road, black privacy fabric wraps the tall chain-link fence surrounding the Southaven site. Past a thin line of trees, metal stacks rise above the fence, and exhaust shimmers in the heat. A $7-million sound wall does little to muffle the noise, which drills through the walls of nearby homes: a constant drone like a plane taking off and never leaving.

The turbines are there because SpaceXAI needs an enormous amount of electricity for Colossus 2, one of the country’s densest concentrations of computing power, where the company is training Grok, its chatbot. Across the country, AI companies are building hyperscale data centers, and power has become the constraint. Data centers now use around 4 to 5 percent of U.S. electricity, and the Electric Power Research Institute projects that share could reach 9 to 17 percent by 2030.

Low-frequency noise from the Southaven turbine plant could be four to 16 times as loud as the background noise typical of a quiet suburban neighborhood, depending on the distance from the plant, according to a March report by acoustics firm Roland, Woolworth & Associates. The noise has drawn its own lawsuit: residents, including Logsdon, filed a class action alleging lost sleep and falling property values. (9/9)

JWST Discovers That Chariklo's Invisible Rings are Changing (Source: Phys.org)
Until just over a decade ago, ring systems were thought to be exclusive to the giant planets of the solar system, such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. However, in 2013, a small body barely 250 kilometers (155 miles) in diameter, located at nearly 17 times the Earth–sun distance, joined this small group. The object is Chariklo, a small body orbiting between Saturn and Uranus, around which astronomers discovered two dense rings.

"By comparing JWST observations with those obtained during other stellar occultations over the last decade, we discovered opposite changes in the two rings: While the inner ring shows significantly higher opacity, the outer ring shows lower opacity," explained Pablo Santos-Sanz. This unexpected behavior indicates that Chariklo's ring system is dynamic and may be subject to more complex physical processes than previously thought. (9/9)

Earth May Not Be a Cosmic Fluke, New Simulations Suggest (Source: SciTech Daily)
Solar system simulations starting from varied initial conditions suggest that Earth-like planets can emerge naturally from planet formation. Computer simulations of planetary systems can now begin from thousands of different starting conditions, allowing researchers to explore how worlds might emerge without assuming the final outcome. Over the past three decades, these models have advanced from relatively simple approximations to far more sophisticated simulations. (9/9)

Forget Starlink? Japan’s $1 Billion BlueBird Play Makes ASTS the National Satellite OS (Source: 24/7 Wall Street)
Japan's ~$1 billion non-dilutive government award to the Rakuten-ASTS venture positions AST SpaceMobile as a replicable satellite OS for sovereign nations. SpaceX beat revenue estimates but posted a $541 million net loss while Starlink ARPU fell from $85 to $66 even as subscribers doubled. ASTS holds $3.7 billion in pro forma liquidity, 60-plus MNO partners covering 3 billion subscribers, and analyst consensus targets $79 versus a ~$62 close. (9/6)

Department of Defense Gives Update on Space Command Relocation to Huntsville (Source: AL Reporter)
The U.S. Department of Defense recently issued an update on the relocation of U.S. Space Command headquarters from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. According to the announcement, more than 140 uniformed and civilian personnel assigned to the command’s headquarters are now working at the Arsenal, including personnel dedicated to “relocation support functions” and those who “directly contribute to the combatant command’s mission.”

Last month, General Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command, told reporters in Huntsville that he expects the Arsenal to support 200 personnel by the end of the year and half of U.S. Space Command’s total staff by 2028. Space Command is supporting that growth by offering financial incentives to civilian employees who relocate from Colorado Springs to Huntsville while also increasing hiring efforts in north Alabama. (9/8)

US Hypersonic Firm Stratolaunch Prepares IPO to Raise Up To $500 Million (Source: The Edge)
Hypersonic flight company Stratolaunch is preparing to launch a US initial public offering (IPO) that could raise up to $500 million as soon as October, a source familiar with the matter said. Stratolaunch, backed by Elliott Investment Management and Cerberus Capital Management, is seeking a valuation of about $2 billion to $3 billion, the source said, adding that Goldman Sachs and Citigroup are leading the IPO preparations. The private US company could make its filing public as soon as this month, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he is not authorized to speak to the media. (9/10)

UK to Leave Launch to “Germany and Other Allies" (Source: European Spaceflight)
In January 2025, then-Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said the UK would launch “British rockets carrying British satellites from British soil.” At the time, the government had just invested £20 million in (now defunct) Orbex. With the publication of its new Space Strategy, a more precise picture of the future of the country’s “assured access to space” has emerged. “The UK is collaborating with Germany and other allies to establish responsive space launch opportunities through SaxaVord Spaceport,” the strategy states.

The UK government has also committed €144 million to ESA’s European Launcher Challenge, with a portion of that already allocated to RFA. As a result, at least in the near term, the clearest route to assured orbital access from UK soil appears to be through German-built launch vehicles operating from SaxaVord. (9/9)

ISS Astronaut Gives Out of This World Tribute to Honor Star Trek’s 60th Anniversary (Source: Space.com)
Celebrations of Star Trek's 60th anniversary made it all the way to the final frontier. Among the science and supplies delivered to the ISS for ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot's mission on orbit was a small piece of memorabilia -- A Starfleet badge -- to honor one of the most influential pop culture phenomena that has continually called for humanity to turn its gaze to the stars. Adenot carried a small Starfleet badge from one of Star Trek's newest series, Strange New Worlds, which she wore during a video posted by ESA and Star Trek. (9/9)

Can Redwire's Phased-Array Investment Drive Defense Growth? (Source: Zacks)
Jacksonville-based Redwire Corp. is expanding its focus on military communications with a strategic investment in next-generation phased-array antenna technology. In August 2026, the company announced the investment to accelerate the development and production of phased-array antenna systems designed for communications across low Earth orbit (LEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO) and geostationary orbit (GEO). The systems are expected to support dynamic beam steering, stronger link reliability and higher data throughput for warfighter communications. (9/8)

This 'Impossible' Black Hole Merger May be Explained by a Warp in Spacetime (Source: Space.com)
A "forbidden" merger between two massive black holes may not have been quite as impossible as previously thought. That's according to new research that suggests the black holes involved were smaller than expected. On Nov. 23, 2023, the gravitational wave detector LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) detected tiny ripples in spacetime caused by the merger of two black holes.

What was incredible about this signal, designated GW231123, was that it seemed to be the result of a black hole with 140 times the mass of the sun colliding with another that holds 100 solar masses. This raised eyebrows among researchers because usual models of stellar evolution struggle to account for such massive black holes, especially ones that seemed to be spinning as fast as these two. (9/9)

Did Venus Eat its Own Moon" (Source: Space.com)
Scientists may finally know why Venus, Earth's twin, lacks a moon, finding that the hottest planet in the solar system may have consumed its own natural satellite. Venus is often referred to as Earth's twin due to its size, mass, rocky composition, and distance from the sun, but there are some glaring differences between the two planets. (9/8)

‘Pick Up the Fire of Exploration’: NASA Pitches Moon Base Careers to Iowa State Students (Source: KCCI)
State and federal officials connected to U.S. space exploration detailed plans of eventual moon habitation Tuesday to a room packed to the brim with Iowa State University students, hoping to entice their interest in using their education to aid in the newest space race. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and Moon Base Project Manager Carlos García-Galán toured the Ames National Laboratory and then held a presentation for ISU students to show the three phases of moon base development. (9/8)

Hubble and Webb Find That Far-Out Solar System Objects 'Remember' the Past (Source: Phys.org)
For the first time, scientists used the combined power of NASA's Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes to study some of the most far-flung bodies in our solar system, trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). Some are the smallest and faintest ever directly seen. The researchers unexpectedly found fewer small TNOs than expected and that the colors of these bodies followed the same relationships as those of their larger family members. (9/8)

Why Hasn't Amazon Launched Its Leo Satellite Internet Service Yet? (Source: PCMag)
Amazon's Starlink competitor, Leo, was supposed to launch in mid-2026, but it’s now September, and so far, the satellite internet service has been quiet. What’s up? The company tells PCMag it’s still waiting for all the satellites to reach their assigned operating orbits, so Leo will have enough network capacity and coverage when it officially launches. In July, Amazon hit a crucial milestone when it sent another 29 Leo satellites into space, bringing the total deployed in Earth’s orbit to 396. That's enough to kick off "initial service," Chris Weber, VP for Amazon Leo, said.

But even after entering space, some of the satellites still need to reach an altitude of around 600 kilometers, where they’ll orbit and beam high-speed internet data to users on the ground. For now, the Leo constellation is relatively small compared with Starlink, which operates about 10,000 satellites in orbit. Satellite industry analyst Carlos Placido also expects Leo to offer service only in certain areas or latitudes once it launches, citing the limited density of its satellite constellation. (9/4)

France Backs Dassault VORTEX Reusable Spaceplane Program (Source: AeroTime)
France will support Dassault Aviation’s VORTEX reusable spaceplane program, extending French backing beyond the VORTEX-D technology demonstrator that received €30 million in funding in 2025. Dassault said that French President Emmanuel Macron had announced the decision at the International Space Summit in Paris. An official Élysée document that lists the summit’s announcements also confirms French support for VORTEX. (9/10)

Avio Eyes Higher Vega-C Flight Cadence As Rideshare Effort Looms (Source: Aviation Week)
Avio is looking to boost the pace of Vega-C rocket flights to six missions per year, roughly double the current level, and potentially go another 50% higher, the launch maker’s CEO says. The Vega-C rocket is used heavily by institutions for launch in Europe, where demand is rising. “We will follow what they need, what they ask us, and we will try to adapt to continue providing the service,” Ranzo said. (9/9)

Aerospacelab Wins €2.4 Billion Deal to Build Majority of IRIS² Satellites (Source: Reuters)
Belgium's ​Aerospacelab said on Thursday it had won a €2.4 ‌billion ($2.8 billion) contract to build 264 satellites for the European Union's IRIS² network, which is due to offer ​secure communications for governments, security agencies and ​commercial users by 2030. (9/10)

Europe May Finally Have Found a Space Entrepreneur Who is Meeting the Moment (Source: Ars Technica)
All of a sudden, French entrepreneur Hèlene Huby is seemingly everywhere. This week she is serving as one of two envoys, alongside astronaut Thomas Pesquet, at a high-profile International Space Summit convened by French President Emmanuel Macron. Also this week, The Exploration Company, announced a significant capital raise of $450 million in Series C funding. This is the largest-ever Series C funding round by a Europe-based space company, and likely the largest funding round ever raised by a female-led company in Europe. (9/10)

Space Force, Air Force, and NRO Get New Senior Leaders (Source: Space News)
A changing of the guard across the U.S. national security space enterprise has put new leaders in place. Gen. Douglas Schiess took over as the Space Force's top general last week, while Erich Hernandez-Baquero has taken over as the Air Force's top civilian official for space acquisition and Roger Mason as director of the NRO. All three are facing new challenges externally from China and internally from efforts to overhaul procurement of space systems and greater use of commercial capabilities. Experts say the test will be whether they can turn a surge in funding into military and intelligence capabilities that lead to success. (9/10)

EU Convicts Space Navigation Company for Ties to Russia and Belarus (Source: Space News)
The EU has convicted a company and its leaders for fraudulently obtaining European Union funding to develop high-precision satellite navigation receivers. EU officials said a Lithuania-based company received EU funding to develop professional satellite navigation receivers for agricultural applications, but that company had links to defense industries in Russia and Belarus in violation of declarations required by the grant. The announcement did not disclose the name of the company, but the descriptions matches an award to NTLab valued at nearly 750,000 euros. That company was run by two Belarusian nationals. (9/10)

Besxar Tested Semiconductor Materials on Falcon 9 Booster Exterior (Source: Space News)
A startup with plans to produce semiconductors in space has completed its first flight. Besxar said Wednesday it flew two canisters as external payloads on a Falcon 9 booster during a July launch. The canisters remained attached to the booster during the suborbital flight, testing how semiconductor wafers could be protected from the forces of launch and reentry as well as from contamination. The company said those tests went well and it will fly a second pair of payloads on another Falcon 9 later this year. Besxar said last year it planned to fly payloads on a dozen Falcon 9 launches to perfect the technology for producing semiconductor materials in space before starting orbital missions. (9/10)

Relativity's Terran R Added to NASA Launch Services Contract (Source: NASA)
NASA has added Relativity Space's Terran R rocket to a major contract ahead of the rocket's first flight. The agency said Wednesday that Terran R is now part of NASA Launch Services 2, an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract that makes it eligible to compete for specific missions. Terran R is a medium-class rocket with a reusable first stage that Relativity has been developing for several years. While the company says it is making progress on flight hardware, it has not announced a date for the vehicle's first flight. (9/10)

Artemis 2 Astronauts Retire (Source: AP)
Two members of the Artemis 2 mission are stepping down from active duty. NASA announced Wednesday that Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover, the commander and pilot, respectively, of Artemis 2, would become "emeritus astronauts," a new designation. As emeritus astronauts, they will continue to help train the agency workforce for future missions, including Artemis 3 and 4. The new designation will allow them to take on jobs elsewhere, with Glover joining Cal Poly, his alma mater, as a senior adviser to the university's president. Wiseman has not disclosed his post-NASA plans. (9/10)

US Updating National Geodetic Datum (Source: Space Daily)
Every official latitude, longitude and height published in the United States is going to change, by as much as four meters. The ground being described will not have moved at all. What is being replaced is the reference system those numbers are counted from.

The National Geodetic Survey is retiring the North American Datum of 1983 and the North American Vertical Datum of 1988. Those are the horizontal and vertical reference systems that currently underpin surveying, flood mapping, construction and aviation across the country. In their place will come four new terrestrial reference frames and one new geopotential datum. The agency has kept the national reference system since its predecessor, the Survey of the Coast, was founded in 1807. (9/10)

Starlink Rival Eutelsat Plans OneWeb Expansion After €1 billion Satellite Order (Source: Reuters)
Satellite operator Eutelsat (ETL.PA), opens new tab said on Thursday it will replenish and expand its OneWeb network through 2034 after the Franco-British ​operator signed a deal with Airbus (AIR.PA), opens new tab for 229 additional low Earth ‌orbit satellites. The new order, representing an investment of €1 billion ($1.16 billion), will be added to the 440 Airbus-built satellites ordered in 2024 and 2025. Deliveries of those previous orders ​are expected to begin in the fourth quarter. (9/10)