Hop Aero Plans Point-to-Point Launches
for Cargo Delivery (Source: Hop Aero)
Operating from California and Oklahoma's Infinity One Spaceport, Hop
Aero intends deliver cargo via rocket to austere places on Earth within
minutes — point-to-point, at hypersonic speed. "The next conflict will
be decided by who can move fastest. We are building the future
logistics backbone for the U.S. and our allies: for the situations when
minutes decide outcomes." (9/20)
ArtPrize Top Winner Will be Sent to
Space (Source: WOOD)
The piece that wins the ArtPrize 2026 public vote grand prize will go
to space. Not the entire physical work: Rather, it will be digitized,
placed on a laser-engraved plaque and sent into low-Earth orbit with
California-based aerospace startup Reflect Orbital. After a Reflect
satellite launches sometime next year, it will spin through the sky 500
kilometers above Earth at 18,000 mph. (9/18)
Where Do Paso Robles Candidates Stand
on City’s Spaceport Push? (Source: The Tribune)
Paso Robles is taking major steps to transform its Airport Road area
into a major technology and aerospace hub. With its pending application
to be one of the nation’s 15 spaceports and nearly approved renderings
for an $800 million community hub build, the Paso Robles region might
soon be known not only for its world-class wine, but also its advances
in space exploration. Click here.
(9/19)
China Advances Lunar Spacesuit, Bed
Rest Research for 2030 Moon Landing Mission (Source: Xinhua)
China has advanced its push for a crewed moon landing by 2030, with its
lunar spacesuit and a bed rest experiment for long-term space stays
both progressing, the country's astronaut center said. The development
of China's moon-landing spacesuit Wangyu, meaning "gazing into the
cosmos," is progressing smoothly, with dozens of key technologies now
in place, said Zhang Wanxin, an expert at the Astronaut Center of
China, at an aerospace medical engineering conference in Tianjin.
Since the development began in 2020, efforts on Wangyu have focused on
meeting the demands of complex lunar-surface operations and extreme
environmental challenges, Zhang said, noting that the lunar spacesuit
is designed to be lightweight, miniaturized, highly efficient and safe.
Beyond spacesuit development, China is also advancing astronaut health
research, having completed the "Dixing-3" bed rest experiment to
address physiological protection challenges for long-term space stays
and crewed lunar landing missions. (9/19)
September 20, 2026
HawkEye 360 Establishes First European
Subsidiary in Luxembourg (Source: HawkEye 360)
HawkEye 360 announced the establishment of its first European subsidiary, HawkEye 360 Luxembourg, marking an important step in the Company's expansion of operations in the European Union and reinforcing its long-term commitment to European customers, allies and industry partners amid an increasingly complex security environment. (9/15)
Astroscale France and HEMERIA Join Forces to Develop Sovereign GEO Capability for Global Markets (Source: Astroscale)
Astroscale France and HEMERIA announced plans to establish a strategic partnership to develop and export a French solution for operations in geostationary orbit (GEO). The collaboration will combine the companies’ complementary expertise to address growing international demand for agile and capable GEO solutions across defense, sovereign and dual-use markets.
HEMERIA will provide its proven experience in the design and manufacture of agile microsatellite platforms for demanding defense and institutional missions, including heritage from the YODA program. Astroscale France will contribute its advanced, flight-proven RPO expertise and associated payload capabilities. By combining an established platform with proven RPO technology, the companies aim to offer customers a faster and more cost-effective route to operational GEO capability than traditional large-scale programs. (9/15)
Babin, Cruz: U.S. Space Academy Belongs in Texas (Source: Babin & Cruz)
House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Brian Babin (TX-36) and Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-TX) released the following joint statement expressing support for Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s decision to submit a proposal for Texas to host the U.S. Space Academy. (9/15)
Voyager Delivers Launch-Critical Infrastructure for Next-Gen Rocket (Source: Voyager)
Voyager Technologies announced the successful delivery and integration of quick disconnect (QD) plates for ESA's In-Flight Demonstrator (IFD). Voyager performed the work under contract to Avio under the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The milestone solidifies Voyager’s role as a global provider of launch-critical infrastructure. Voyager designed, built and integrated a dual-interface QD system: the flight QD, installed internally, and the ground QD, mounted to the rocket’s external surface. These critical interface components connect internal fuel systems to ground infrastructure and are designed to safely detach during launch operations. (9/14)
Isar Aerospace Signs Multiple Launch Service Agreement with US-Based SEOPS for Five Additional Launches (Source: SEOPS)
Isar Aerospace has signed a Multiple Launch Service Agreement with SEOPS for five dedicated launches. The missions will be launched with Isar Aerospace’s launch vehicle Spectrum between 2028 and 2030 from the company’s dedicated launch complex at Andøya Space and Spaceport Nova Scotia. The contract brings the 2028 manifest of Isar Aerospace close to full and underscores growing customer confidence following the company’s successful flight, while also expanding SEOPS’ Waymaker program with European rideshare launches. (9/15)
Eight African Nations Signed the Artemis Accords. Now Give Them a Path to the Moon (Source: Space News)
African nations and the African Space Agency (AfSA) have built serious momentum in their funding and support of space programs. That momentum makes now the perfect time to further solidify the United States' relationship with spacefaring African nations, according to Scott Firsing at CesiumAtro, and Zolana João of Angola’s National Space Program. That comes from offering real support beyond signatures, they argue, such as a path to the moon.
"African governments are not choosing one geopolitical camp over another. They are choosing partners that help them advance their own interests. This is a natural instinct, which Washington should expect. The question is whether the American offer is durable enough to stand out, not for a signing ceremony or a press release, but over the life of a program." (9/19)
Sedaro Gets $45 Million in Space Force Funding to Expand Mission Analysis Software (Source: Space News)
Space software company Sedaro will receive up to $45 million in government funding to expand a platform that helps the U.S. Space Force analyze how different satellites, sensors and other capabilities perform together. (9/18)
New ESA-Pokemon Partnership Sends the Electric Mouse to the ISS (Source: Space.com)
Pikachu is one of Earth's newest outer space ambassadors, thanks to a new partnership. ESA and The Pokémon Company International (TPCI) have teamed up to honor World Space Week 2026, which runs from Oct. 4 through Oct. 10. A Pikachu toy floated aboard the International Space Station from April 11 to June 17, enjoying 67 days in orbit and completing 1,040 trips around our big blue marble. (9/18)
Louisiana Wants to Build a U.S. Space Academy in New Orleans (Source: 4WWL)
Louisiana is planning to bring a new national U.S. Space Force academy to New Orleans, where students would receive hands-on technical education focused on leadership and public service. The U.S. Space Academy is designed to prepare graduates for careers in the U.S. military, civil and broader space enterprise through hands-on technical education focused on leadership and public service, according to The White House. (9/17)
HawkEye 360 announced the establishment of its first European subsidiary, HawkEye 360 Luxembourg, marking an important step in the Company's expansion of operations in the European Union and reinforcing its long-term commitment to European customers, allies and industry partners amid an increasingly complex security environment. (9/15)
Astroscale France and HEMERIA Join Forces to Develop Sovereign GEO Capability for Global Markets (Source: Astroscale)
Astroscale France and HEMERIA announced plans to establish a strategic partnership to develop and export a French solution for operations in geostationary orbit (GEO). The collaboration will combine the companies’ complementary expertise to address growing international demand for agile and capable GEO solutions across defense, sovereign and dual-use markets.
HEMERIA will provide its proven experience in the design and manufacture of agile microsatellite platforms for demanding defense and institutional missions, including heritage from the YODA program. Astroscale France will contribute its advanced, flight-proven RPO expertise and associated payload capabilities. By combining an established platform with proven RPO technology, the companies aim to offer customers a faster and more cost-effective route to operational GEO capability than traditional large-scale programs. (9/15)
Babin, Cruz: U.S. Space Academy Belongs in Texas (Source: Babin & Cruz)
House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Brian Babin (TX-36) and Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-TX) released the following joint statement expressing support for Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s decision to submit a proposal for Texas to host the U.S. Space Academy. (9/15)
Voyager Delivers Launch-Critical Infrastructure for Next-Gen Rocket (Source: Voyager)
Voyager Technologies announced the successful delivery and integration of quick disconnect (QD) plates for ESA's In-Flight Demonstrator (IFD). Voyager performed the work under contract to Avio under the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The milestone solidifies Voyager’s role as a global provider of launch-critical infrastructure. Voyager designed, built and integrated a dual-interface QD system: the flight QD, installed internally, and the ground QD, mounted to the rocket’s external surface. These critical interface components connect internal fuel systems to ground infrastructure and are designed to safely detach during launch operations. (9/14)
Isar Aerospace Signs Multiple Launch Service Agreement with US-Based SEOPS for Five Additional Launches (Source: SEOPS)
Isar Aerospace has signed a Multiple Launch Service Agreement with SEOPS for five dedicated launches. The missions will be launched with Isar Aerospace’s launch vehicle Spectrum between 2028 and 2030 from the company’s dedicated launch complex at Andøya Space and Spaceport Nova Scotia. The contract brings the 2028 manifest of Isar Aerospace close to full and underscores growing customer confidence following the company’s successful flight, while also expanding SEOPS’ Waymaker program with European rideshare launches. (9/15)
Eight African Nations Signed the Artemis Accords. Now Give Them a Path to the Moon (Source: Space News)
African nations and the African Space Agency (AfSA) have built serious momentum in their funding and support of space programs. That momentum makes now the perfect time to further solidify the United States' relationship with spacefaring African nations, according to Scott Firsing at CesiumAtro, and Zolana João of Angola’s National Space Program. That comes from offering real support beyond signatures, they argue, such as a path to the moon.
"African governments are not choosing one geopolitical camp over another. They are choosing partners that help them advance their own interests. This is a natural instinct, which Washington should expect. The question is whether the American offer is durable enough to stand out, not for a signing ceremony or a press release, but over the life of a program." (9/19)
Sedaro Gets $45 Million in Space Force Funding to Expand Mission Analysis Software (Source: Space News)
Space software company Sedaro will receive up to $45 million in government funding to expand a platform that helps the U.S. Space Force analyze how different satellites, sensors and other capabilities perform together. (9/18)
New ESA-Pokemon Partnership Sends the Electric Mouse to the ISS (Source: Space.com)
Pikachu is one of Earth's newest outer space ambassadors, thanks to a new partnership. ESA and The Pokémon Company International (TPCI) have teamed up to honor World Space Week 2026, which runs from Oct. 4 through Oct. 10. A Pikachu toy floated aboard the International Space Station from April 11 to June 17, enjoying 67 days in orbit and completing 1,040 trips around our big blue marble. (9/18)
Louisiana Wants to Build a U.S. Space Academy in New Orleans (Source: 4WWL)
Louisiana is planning to bring a new national U.S. Space Force academy to New Orleans, where students would receive hands-on technical education focused on leadership and public service. The U.S. Space Academy is designed to prepare graduates for careers in the U.S. military, civil and broader space enterprise through hands-on technical education focused on leadership and public service, according to The White House. (9/17)
September 19, 2026
Ghana Must Set Clear Goal for Space
Exploration (Source: Ghana Web)
Veteran Japanese astronaut and Axiom CTO Koichi Wakata has urged Ghana to set a clear goal for its space exploration program and work with other countries to expand its presence in space exploration. He said Ghana has significant potential in space technology and could benefit from stronger international cooperation in developing a human space program. (9/18)
Black Astronauts Tout Space Exploration (Source: Maryland Matters)
There have been fewer than 20 Black astronauts in NASA history, but two of them were on a Washington stage Friday for a discussion as part of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s annual legislative conference.
Jeanette Epps and Victor Glover were on hand for “Ad Astra: African Americans in Space Exploration,” hosted by Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-4th), honorary co-chair of the 55th annual conference this year. Ivey, whose district includes the Goddard Space Flight Center, said the panel was to not only tout space exploration, but to encourage younger Blacks to enter what Ivey called a multitrillion-dollar industry “that’s just going to keep growing.” (9/18)
Will SpaceX's Orbiting Data Centers Rain Debris Over Earth? (Source: PC Mag)
SpaceX already retires aging Starlink satellites by burning them up in the Earth’s atmosphere. But what happens when you try to disintegrate an even larger, orbiting data center? The company has told the FCC that some debris from a disposed orbiting data center could survive and land on the Earth, but expects the fragments to be harmless.
On Thursday, SpaceX discussed the issue in a 12-page letter to the FCC after the Commission asked for more details about the “Starmind” satellites, and if they could survive atmospheric re-entry following disposal. “Based on this analysis, no portion of the spacecraft will impact the surface of the Earth with a kinetic energy above 15 joules: the Commission’s limit under which a re-entering object presents no risk to humans.” Each Starmind satellite will have a mass up to 4,000kg (4 metric tons). (9/18)
Is Space Force Pivoting Too Soon? (Source: Real Clear Defense)
In 2009, after spending roughly $18 billion, the Army cancelled Future Combat Systems before its replacement concepts had matured, leaving modernization gaps that still affect the force today. In the early 2010s, NASA made a similar mistake when the Space Shuttle retired before commercial crew became operational. The United States spent nearly a decade relying on Russia's Soyuz spacecraft to reach the ISS. Both examples illustrate the danger of assuming tomorrow's architecture will arrive on schedule and perform exactly as planned.
The U.S. Space Force should avoid making a similar mistake as it modernizes America's missile warning enterprise. To its credit, the Space Force is pursuing exactly the right long-term vision: a resilient, multi-layered architecture combining geosynchronous (GEO), medium-Earth orbit (MEO), and proliferated low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites tied together through the Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution (FORGE) command-and-control network. The question is not whether this architecture is correct. It is whether the Space Force is allowing enthusiasm for the future architecture to diminish the importance of completing the GEO layer first. (9/18)
Northrop Grumman to Deliver New Space Domain Awareness Prototype Satellite (Source: Northrop Grumman)
Northrop Grumman has been selected to deliver a commercially derived prototype for the Department of War Innovation Unit’s (DIU) Geosynchronous High-Resolution Optical Space-Based Tactical Reconnaissance (GHOST-R) mission. This award expands the company’s role in commercial, low-cost, proliferated space systems and builds on the success of the Northrop Grumman-built Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP). (9/18)
Europe’s Space Tracking Program Sees Growing Support, Interest (Source: Breaking Defense)
With the future of the US Commerce Department’s Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS) in limbo, US and European industry officials said the European Union is now poised to take the lead in setting policy, standards and licensing requirements for safety measures that satellite operators around the world. While TraCSS could still work out long term, the officials said there is a growing interest in the EU’s dual-use space traffic management program, known as the EU Space Surveillance and Tracking Partnership (EU SST). (9/18)
SpaceX Scores Another $950 Million from NASA for 3 More Crewed Flights to ISS (Source: CNBC)
SpaceX has expanded its contract with NASA and will conduct an additional three crewed Dragon flights to the ISS through 2030, netting the company up to $946 million upon completion. The award for flight support brings SpaceX’s total missions under the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contract to 17 operational flights. (9/18)
Tired of Winning: SpaceX Signals Wind-Down of Falcon and Dragon (Source: SPACErePORT)
SpaceX has been sending strong signals that the end is near for its Falcon rockets and Dragon capsules, sending shockwaves through the payload community and giving hope to beleaguered competitors. Based on comments from SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell, the company seems inclined to loosen its grip on markets it has dominated for the past decade, encouraging competitors to step up and take advantage of the opportunity. (9/19)
Minimizing Aerospace Tariff Exposure (Source: SCWTC)
To avoid the Trump administration's stiff import tariffs, a foreign payload can enter the US through Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) 136, a non-contiguous, moveable zone encompassing multiple pre-launch processing sites on and around the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. "Exporting" the payload via launch into space then fully exempts the payload from its US import tariffs. But is launching into space truly an export? Orbit is not a country of ultimate destination; there's no foreign port to receive the payload; and control of the payload in orbit is a commercial arrangement not a shipment delivery.
FTR § 30.2 requires an Electronic Export Information filing for goods shipped from the US to a foreign country. A typical launch does not meet that condition. But does payload delivery to a foreign space station module qualify? Or to foreign GEO orbital slot? Should the payload owner declare a consumption-entry to the US Customs Territory and launch it into orbit as per the Export Administration Regulations, or file an export declaration per other regulations?
Using 'privileged foreign status' potentially conferred by an FTZ entry, the owner can freeze the classification and tariff rates of imported components according to the date of import, allowing those rates to be applied instead of the rate for the finished payload. This can result in complete avoidance of Section 301 duties, up to 10% of the payload's value. Confused? The Space Coast World Trade Council plans an Oct. 23 working session to clarify how aerospace companies can minimize their tariff exposure. Contact Bill Cantillon at bcantillon@bellsourth.net. (9/19)
Pentagon Releases Sixth Batch of UFO Files, Details Secret Military Program (Source: CBS News)
Yesterday's drop comprises 71 files dating from 1952 to 2025. Several documents examine a secretive military initiative that ran from 2008 to 2012 to anticipate future aerospace threats. The memos explore the possibility of warp drives, wormholes, antigravity, negative mass propulsion, and invisibility cloaking. Another document details unintended injury to humans by anomalous advanced aerospace systems, including hair loss and signs of cancerous cell growth. (9/18)
Rocket Lab Launches 96th Electron Mission (Source: Rocket Lab)
Rocket Lab Corporation (Nasdaq: RKLB), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today successfully launched the latest Earth-observation satellite to space for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) company, Synspective. The ‘Owl By The Dozen’ mission launched from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand on September 19, 2026 and delivered the 12th StriX satellite directly into an exact 572km low Earth orbit for Synspective’s Earth-monitoring constellation. (9/19)
AST SpaceMobile Faces Lawsuit Over Its Competitiveness With Starlink Mobile (Source: PC Mag)
The satellite-to-phone provider AST SpaceMobile is facing a class action lawsuit from an investor, who claims the company overstated its ability to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink Mobile. The lawsuit comes from a company shareholder named Edward Hunter, who is accusing AST SpaceMobile of violating federal securities laws by making “materially false and misleading” claims about the company’s business operations.
Courthouse News Service first reported on the lawsuit, which was filed in a US district court this week. In the 39-page complaint, Hunter’s lawyers specifically allege the company “overstated the durability of AST’s competitive position in the satellite D2C (direct to cell) market,” which involves using orbiting satellites to deliver communications services to phones on the ground. (9/18)
DLR’s MAPHEUS-17 Suborbital Mission Targets Launch From Sweden as Early as Oct. 1 (Source: European Spaceflight)
Germany’s DLR is preparing to launch the MAPHEUS-17 suborbital research mission from Esrange Space Center in Sweden as early as Oct. 1. The flight will support DLR’s ongoing use of suborbital missions for scientific and technology research, although no further payload or schedule details were provided. (9/19)
European Spacesuit Prototype Tested on ISS, but ESA Astronaut Says Design Still Needs Refinement (Source: Space.com)
A European-designed spacesuit prototype has undergone testing aboard the International Space Station, with ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot saying the system remains at the beginning of its development journey. The evaluation is identifying design issues that must be resolved before the suit can advance toward operational use. (9/18)
China Seeks SpaceX’s Raptor 3 Engine (Source: Ars Technica)
China is reportedly interested in SpaceX’s Raptor 3 engine, underscoring the strategic importance of the company’s propulsion technology as SpaceX prepares for a significant Starship test. The developments highlight both the widening competitive interest in advanced launch systems and SpaceX’s growing influence in the global space sector.
The Chinese launch startup Space Pioneer, which has raised nearly $1 billion, showcased a new design for its Tianhuo-21 methane-liquid oxygen engine this week, which was subsequently shared on social media. From outward appearances, the engine looks strikingly similar to SpaceX’s Raptor 3 engine. Its thrust, 2,450 kN at sea level, is also virtually identical to that of the Raptor 3.
Would it be difficult to replicate? … In response to Space Pioneer’s engine design, SpaceX founder Elon Musk said copying Raptor 3 would not be easy. “I would recommend against a new company trying to make Raptor 3,” he said on X. “While it appears simple on the outside (necessary to survive extreme heat without a heat shield), the inside has very complex geometry that can only be manufactured using highly modified 3D metal printing.” (9/18)
French Company Test-Fires New Rocket Engine (Source: European Spaceflight)
French launch startup Sirius Space Services has successfully test-fired a complete prototype of its STAR-1 rocket engine for the first time, European Spaceflight reports. The company announced the milestone on Sunday, stating that it had conducted the first hot-fire tests of the complete STAR-1 engine at Airborne Engineering’s propulsion test facility in southern England. (9/18)
Avio Seeks to Cash In on Falcon 9 Retreat (Source: Ars Technica)
Italian launch services provider Avio has seen an influx of customers who were unable to secure launch opportunities with SpaceX, European Spaceflight reports. “I can tell you SpaceX has already gone captive because we have a whole bunch of customers coming to us and saying, ‘Oh my God, can you fly us?’” Avio CEO Giulio Ranzo said during the company’s September 10 earnings call. In recent months, SpaceX told multiple prospective customers that it was no longer accepting new orders for commercial Falcon 9 launches. (9/18)
Veteran Japanese astronaut and Axiom CTO Koichi Wakata has urged Ghana to set a clear goal for its space exploration program and work with other countries to expand its presence in space exploration. He said Ghana has significant potential in space technology and could benefit from stronger international cooperation in developing a human space program. (9/18)
Black Astronauts Tout Space Exploration (Source: Maryland Matters)
There have been fewer than 20 Black astronauts in NASA history, but two of them were on a Washington stage Friday for a discussion as part of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s annual legislative conference.
Jeanette Epps and Victor Glover were on hand for “Ad Astra: African Americans in Space Exploration,” hosted by Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-4th), honorary co-chair of the 55th annual conference this year. Ivey, whose district includes the Goddard Space Flight Center, said the panel was to not only tout space exploration, but to encourage younger Blacks to enter what Ivey called a multitrillion-dollar industry “that’s just going to keep growing.” (9/18)
Will SpaceX's Orbiting Data Centers Rain Debris Over Earth? (Source: PC Mag)
SpaceX already retires aging Starlink satellites by burning them up in the Earth’s atmosphere. But what happens when you try to disintegrate an even larger, orbiting data center? The company has told the FCC that some debris from a disposed orbiting data center could survive and land on the Earth, but expects the fragments to be harmless.
On Thursday, SpaceX discussed the issue in a 12-page letter to the FCC after the Commission asked for more details about the “Starmind” satellites, and if they could survive atmospheric re-entry following disposal. “Based on this analysis, no portion of the spacecraft will impact the surface of the Earth with a kinetic energy above 15 joules: the Commission’s limit under which a re-entering object presents no risk to humans.” Each Starmind satellite will have a mass up to 4,000kg (4 metric tons). (9/18)
Is Space Force Pivoting Too Soon? (Source: Real Clear Defense)
In 2009, after spending roughly $18 billion, the Army cancelled Future Combat Systems before its replacement concepts had matured, leaving modernization gaps that still affect the force today. In the early 2010s, NASA made a similar mistake when the Space Shuttle retired before commercial crew became operational. The United States spent nearly a decade relying on Russia's Soyuz spacecraft to reach the ISS. Both examples illustrate the danger of assuming tomorrow's architecture will arrive on schedule and perform exactly as planned.
The U.S. Space Force should avoid making a similar mistake as it modernizes America's missile warning enterprise. To its credit, the Space Force is pursuing exactly the right long-term vision: a resilient, multi-layered architecture combining geosynchronous (GEO), medium-Earth orbit (MEO), and proliferated low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites tied together through the Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution (FORGE) command-and-control network. The question is not whether this architecture is correct. It is whether the Space Force is allowing enthusiasm for the future architecture to diminish the importance of completing the GEO layer first. (9/18)
Northrop Grumman to Deliver New Space Domain Awareness Prototype Satellite (Source: Northrop Grumman)
Northrop Grumman has been selected to deliver a commercially derived prototype for the Department of War Innovation Unit’s (DIU) Geosynchronous High-Resolution Optical Space-Based Tactical Reconnaissance (GHOST-R) mission. This award expands the company’s role in commercial, low-cost, proliferated space systems and builds on the success of the Northrop Grumman-built Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP). (9/18)
Europe’s Space Tracking Program Sees Growing Support, Interest (Source: Breaking Defense)
With the future of the US Commerce Department’s Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS) in limbo, US and European industry officials said the European Union is now poised to take the lead in setting policy, standards and licensing requirements for safety measures that satellite operators around the world. While TraCSS could still work out long term, the officials said there is a growing interest in the EU’s dual-use space traffic management program, known as the EU Space Surveillance and Tracking Partnership (EU SST). (9/18)
SpaceX Scores Another $950 Million from NASA for 3 More Crewed Flights to ISS (Source: CNBC)
SpaceX has expanded its contract with NASA and will conduct an additional three crewed Dragon flights to the ISS through 2030, netting the company up to $946 million upon completion. The award for flight support brings SpaceX’s total missions under the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contract to 17 operational flights. (9/18)
Tired of Winning: SpaceX Signals Wind-Down of Falcon and Dragon (Source: SPACErePORT)
SpaceX has been sending strong signals that the end is near for its Falcon rockets and Dragon capsules, sending shockwaves through the payload community and giving hope to beleaguered competitors. Based on comments from SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell, the company seems inclined to loosen its grip on markets it has dominated for the past decade, encouraging competitors to step up and take advantage of the opportunity. (9/19)
Minimizing Aerospace Tariff Exposure (Source: SCWTC)
To avoid the Trump administration's stiff import tariffs, a foreign payload can enter the US through Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) 136, a non-contiguous, moveable zone encompassing multiple pre-launch processing sites on and around the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. "Exporting" the payload via launch into space then fully exempts the payload from its US import tariffs. But is launching into space truly an export? Orbit is not a country of ultimate destination; there's no foreign port to receive the payload; and control of the payload in orbit is a commercial arrangement not a shipment delivery.
FTR § 30.2 requires an Electronic Export Information filing for goods shipped from the US to a foreign country. A typical launch does not meet that condition. But does payload delivery to a foreign space station module qualify? Or to foreign GEO orbital slot? Should the payload owner declare a consumption-entry to the US Customs Territory and launch it into orbit as per the Export Administration Regulations, or file an export declaration per other regulations?
Using 'privileged foreign status' potentially conferred by an FTZ entry, the owner can freeze the classification and tariff rates of imported components according to the date of import, allowing those rates to be applied instead of the rate for the finished payload. This can result in complete avoidance of Section 301 duties, up to 10% of the payload's value. Confused? The Space Coast World Trade Council plans an Oct. 23 working session to clarify how aerospace companies can minimize their tariff exposure. Contact Bill Cantillon at bcantillon@bellsourth.net. (9/19)
Pentagon Releases Sixth Batch of UFO Files, Details Secret Military Program (Source: CBS News)
Yesterday's drop comprises 71 files dating from 1952 to 2025. Several documents examine a secretive military initiative that ran from 2008 to 2012 to anticipate future aerospace threats. The memos explore the possibility of warp drives, wormholes, antigravity, negative mass propulsion, and invisibility cloaking. Another document details unintended injury to humans by anomalous advanced aerospace systems, including hair loss and signs of cancerous cell growth. (9/18)
Rocket Lab Launches 96th Electron Mission (Source: Rocket Lab)
Rocket Lab Corporation (Nasdaq: RKLB), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today successfully launched the latest Earth-observation satellite to space for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) company, Synspective. The ‘Owl By The Dozen’ mission launched from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand on September 19, 2026 and delivered the 12th StriX satellite directly into an exact 572km low Earth orbit for Synspective’s Earth-monitoring constellation. (9/19)
AST SpaceMobile Faces Lawsuit Over Its Competitiveness With Starlink Mobile (Source: PC Mag)
The satellite-to-phone provider AST SpaceMobile is facing a class action lawsuit from an investor, who claims the company overstated its ability to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink Mobile. The lawsuit comes from a company shareholder named Edward Hunter, who is accusing AST SpaceMobile of violating federal securities laws by making “materially false and misleading” claims about the company’s business operations.
Courthouse News Service first reported on the lawsuit, which was filed in a US district court this week. In the 39-page complaint, Hunter’s lawyers specifically allege the company “overstated the durability of AST’s competitive position in the satellite D2C (direct to cell) market,” which involves using orbiting satellites to deliver communications services to phones on the ground. (9/18)
DLR’s MAPHEUS-17 Suborbital Mission Targets Launch From Sweden as Early as Oct. 1 (Source: European Spaceflight)
Germany’s DLR is preparing to launch the MAPHEUS-17 suborbital research mission from Esrange Space Center in Sweden as early as Oct. 1. The flight will support DLR’s ongoing use of suborbital missions for scientific and technology research, although no further payload or schedule details were provided. (9/19)
European Spacesuit Prototype Tested on ISS, but ESA Astronaut Says Design Still Needs Refinement (Source: Space.com)
A European-designed spacesuit prototype has undergone testing aboard the International Space Station, with ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot saying the system remains at the beginning of its development journey. The evaluation is identifying design issues that must be resolved before the suit can advance toward operational use. (9/18)
China Seeks SpaceX’s Raptor 3 Engine (Source: Ars Technica)
China is reportedly interested in SpaceX’s Raptor 3 engine, underscoring the strategic importance of the company’s propulsion technology as SpaceX prepares for a significant Starship test. The developments highlight both the widening competitive interest in advanced launch systems and SpaceX’s growing influence in the global space sector.
The Chinese launch startup Space Pioneer, which has raised nearly $1 billion, showcased a new design for its Tianhuo-21 methane-liquid oxygen engine this week, which was subsequently shared on social media. From outward appearances, the engine looks strikingly similar to SpaceX’s Raptor 3 engine. Its thrust, 2,450 kN at sea level, is also virtually identical to that of the Raptor 3.
Would it be difficult to replicate? … In response to Space Pioneer’s engine design, SpaceX founder Elon Musk said copying Raptor 3 would not be easy. “I would recommend against a new company trying to make Raptor 3,” he said on X. “While it appears simple on the outside (necessary to survive extreme heat without a heat shield), the inside has very complex geometry that can only be manufactured using highly modified 3D metal printing.” (9/18)
French Company Test-Fires New Rocket Engine (Source: European Spaceflight)
French launch startup Sirius Space Services has successfully test-fired a complete prototype of its STAR-1 rocket engine for the first time, European Spaceflight reports. The company announced the milestone on Sunday, stating that it had conducted the first hot-fire tests of the complete STAR-1 engine at Airborne Engineering’s propulsion test facility in southern England. (9/18)
Avio Seeks to Cash In on Falcon 9 Retreat (Source: Ars Technica)
Italian launch services provider Avio has seen an influx of customers who were unable to secure launch opportunities with SpaceX, European Spaceflight reports. “I can tell you SpaceX has already gone captive because we have a whole bunch of customers coming to us and saying, ‘Oh my God, can you fly us?’” Avio CEO Giulio Ranzo said during the company’s September 10 earnings call. In recent months, SpaceX told multiple prospective customers that it was no longer accepting new orders for commercial Falcon 9 launches. (9/18)
September, 18, 2026
USSF Establishes Squadron for
Space-Based MTI Satellites (Source: Aviation Week)
The US Space Force has established the 77th Space Surveillance Squadron to focus on space-based moving target indication as it prepares to launch air and ground moving target indicator satellites. Northrop Grumman is developing the Resilient Radar System/Ground constellation with the Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office. (9/16)
Russian Satellite Imagery Assists Iranian Targeting of U.S. Military Facilities (Source: SatNews)
On Sep. 17, defense intelligence assessments revealed that Russian Earth observation and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellations are actively providing high-resolution imagery to Iranian military forces to assist in targeting U.S. and allied installations across the Middle East. (9/18)
Space Leaders Say AI is Moving from Tool to Autonomous Decision-Maker (Source: Via Satellite)
New AI tools are opening the opportunity for more people to get involved when it comes to AI and space. Over the past year, AI has moved from a specialized analytical tool in the hands of the few to an embedded tool in the hands of many, Eutelsat Chief Data and Information Officer Mariam Kaynia said in a discussion Wednesday. (9/18)
ESA Awards €20M in Contracts to Study Future IRIS2 Services (Source: European Spaceflight)
The European Space Agency has awarded 18 contracts worth a combined €20 million to study potential future evolutions of the European Union’s IRIS2 secure communications service. Signed on 17 September, the contracts bring together nearly 80 European companies to study new satellite-based secure connectivity services and associated mission concepts. According to ESA, the solutions will have applications in secure government broadband, maritime operations and aviation, data relaying and satellite tasking.
The studies will focus on the Low-LEO layer of the IRIS2 constellation. This layer will operate below approximately 750 kilometers, compared with the main IRIS2 LEO-High component at around 1,200 kilometers, which will account for the bulk of the constellation’s LEO satellites. (9/18)
South Korea's Satrec Offers 10-Centimeter Imagery (Source: Space News)
South Korean company Satrec Initiative is working with parent company Hanwha Systems to provide 10-centimeter satellite imagery. Satrec currently acquires 25-centimeter optical imagery with SpaceEye-T, launched in 2025. To complement Hanwha's planned 64-satellite radar constellation, designed to provide 30-minute revisit by 2031, Satrec plans to manufacture and launch four satellites to gather 10-centimeter-class optical imagery. The combination of high-resolution optical and radar imagery will open up new opportunities for defense and intelligence customers. In addition, customers will have access to artificial intelligence-based satellite imagery analysis from Satrec Initiative subsidiary SI Analytics. (9/18)
Icarus Robotics Flies Parabolas in Canada, Citing Lack of US Capability (Source: Space News)
Space robotics startup Icarus Robotics went to Canada to perform parabolic flight tests ahead of a mission to the International Space Station. A lack of U.S. facilities for parabolic aircraft flights, which provide brief periods of microgravity, led the company to fly on a Canadian aircraft to test its Joy robotics system. The testing demonstrated the performance of Joy's flight controller, sensor suite and manipulation capabilities.
Editor's Note: Canadian and Swiss providers are offering parabolic rides on small jets, meeting the need for microgravity science after Zero-G Corp. ended flights last year. Florida-based Mu-g Technologies is developing a similar capability now, and Starfighters Space offers a similar, but highly specialized capability with their F-104 jets. NASA is considering plans to activate a larger aircraft for some Artemis-linked requirements. (9/18)
Astra Targets Early 2027 for Virginia Launch (Source: Space News)
Astra is targeting early next year for the first flight of its Rocket 4.0 vehicle. Astra CEO Chris Kemp said at World Space Business Week that the launch is planned for January or February from Wallops Island, Virginia. It will be the first launch for Astra since a failed flight of the smaller Rocket 3.3 in mid-2022. Rocket 4.0 is designed to place up to one ton into low Earth orbit for $5 million, and Astra plans quarterly launches of the vehicle next year and then increasing cadence thereafter. Astra sees opportunities for the vehicle in a market where demand for satellite launch is outstripping capacity, a problem exacerbated by the expected end of SpaceX rideshare missions in a couple years. Editor's Note: This may signal that Astra no longer plans to operate from LC-46 at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. (9/18)
SpaceX Rideshare Planned for NASA Astronomy Smallsat (Source: NASA)
NASA will use a SpaceX rideshare mission to launch an astronomy smallsat. NASA announced Thursday it selected SpaceX to launch the StarBurst spacecraft, flying it on a Bandwagon mid-inclination mission in 2028. StarBurst, part of the Astrophysics Pioneers line of smallsat and balloon missions, will investigate neutron star mergers and the origins of short gamma-ray bursts. NASA used its Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare contract to acquire the launch and did not disclose the value of the deal. (9/18)
SpaceX Delay's Starship Launch to Sep. 28 (Source: Space.com)
SpaceX has further delayed the next Starship launch. The company said Thursday the flight 14 launch, which had been scheduled for Sep. 22, had been pushed back to Sep. 28. The company did not give a reason for the delay. Flight 14 is slated to be the first orbital flight of the vehicle, placing a set of Starlink satellites into orbit. (9/18)
DoD Must Prepare for Lunar Conflict (Source: Defense News)
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says the military needs to be prepared not just for conflict in orbit but also at the moon. Speaking at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference this week, Gen. Dan Caine said the military needs to be prepared to fight "from the seabed to cislunar space." He did elaborate on what fighting might take in cislunar space. A Space Force general said at the conference that the 18th and 19th Space Defense Squadrons are sharing responsibility for monitoring activity in cislunar space and that the Outer Space Treaty did not limit military activities there. (9/18)
Texas A&M Wants to Run NASA JPL (Source: Texas A&M Battalion)
Texas A&M University will bid to take over management of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The university's board of regents formally agreed earlier this month to submit a bid to NASA to manage JPL. The lab has been run by Caltech since before NASA was established in 1958, but the agency said earlier this year it would compete bids for the next contract to manage JPL when the current contract expires in 2028. Texas A&M is currently building the Texas Space Institute, a facility adjacent to the Johnson Space Center funded by the Texas Space Commission. Several universities and organizations are likely to bid on the JPL contract. (9/18)
Launch Vehicle Availability Poses Challenge for Government and Industry (Source: Aerospace America)
The shortage of available launch vehicles is a growing challenge for government and commercial customers seeking to launch spacecraft, panel members said Wednesday during the Glenn Space Technology Symposium. The problem, panelists said, is not necessarily a shortage of rockets, but the increasing difficulty of getting a ride on one. SpaceX is pivoting away from its Falcon 9 workhorse amid its effort to begin commercial flights with the Starship-Super Heavy design. Meanwhile, Blue Origin halted New Glenn launches after one of the rockets exploded on the pad in May, and ULA’s Vulcan Centaur was grounded in February after a solid rocket booster anomaly.
Companies planning lunar lander missions for NASA’s Moon Base initiative have also faced booking challenges, said Trent Martin, an executive at Intuitive Machines, which is slated to launch its third lander early next year. “I’m telling people, ‘I have money to buy rockets right now. Can you sell me a rocket?’ And sometimes I’m running into trouble with that, and so that has been a big challenge,” Martin said. At some point, NASA may want to address the problem more directly, said Ray Allensworth, vice president of spacecraft at Firefly Aerospace, whose second lunar lander mission is scheduled for 2027. (9/17)
Blue Origin Expands Partnership with Air Force Research Laboratory to Access Advanced Rocket Engine Technology (Source: Blue Origin)
Blue Origin and the Rocket and Space Propulsion Division of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Edwards Air Force Base announced an expanded private-public partnership (PPP) to develop new rocket propulsion technologies. Together, they have signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to transfer advanced rocket propulsion hardware and engineering artifacts from AFRL's historic Hydrocarbon Boost (HCB) and Integrated Powerhead Demonstrator (IPD) programs.
Decades ago, the HCB and IPD programs pioneered oxygen-rich and full-flow staged combustion technologies to advance liquid rocket propulsion capabilities in the U.S. Blue Origin will study this hardware and data to inform its commercial engine development. (9/14)
Air Force Readiness At Risk Without Full Budget, Leaders Say (Source: Washington Examiner)
US Air Force leaders have warned that force readiness could be compromised if Congress fails to approve the proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal year 2027. The budget includes a $350 billion reconciliation boost for priorities such as the Golden Dome missile shield, munitions and the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group. "If we don't get a full $1.5 trillion budget for all of DOW, whether it's in the base or the reconciliation, the American people should expect an Air Force that's not as ready as it needs to be, should expect an Air Force that's not as modern as it should be, and again, it's not modernizing at a pace as it should be," Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach says. (9/15)
SDA Director: Decision-Making Authority Key Amid Uncertainty (Source: Defense Scoop)
Space Development Agency Director Gurpartap Sandhoo has expressed concerns about the agency's future, amid legislative proposals that could dissolve it and transfer its authorities to the US Space Force. Sandhoo emphasized the importance of retaining the agency's unique decision-making authorities to maintain its rapid decision-making capabilities. "If we keep those, then that doesn't change anything. Then, it's just a name change," Sandhoo says. "But if you lose some of those, then there'll be some challenges we'll have to navigate." (9/15)
Unseenlabs and Airbus to Develop France’s Future Military Signal Intelligence Satellites (Source: Unseenlabs)
On the sidelines of the International Space Summit, Catherine Vautrin, France’s Minister for the Armed Forces and Veterans’ Affairs, announced that the Directorate-General for Armament (DGA) had awarded the CASSIOPÉE contract to Airbus Defence and Space as the lead contractor and its co-contractor Unseenlabs, thereby initiating the renewal of France’s space-based signal intelligence (SIGINT) capability.
Unseenlabs will bring its expertise in mission planning, ground and on-board processing, will deliver the ground segment, and supply an innovative payload. Airbus will act as the system integrator and provide the ground segment and control centre as well as a satellite solution based on its latest-generation S250 platform, which has been used most recently for the CO3D constellation. (9/17)
Airbus to Build SpainSat NG-III as Spain Replaces Lost Secure Communications Satellite (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Hisdesat has contracted Airbus to build SpainSat NG-III, replacing SpainSat NG-II and completing Spain’s secure communications architecture. The award underscores continued European investment in sovereign satellite communications infrastructure and follows broader regional activity around secure connectivity networks. (9/17)
Europe’s Space Sector Needs Durable Markets, Not More Projects (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Europe has demonstrated that it can fund ambitious space initiatives, but globally competitive companies require more than project financing. Standards, public procurement and sustained strategic continuity are needed to turn fragmented programs into a durable commercial market capable of supporting international-scale businesses. (9/17)
Galileo Demonstrates Authenticated Positioning as Spoofing Concerns Rise (Source: Flight Global)
Galileo has demonstrated authenticated civil positioning and ranging for the first time in civil tests, with five satellites transmitting encrypted signal components. The capability is intended to help users verify that navigation data is genuine as spoofing threats increasingly challenge confidence in satellite-based positioning. (9/17)
NASA Plans More Boeing Starliner Missions and Support for Certification of Vulcan or New Glenn (Source: Ars Technica)
NASA intends to order additional Boeing Starliner missions and help certify a new rocket, signaling continued agency support for the crew capsule despite its troubled development. The approach would preserve Starliner as part of NASA’s human-spaceflight and transportation architecture while requiring further certification work. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the space agency shared some of the blame for Starliner's problems.
The space agency will provide some funding—it’s not clear how much—to Boeing to resolve the propulsion system issues experienced by the spacecraft in its last two flights. Critically, NASA will also help pay to certify an additional launch vehicle for Starliner. The Atlas V is near retirement. There will likely be a competition for a new launch vehicle, which will almost certainly come down to United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan and Blue Origin’s New Glenn vehicles.
The potential to fly Starliner on Blue Origin’s New Glenn is real—and potentially valuable to the company beyond launch contracts. Were Boeing to decide to fly Starliner on New Glenn, it would essentially give Blue Origin a “free” certification of its rocket for human missions, which can be a costly and time-consuming process. Boeing and NASA would also need to build a crew launch arm and other facilities for human missions, which Blue Origin could also use for its Space Vehicle in the future. (9/17)
SpaceX Signals Ending for Dragon Program (Source: Ars Technica)
After long signaling it privately, SpaceX has begun to publicly confirm its intentions to wind down the Dragon program, a remarkable move given that the vehicle began flying humans just six years ago. However, the company is seeking to pivot toward its much larger Starship rocket, with the intent of launching its more lucrative Starlink satellites and a new megaconstellation focused on orbital data centers.
This week, on the All-In Podcast, SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell was asked if the company would respond to demand for Crew Dragon and keep flying the vehicle “for some time.”
Shotwell would not commit to that. “We’re not retiring it today, for sure,” she replied. Then Shotwell suggested that Boeing should really step up and deliver. “There is another provider,” she said. “Boeing has been paid, I think, probably more than we have been paid to develop their human capsule. So we’re just gonna let them have some business. They should fly their capsule. The government paid a lot of money for that.” (9/17)
Rep. George Whitesides Launches YouTube Show Where Politicians Answer Questions Over Hot Wings (Source: LA Daily News)
It’s not unusual for members of Congress to find themselves in the hot seat. But now, Rep. George Whitesides, D-Agua Dulce, is taking that experience to a new level. The Los Angeles County lawmaker just launched “Capitol Heat,” a show on YouTube where he asks fellow members of Congress wide-ranging questions as both guest and host chow down on — you guessed it — spicy foods. Whitesides was formerly with Virgin Galactic and served as NASA chief of staff. (9/15)
ULA Ramps Up Vulcan Centaur Production in Alabama (Source: Washington Times)
United Launch Alliance has ramped up production of its Vulcan Centaur rocket at a 2.4 million-square-foot facility in Decatur, Ala. ULA aims to build up to 25 rockets annually for the US Space Force and commercial clients such as Amazon. ULA's Dan Caughran and Gary Wentz detail the manufacturing process and the economic impact on the region, highlighting a $300 million investment and the creation of nearly 1,000 jobs. (9/15)
Blue Origin Rapidly Rebuilds Florida Launch Complex (Source: The Sentinel)
Blue Origin's CEO Dave Limp has highlighted "incredible progress" in the reconstruction of the company's launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station after a rocket explosion in May caused significant damage. Cleanup was completed in nine days, and Blue Origin has since revised its launch method, eliminating the need for a transporter erector. The company aims to resume launches before the end of the year, crucial for NASA's Artemis program. (9/16)
UCF, SpaceWERX Sign Agreement to Establish East Coast Innovation Gateway (Source: Team Orlando News)
The University of Central Florida (UCF) and SpaceWERX formally partnered Sept. 9 to establish the SpaceWERX East Coast Innovation Gateway, creating a new connection between the U.S. Space Force’s innovation enterprise and Central Florida’s researchers and technology ecosystem. The partnership was celebrated during a signing ceremony at UCF’s Morgridge International Reading Center, where UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright, Ph.D., and Arthur Grijalva, director of SpaceWERX, signed the partnership agreement in the presence of Team Orlando leaders.
SpaceWERX serves as the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force, working with startups, small businesses, nontraditional companies, academia, investors and defense stakeholders to accelerate the development and transition of new technologies. The East Coast Innovation Gateway expands SpaceWERX’s national innovation network into Central Florida and strengthens connections among government, academia, industry and entrepreneurs. (9/16)
FAA Invites Public Comment for Planned Marine Reentries in US Waters (Source: FAA)
The FAA is announcing the availability of the Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment for Reentry Vehicle Operations in the Marine Environment. FAA is the lead agency of the Draft PEA, to evaluate the potential environmental impacts associated with vehicle operator licenses or experimental permits for up to 70 reentries in the Pacific Ocean per year, 22 reentries in the Gulf of America per year, and 10 reentries in the Atlantic Ocean per year. These will include corresponding airspace closures to ensure reentry operations are conducted safely. Click here.
Editor's Note: Space Coast companies like Operator Solutions had previously supported reentry operations in the Gulf and Atlantic, and Space Florida had been planning for 'spaceport territories' in South Florida and on the Gulf Coast to support reentry splashdowns and post-reentry processing. But then in 2024, debris concerns caused SpaceX to move all Dragon reentry splashdowns off the coast of southern California. (SpaceX's move didn't appear to be in response to an FAA directive.) Multiple companies, including SpaceX, are developing new reentry pods or capsules for space-produced goods. (9/17)
The US Space Force has established the 77th Space Surveillance Squadron to focus on space-based moving target indication as it prepares to launch air and ground moving target indicator satellites. Northrop Grumman is developing the Resilient Radar System/Ground constellation with the Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office. (9/16)
Russian Satellite Imagery Assists Iranian Targeting of U.S. Military Facilities (Source: SatNews)
On Sep. 17, defense intelligence assessments revealed that Russian Earth observation and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellations are actively providing high-resolution imagery to Iranian military forces to assist in targeting U.S. and allied installations across the Middle East. (9/18)
Space Leaders Say AI is Moving from Tool to Autonomous Decision-Maker (Source: Via Satellite)
New AI tools are opening the opportunity for more people to get involved when it comes to AI and space. Over the past year, AI has moved from a specialized analytical tool in the hands of the few to an embedded tool in the hands of many, Eutelsat Chief Data and Information Officer Mariam Kaynia said in a discussion Wednesday. (9/18)
ESA Awards €20M in Contracts to Study Future IRIS2 Services (Source: European Spaceflight)
The European Space Agency has awarded 18 contracts worth a combined €20 million to study potential future evolutions of the European Union’s IRIS2 secure communications service. Signed on 17 September, the contracts bring together nearly 80 European companies to study new satellite-based secure connectivity services and associated mission concepts. According to ESA, the solutions will have applications in secure government broadband, maritime operations and aviation, data relaying and satellite tasking.
The studies will focus on the Low-LEO layer of the IRIS2 constellation. This layer will operate below approximately 750 kilometers, compared with the main IRIS2 LEO-High component at around 1,200 kilometers, which will account for the bulk of the constellation’s LEO satellites. (9/18)
South Korea's Satrec Offers 10-Centimeter Imagery (Source: Space News)
South Korean company Satrec Initiative is working with parent company Hanwha Systems to provide 10-centimeter satellite imagery. Satrec currently acquires 25-centimeter optical imagery with SpaceEye-T, launched in 2025. To complement Hanwha's planned 64-satellite radar constellation, designed to provide 30-minute revisit by 2031, Satrec plans to manufacture and launch four satellites to gather 10-centimeter-class optical imagery. The combination of high-resolution optical and radar imagery will open up new opportunities for defense and intelligence customers. In addition, customers will have access to artificial intelligence-based satellite imagery analysis from Satrec Initiative subsidiary SI Analytics. (9/18)
Icarus Robotics Flies Parabolas in Canada, Citing Lack of US Capability (Source: Space News)
Space robotics startup Icarus Robotics went to Canada to perform parabolic flight tests ahead of a mission to the International Space Station. A lack of U.S. facilities for parabolic aircraft flights, which provide brief periods of microgravity, led the company to fly on a Canadian aircraft to test its Joy robotics system. The testing demonstrated the performance of Joy's flight controller, sensor suite and manipulation capabilities.
Editor's Note: Canadian and Swiss providers are offering parabolic rides on small jets, meeting the need for microgravity science after Zero-G Corp. ended flights last year. Florida-based Mu-g Technologies is developing a similar capability now, and Starfighters Space offers a similar, but highly specialized capability with their F-104 jets. NASA is considering plans to activate a larger aircraft for some Artemis-linked requirements. (9/18)
Astra Targets Early 2027 for Virginia Launch (Source: Space News)
Astra is targeting early next year for the first flight of its Rocket 4.0 vehicle. Astra CEO Chris Kemp said at World Space Business Week that the launch is planned for January or February from Wallops Island, Virginia. It will be the first launch for Astra since a failed flight of the smaller Rocket 3.3 in mid-2022. Rocket 4.0 is designed to place up to one ton into low Earth orbit for $5 million, and Astra plans quarterly launches of the vehicle next year and then increasing cadence thereafter. Astra sees opportunities for the vehicle in a market where demand for satellite launch is outstripping capacity, a problem exacerbated by the expected end of SpaceX rideshare missions in a couple years. Editor's Note: This may signal that Astra no longer plans to operate from LC-46 at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. (9/18)
SpaceX Rideshare Planned for NASA Astronomy Smallsat (Source: NASA)
NASA will use a SpaceX rideshare mission to launch an astronomy smallsat. NASA announced Thursday it selected SpaceX to launch the StarBurst spacecraft, flying it on a Bandwagon mid-inclination mission in 2028. StarBurst, part of the Astrophysics Pioneers line of smallsat and balloon missions, will investigate neutron star mergers and the origins of short gamma-ray bursts. NASA used its Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare contract to acquire the launch and did not disclose the value of the deal. (9/18)
SpaceX Delay's Starship Launch to Sep. 28 (Source: Space.com)
SpaceX has further delayed the next Starship launch. The company said Thursday the flight 14 launch, which had been scheduled for Sep. 22, had been pushed back to Sep. 28. The company did not give a reason for the delay. Flight 14 is slated to be the first orbital flight of the vehicle, placing a set of Starlink satellites into orbit. (9/18)
DoD Must Prepare for Lunar Conflict (Source: Defense News)
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says the military needs to be prepared not just for conflict in orbit but also at the moon. Speaking at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference this week, Gen. Dan Caine said the military needs to be prepared to fight "from the seabed to cislunar space." He did elaborate on what fighting might take in cislunar space. A Space Force general said at the conference that the 18th and 19th Space Defense Squadrons are sharing responsibility for monitoring activity in cislunar space and that the Outer Space Treaty did not limit military activities there. (9/18)
Texas A&M Wants to Run NASA JPL (Source: Texas A&M Battalion)
Texas A&M University will bid to take over management of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The university's board of regents formally agreed earlier this month to submit a bid to NASA to manage JPL. The lab has been run by Caltech since before NASA was established in 1958, but the agency said earlier this year it would compete bids for the next contract to manage JPL when the current contract expires in 2028. Texas A&M is currently building the Texas Space Institute, a facility adjacent to the Johnson Space Center funded by the Texas Space Commission. Several universities and organizations are likely to bid on the JPL contract. (9/18)
Launch Vehicle Availability Poses Challenge for Government and Industry (Source: Aerospace America)
The shortage of available launch vehicles is a growing challenge for government and commercial customers seeking to launch spacecraft, panel members said Wednesday during the Glenn Space Technology Symposium. The problem, panelists said, is not necessarily a shortage of rockets, but the increasing difficulty of getting a ride on one. SpaceX is pivoting away from its Falcon 9 workhorse amid its effort to begin commercial flights with the Starship-Super Heavy design. Meanwhile, Blue Origin halted New Glenn launches after one of the rockets exploded on the pad in May, and ULA’s Vulcan Centaur was grounded in February after a solid rocket booster anomaly.
Companies planning lunar lander missions for NASA’s Moon Base initiative have also faced booking challenges, said Trent Martin, an executive at Intuitive Machines, which is slated to launch its third lander early next year. “I’m telling people, ‘I have money to buy rockets right now. Can you sell me a rocket?’ And sometimes I’m running into trouble with that, and so that has been a big challenge,” Martin said. At some point, NASA may want to address the problem more directly, said Ray Allensworth, vice president of spacecraft at Firefly Aerospace, whose second lunar lander mission is scheduled for 2027. (9/17)
Blue Origin Expands Partnership with Air Force Research Laboratory to Access Advanced Rocket Engine Technology (Source: Blue Origin)
Blue Origin and the Rocket and Space Propulsion Division of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Edwards Air Force Base announced an expanded private-public partnership (PPP) to develop new rocket propulsion technologies. Together, they have signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to transfer advanced rocket propulsion hardware and engineering artifacts from AFRL's historic Hydrocarbon Boost (HCB) and Integrated Powerhead Demonstrator (IPD) programs.
Decades ago, the HCB and IPD programs pioneered oxygen-rich and full-flow staged combustion technologies to advance liquid rocket propulsion capabilities in the U.S. Blue Origin will study this hardware and data to inform its commercial engine development. (9/14)
Air Force Readiness At Risk Without Full Budget, Leaders Say (Source: Washington Examiner)
US Air Force leaders have warned that force readiness could be compromised if Congress fails to approve the proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal year 2027. The budget includes a $350 billion reconciliation boost for priorities such as the Golden Dome missile shield, munitions and the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group. "If we don't get a full $1.5 trillion budget for all of DOW, whether it's in the base or the reconciliation, the American people should expect an Air Force that's not as ready as it needs to be, should expect an Air Force that's not as modern as it should be, and again, it's not modernizing at a pace as it should be," Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach says. (9/15)
SDA Director: Decision-Making Authority Key Amid Uncertainty (Source: Defense Scoop)
Space Development Agency Director Gurpartap Sandhoo has expressed concerns about the agency's future, amid legislative proposals that could dissolve it and transfer its authorities to the US Space Force. Sandhoo emphasized the importance of retaining the agency's unique decision-making authorities to maintain its rapid decision-making capabilities. "If we keep those, then that doesn't change anything. Then, it's just a name change," Sandhoo says. "But if you lose some of those, then there'll be some challenges we'll have to navigate." (9/15)
Unseenlabs and Airbus to Develop France’s Future Military Signal Intelligence Satellites (Source: Unseenlabs)
On the sidelines of the International Space Summit, Catherine Vautrin, France’s Minister for the Armed Forces and Veterans’ Affairs, announced that the Directorate-General for Armament (DGA) had awarded the CASSIOPÉE contract to Airbus Defence and Space as the lead contractor and its co-contractor Unseenlabs, thereby initiating the renewal of France’s space-based signal intelligence (SIGINT) capability.
Unseenlabs will bring its expertise in mission planning, ground and on-board processing, will deliver the ground segment, and supply an innovative payload. Airbus will act as the system integrator and provide the ground segment and control centre as well as a satellite solution based on its latest-generation S250 platform, which has been used most recently for the CO3D constellation. (9/17)
Airbus to Build SpainSat NG-III as Spain Replaces Lost Secure Communications Satellite (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Hisdesat has contracted Airbus to build SpainSat NG-III, replacing SpainSat NG-II and completing Spain’s secure communications architecture. The award underscores continued European investment in sovereign satellite communications infrastructure and follows broader regional activity around secure connectivity networks. (9/17)
Europe’s Space Sector Needs Durable Markets, Not More Projects (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Europe has demonstrated that it can fund ambitious space initiatives, but globally competitive companies require more than project financing. Standards, public procurement and sustained strategic continuity are needed to turn fragmented programs into a durable commercial market capable of supporting international-scale businesses. (9/17)
Galileo Demonstrates Authenticated Positioning as Spoofing Concerns Rise (Source: Flight Global)
Galileo has demonstrated authenticated civil positioning and ranging for the first time in civil tests, with five satellites transmitting encrypted signal components. The capability is intended to help users verify that navigation data is genuine as spoofing threats increasingly challenge confidence in satellite-based positioning. (9/17)
NASA Plans More Boeing Starliner Missions and Support for Certification of Vulcan or New Glenn (Source: Ars Technica)
NASA intends to order additional Boeing Starliner missions and help certify a new rocket, signaling continued agency support for the crew capsule despite its troubled development. The approach would preserve Starliner as part of NASA’s human-spaceflight and transportation architecture while requiring further certification work. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the space agency shared some of the blame for Starliner's problems.
The space agency will provide some funding—it’s not clear how much—to Boeing to resolve the propulsion system issues experienced by the spacecraft in its last two flights. Critically, NASA will also help pay to certify an additional launch vehicle for Starliner. The Atlas V is near retirement. There will likely be a competition for a new launch vehicle, which will almost certainly come down to United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan and Blue Origin’s New Glenn vehicles.
The potential to fly Starliner on Blue Origin’s New Glenn is real—and potentially valuable to the company beyond launch contracts. Were Boeing to decide to fly Starliner on New Glenn, it would essentially give Blue Origin a “free” certification of its rocket for human missions, which can be a costly and time-consuming process. Boeing and NASA would also need to build a crew launch arm and other facilities for human missions, which Blue Origin could also use for its Space Vehicle in the future. (9/17)
SpaceX Signals Ending for Dragon Program (Source: Ars Technica)
After long signaling it privately, SpaceX has begun to publicly confirm its intentions to wind down the Dragon program, a remarkable move given that the vehicle began flying humans just six years ago. However, the company is seeking to pivot toward its much larger Starship rocket, with the intent of launching its more lucrative Starlink satellites and a new megaconstellation focused on orbital data centers.
This week, on the All-In Podcast, SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell was asked if the company would respond to demand for Crew Dragon and keep flying the vehicle “for some time.”
Shotwell would not commit to that. “We’re not retiring it today, for sure,” she replied. Then Shotwell suggested that Boeing should really step up and deliver. “There is another provider,” she said. “Boeing has been paid, I think, probably more than we have been paid to develop their human capsule. So we’re just gonna let them have some business. They should fly their capsule. The government paid a lot of money for that.” (9/17)
Rep. George Whitesides Launches YouTube Show Where Politicians Answer Questions Over Hot Wings (Source: LA Daily News)
It’s not unusual for members of Congress to find themselves in the hot seat. But now, Rep. George Whitesides, D-Agua Dulce, is taking that experience to a new level. The Los Angeles County lawmaker just launched “Capitol Heat,” a show on YouTube where he asks fellow members of Congress wide-ranging questions as both guest and host chow down on — you guessed it — spicy foods. Whitesides was formerly with Virgin Galactic and served as NASA chief of staff. (9/15)
ULA Ramps Up Vulcan Centaur Production in Alabama (Source: Washington Times)
United Launch Alliance has ramped up production of its Vulcan Centaur rocket at a 2.4 million-square-foot facility in Decatur, Ala. ULA aims to build up to 25 rockets annually for the US Space Force and commercial clients such as Amazon. ULA's Dan Caughran and Gary Wentz detail the manufacturing process and the economic impact on the region, highlighting a $300 million investment and the creation of nearly 1,000 jobs. (9/15)
Blue Origin Rapidly Rebuilds Florida Launch Complex (Source: The Sentinel)
Blue Origin's CEO Dave Limp has highlighted "incredible progress" in the reconstruction of the company's launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station after a rocket explosion in May caused significant damage. Cleanup was completed in nine days, and Blue Origin has since revised its launch method, eliminating the need for a transporter erector. The company aims to resume launches before the end of the year, crucial for NASA's Artemis program. (9/16)
UCF, SpaceWERX Sign Agreement to Establish East Coast Innovation Gateway (Source: Team Orlando News)
The University of Central Florida (UCF) and SpaceWERX formally partnered Sept. 9 to establish the SpaceWERX East Coast Innovation Gateway, creating a new connection between the U.S. Space Force’s innovation enterprise and Central Florida’s researchers and technology ecosystem. The partnership was celebrated during a signing ceremony at UCF’s Morgridge International Reading Center, where UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright, Ph.D., and Arthur Grijalva, director of SpaceWERX, signed the partnership agreement in the presence of Team Orlando leaders.
SpaceWERX serves as the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force, working with startups, small businesses, nontraditional companies, academia, investors and defense stakeholders to accelerate the development and transition of new technologies. The East Coast Innovation Gateway expands SpaceWERX’s national innovation network into Central Florida and strengthens connections among government, academia, industry and entrepreneurs. (9/16)
FAA Invites Public Comment for Planned Marine Reentries in US Waters (Source: FAA)
The FAA is announcing the availability of the Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment for Reentry Vehicle Operations in the Marine Environment. FAA is the lead agency of the Draft PEA, to evaluate the potential environmental impacts associated with vehicle operator licenses or experimental permits for up to 70 reentries in the Pacific Ocean per year, 22 reentries in the Gulf of America per year, and 10 reentries in the Atlantic Ocean per year. These will include corresponding airspace closures to ensure reentry operations are conducted safely. Click here.
Editor's Note: Space Coast companies like Operator Solutions had previously supported reentry operations in the Gulf and Atlantic, and Space Florida had been planning for 'spaceport territories' in South Florida and on the Gulf Coast to support reentry splashdowns and post-reentry processing. But then in 2024, debris concerns caused SpaceX to move all Dragon reentry splashdowns off the coast of southern California. (SpaceX's move didn't appear to be in response to an FAA directive.) Multiple companies, including SpaceX, are developing new reentry pods or capsules for space-produced goods. (9/17)
September 17, 2026
Sidus Space Signs MOU with 3GM Plus to
Support Slovenian Small Satellite Capability (Source: Sidus
Space)
Sidus Space announced the signing of a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with 3GM Plus, a Slovenian company headquartered in Ljubljana, to collaborate on satellite manufacturing, technology licensing, and the establishment of a domestic small satellite capability in Slovenia. Under the MOU, 3GM Plus will serve as prime contractor for Slovenian satellite programs, with Sidus supporting as subcontractor providing satellite bus technology and licensing, engineering development and knowledge transfer, and flight-proven hardware. (9/17)
Groups Say FAA Commercial Space Waivers Illegal (Source: Douglas Messier)
The Department of Transportation’s plan to waive the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and a dozen related laws to “supercharge” the commercial space industry is both illegal and grossly irresponsible, environmental groups said in comments submitted to the government.
“Nothing in the language of the Waiver Provision suggests or supports a broad, complete waiver of an entire law’s application across the board, much less waiver of all provisions of 13 environmental protection laws as set forth in the Proposed Rule,” Earthjustice said in a letter submitted to DOT last month.
The Seattle-based non-profit submitted the letter on behalf of the American Bird Conservancy, DarkSky International, and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. The letter is one of more than 3,500 submissions that DOT received during a month-long public comment period that ended on Aug. 31. (9/17)
Space Inventor and Astroscale Japan Develop In-Orbit Satellite Servicing Architecture (Source: SatNews)
On Sep. 16, Danish satellite manufacturer Space Inventor and its partner Astroscale Japan announced the development of a joint technological capability enabling in-orbit satellite servicing, maintenance, and repair. The system combines Space Inventor’s modular smallsat platforms with Astroscale Japan’s flight-proven rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking infrastructure to address spacecraft operational failures and propellant depletion in low Earth orbit. (9/16)
Space Force’s GMTI Program Gets a Name, with Northrop as Prime (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Space Force plans to begin launching a new satellite constellation that can track ground targets from orbit by 2028, according to a top service official. Space Force Lt. Gen. Gregory Gagnon revealed that the Resilient Radar System-Ground, or RRS-G, program will go up “in the next two years.” The satellite system is built by Northrop Grumman, the general said. (9/16)
Space Security: Can Europe Connect the Dots Better? (Source: Via Satellite)
Europe needs to embrace risk if it is to benefit more from next generation of space capabilities and keep its space assets secure. This was one of the key takeaways from a discussion on international alliances and cooperation in space security on Tuesday. Ahead of the discussion, Eva Portier, space deputy to the Director General for Armaments (DGA) in France admitted that “Space has become a domain of war,” and that we are currently witnessing is a changing nature of the space environment.
“Cooperation is in the DNA of the European Union. That cooperation is being challenged. There is a need for Europe to do much more, and that means space capabilities. We need to have more cooperation. We want to incentivize member states to invest in space capabilities,” he said. "How can we connect the dots between what the EU is doing and what member states are doing? How do we tap into the potential of the private sector? It has to be a very agile architecture to plug and play capabilities. We need space capabilities that are fit for purpose over the coming years. The intelligence itself is for member states. But we are helping member states in developing capabilities. But, how can we have EU based industry provide sovereign services? We need an industry that is fully up to speed and agile. Sovereignty matters.” (9/16)
L3Harris Chose To Not Be An SBI Prime, Instead Focusing As Propulsion Supplier (Source: Defense Daily)
An L3Harris executive said the company has elected to not be a prime on the Space Force’s Space-Based Interceptor (SBI) competition because for now it wanted to instead focus on being a propulsion supplier for that element of missile defense. "We chose to be a merchant supplier, leveraging our equities that were proven in, which is propulsion, and I’ll leave it at that,” said Rob Mitrevski. (9/16)
China Launches Another Two Rockets in One Day (Source: Space News)
China conducted two launches about two hours apart Wednesday evening. A Long March 12 rocket lifted off from the Hainan commercial space launch center. It placed nine satellites into orbit for the Guowang constellation into orbits at an inclination of 50 degrees. A Kuaizhou-11 lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, putting into orbit Tianyi-51 and Tianyi-52, spacecraft developed by Chinese company Spacety to perform interferometric synthetic aperture radar imaging from mid-inclination orbits. The launches were part of four conducted by China within 48 hours. (9/17)
Russia Launches Cargo Mission to ISS (Sources: Space.com, NASA)
Russia launched a Progress cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station on Wednesday. A Soyuz-2.1b placed the Progress MS-35 spacecraft into orbit. The spacecraft, carrying about three tons of cargo, will dock with the station on Saturday. The launch was scheduled for last week but delayed, reportedly because of problems with the rocket's third stage. NASA separately announced Wednesday that the next crewed mission to the ISS, Crew-13, will now launch in early October. Crew-13 was scheduled to launch in mid-September but was delayed to correct a leak in an oxidizer line in the Crew Dragon spacecraft. (9/17)
SpaceX Launches Classified Wednesday Mission From California (Source: Spaceflight Now)
A Falcon 9 launched a classified Space Force mission Wednesday night. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 9:07 p.m. Eastern after a one-day delay. Neither SpaceX nor the Space Force disclosed details about the payload on the Falcon 9 for this mission, designated USSF-259. It followed two similar Space Force Falcon 9 missions launched in mid-August and last week, with another expected in late September. (9/17)
Rocket Lab's Iridium Acquisition is On Track (Source: Space News)
Rocket Lab says its acquisition of satellite operator Iridium remains on track. The company said Tuesday it completed financing for the $8 billion deal announced in June and is now working on regulatory issues before closing the deal. Rocket Lab previously said it expected the acquisition to close by mid-2027 but company CFO Adam Spice said at World Space Business Week earlier this week that it could be done sooner. Spice said Rocket Lab sees growth opportunities for using Iridium's existing constellation for navigation services as well as direct-to-device applications that comply with the 3GPP standard. (9/17)
Intuitive Machines Plans Entry Into Orbital Data Centers (Source: Space News)
Intuitive Machines wants to leverage its GEO satellite manufacturing capabilities for orbital data centers. Company executives said at World Space Business Week that they are studying how to transfer existing capabilities to build large GEO satellites, obtained when Intuitive Machines acquired Lanteris Space Systems, to orbital data center satellites. Doing so would also require "industrial-scale" production, shifting from a handful of satellites built for GEO customers to potentially hundreds for orbital data center customers. The company currently builds spacecraft that produce about 30 kilowatts of power and sees a path to scale them to spacecraft with 100 kilowatts or more. (9/17)
Behold, a Large New Crater on the Moon! (Source: AP)
Scientists have discovered a large new crater on the moon. The crater, 222 meters across and 43 meters deep, was created some time between April 11 and May 22 of 2024 based on images from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The crater was likely caused by an impact of an asteroid the size of a small building. Such an impact should happen on the moon less than once a century. Scientists named the crater McGetchin after the late Thomas McGetchin, a former director of the Lunar and Planetary Institute. (9/17)
China Launches Another Two Rockets in One Day (Source: Space News)
China conducted two launches about two hours apart Wednesday evening. A Long March 12 rocket lifted off from the Hainan commercial space launch center. It placed nine satellites into orbit for the Guowang constellation into orbits at an inclination of 50 degrees. A Kuaizhou-11 lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, putting into orbit Tianyi-51 and Tianyi-52, spacecraft developed by Chinese company Spacety to perform interferometric synthetic aperture radar imaging from mid-inclination orbits. The launches were part of four conducted by China within 48 hours. (9/17)
Russia Launches Cargo Mission to ISS (Sources: Space.com, NASA)
Russia launched a Progress cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station on Wednesday. A Soyuz-2.1b lifted off at 9:33 a.m. Eastern and placed the Progress MS-35 spacecraft into orbit. The spacecraft, carrying about three tons of cargo, will dock with the station on Saturday. The launch was scheduled for last week but delayed, reportedly because of problems with the rocket's third stage. NASA separately announced Wednesday that the next crewed mission to the ISS, Crew-13, will now launch in early October. Crew-13 was scheduled to launch in mid-September but was delayed to correct a leak in an oxidizer line in the Crew Dragon spacecraft. (9/17)
SpaceX Launches Classified Wednesday Mission From California (Source: Spaceflight Now)
A Falcon 9 launched a classified Space Force mission Wednesday night. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 9:07 p.m. Eastern after a one-day delay. Neither SpaceX nor the Space Force disclosed details about the payload on the Falcon 9 for this mission, designated USSF-259. It followed two similar Space Force Falcon 9 missions launched in mid-August and last week, with another expected in late September. (9/17)
Rocket Lab's Iridium Acquisition is On Track (Source: Space News)
Rocket Lab says its acquisition of satellite operator Iridium remains on track. The company said Tuesday it completed financing for the $8 billion deal announced in June and is now working on regulatory issues before closing the deal. Rocket Lab previously said it expected the acquisition to close by mid-2027 but company CFO Adam Spice said at World Space Business Week earlier this week that it could be done sooner. Spice said Rocket Lab sees growth opportunities for using Iridium's existing constellation for navigation services as well as direct-to-device applications that comply with the 3GPP standard. (9/17)
Intuitive Machines Plans Entry Into Orbital Data Centers (Source: Space News)
Intuitive Machines wants to leverage its GEO satellite manufacturing capabilities for orbital data centers. Company executives said at World Space Business Week that they are studying how to transfer existing capabilities to build large GEO satellites, obtained when Intuitive Machines acquired Lanteris Space Systems, to orbital data center satellites. Doing so would also require "industrial-scale" production, shifting from a handful of satellites built for GEO customers to potentially hundreds for orbital data center customers. The company currently builds spacecraft that produce about 30 kilowatts of power and sees a path to scale them to spacecraft with 100 kilowatts or more. (9/17)
Behold, a Large New Crater on the Moon! (Source: AP)
Scientists have discovered a large new crater on the moon. The crater, 222 meters across and 43 meters deep, was created some time between April 11 and May 22 of 2024 based on images from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The crater was likely caused by an impact of an asteroid the size of a small building. Such an impact should happen on the moon less than once a century. Scientists named the crater McGetchin after the late Thomas McGetchin, a former director of the Lunar and Planetary Institute. (9/17)
Bulgaria's EnduroSat Raises $205 Million, Including for New US Manufacturing Site (Source: Space News)
Bulgarian satellite manufacturer EnduroSat has raised $205 million to ramp up production in Europe and the United States. The company announced Wednesday it closed a funding round led by Riot Ventures and Atreides Management that valued the company at more than $1 billion. The extra funds will help establish a new high-volume manufacturing facility in the United States, where it announced an order from navigation startup TrustPoint last week for 40 low Earth orbit satellites.
Also central to the raise are plans announced last month with Bulgaria's government for a space and defense hub at a former military airbase near Sofia featuring a production line designed to produce two 200- to 500-kilogram satellites a day. The company, once known for just cubesats, is looking to move beyond the 500-kilogram class with FRAME Max, designed for spacecraft weighing between one and five tons for orbital computing and other power-intensive applications. (9/17)
EnduroSat is also teaming with CACI to build two dozen imaging satellites for Vantor. Their 'Pulse' constellation will use 40-centimeter-imaging satellites to provide more frequent coverage than Vantor's existing high-resolution spacecraft. EnduroSat will supply the satellite buses and handle spacecraft integration, while CACI will provide the optical imaging payloads. Payload integration and testing will take place in the UUS, and Vantor said the satellites are expected to deploy between 2027 and 2029. Pulse satellites will monitor broad areas for changes and then cue higher-resolution satellites to collect more detailed imagery. (9/17)
Impulse Space Adds $308 Million to Scale (Source: Space News)
Impulse Space added $308 million in new investments. The additional money will help Impulse Space scale its team and work on new product development. The company has flown three of its Mira maneuverable spacecraft, two of which recently completed proximity operations that saw them come within 200 meters of each other. A fourth Mira is scheduled to launch next month, while the company works on its larger Helios kick stage for a 2027 first flight. (9/17)
ULA Vulcan Must Resume Commercial Missions Before Conducting More NatSec Missions (Source: Space News)
The Space Force will wait for ULA's Vulcan to resume commercial launches before using it for national security missions. A Space Force official said ULA will resume commercial operations, starting with an upcoming launch for Amazon Leo, while the Space Force continues its own review under the National Security Space Launch program, or NSSL, which buys launches for the military and intelligence community. Vulcan has not flown since February when one of its solid rocket boosters suffered an in-flight anomaly, although the mission was still a success. The pause has prompted the Space Force to examine how it can rearrange its launch schedule rather than wait for Vulcan to return, including potentially swapping missions between vehicles. (9/17)
Space Force Defers to SpaceX on SDN-B Constellation Design (Source: Space News)
The Space Force is deferring the design of a new satellite network to SpaceX. Rather than set specific spacecraft requirements for the Space Data Network Backbone (SDN-B) constellation, the service instead set constellation-level requirements for coverage, capacity, number of users and data throughput, allowing SpaceX to decide how to best achieve those requirements. SpaceX won the $2.29 billion contract for the SDN-B system in May. The Space Force describes the network as a foundational data backhaul layer providing high-capacity, low-latency communications. (9/17)
L3Harris HBTSS Missile Tracking Prototype to Become Part of AMDT3 Golden Dome Constellation (Source: Space News)
L3Harris is turning a missile-tracking prototype satellite developed for the Missile Defense Agency into a production spacecraft for Golden Dome. The company in July received a $955 million Space Development Agency contract for 18 Accelerated Missile Defense Tranche 3, or AMDT3, satellites, which will carry sensors designed to produce precise tracking data needed to support missile intercepts. The spacecraft are closely based on the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor, or HBTSS, prototype that L3Harris launched in 2024 and subsequently tested on orbit. SDA tied the AMDT3 procurement to Golden Dome when it announced the contracts in July. (9/17)
Will Space Coast Innovation Park Draw Mystery Space Company to Titusville? (Source: Florida Today)
A 50-acre development at Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville is expected to bring 1,500 to 2,000 high-tech aerospace jobs to north Brevard County. Space Coast Innovation Park is planned as a three-phase hub for aerospace and defense manufacturing companies. The project is being built on Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority land. The industrial zone will ultimately span 1.1 million square feet of floorspace across 100 acres in its first two phases for aerospace and defense companies at Space Coast Regional Airport.
The land has been owned by the Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority and has sat empty and unused for about 20 years, according to Kevin Daughtery of the airport authority. “We’ve gone from tire kickers to real companies wanting to look at our property and invest,” Daughtery said. Officials said the project is expected to add to the region’s economy through new jobs and property tax revenue. “We are adding to the tax base, not just the jobs, but the ad valorem tax base,” Daughtery said. The park will help the region compete for companies looking for space to locate or expand. (9/16)
Space Force Growth Plans Put Florida's STARCOM at Center of Training Push (Source: Florida Today)
With the Space Force confirming America has weapons orbiting Earth, the recently minted military branch is launching a growth boom to face threats of space-based warfare by rivals such as Russia, China and rogue nations. And STARCOM at Patrick Space Force Base will play a critical role in training burgeoning ranks of Space Force guardians for futuristic space conflicts — think electromagnetic attacks, missile-laser weaponry and cyberwarfare. (9/16)
Space Force leaders want to double the number of today's 10,000-odd active-duty guardians within the next five years, said Space Force Maj. Gen. James Smith, who commands STARCOM. An acronym for Space Training and Readiness Command, STARCOM must develop space-warfighting tactics, techniques and wargaming for a nationwide wave of recruits, including training about 5,000 civilian employees.
STARCOM continues settling in on Florida's Space Coast after moving cross-country from Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The command marked its Sunshine State one-year anniversary in July. In March, STARCOM conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a $28 million headquarters annex, a pair of nondescript modular buildings near the Air Force Technical Applications Center. Looking ahead, Smith said the Space Force may build a permanent STARCOM headquarters at Patrick SFB in the early 2030s. (9/16)
Breakthrough Could Enable Rocket-Fuel Production From Mars’ Thin Atmosphere (Source: Space.com)
A new breakthrough could make it possible to produce rocket fuel on Mars rather than transport it from Earth. Local production would reduce the mass a Mars mission must launch and carry, potentially improving mission architecture and expanding the feasibility of sustained exploration beyond Earth. It's an old method involving electrolysis, but the new trick produces methane pure enough to be used as liquid propellant. (9/15)
Planet Nine Isn’t Hiding Because it Would be Small (Source: Space Daily)
Somewhere far past Neptune, a handful of icy worlds swing around the sun on orbits that lean the same way, like debris caught in a current. The tilt of those orbits is the strongest hint we have that something big is out there — the math points to a world around six times Earth's mass, tugging them into line. So why haven't we seen it? Not because it's small. Because of how far light has to go.
Sunlight leaving the sun spreads out as it travels, dimming with distance. Out where this planet would sit, that light is already faint. Then it has to bounce off the planet and come all the way back to us — dimming a second time on the return trip. The light is thinned twice, going and coming. A planet several times Earth's size can still be nearly invisible, not because there's little to see, but because there's so little light left to see it by. (9/16)
SpaceX Adds 300-Plus Engineers to AI Data Center Unit After Leadership Overhaul (Source: Mach 33)
More than 300 SpaceX engineers joined the company's AI data-center project over the past month following a leadership change that replaced data-center veterans with rocket- and Starlink-manufacturing executives. SpaceXAI reported 1.4 GW of compute capacity online with a target of over 2 GW by year-end. (9/10)
SpaceX CFO Discloses Compute Hosting Deal Worth $1.11 Billion a Month (Source: Mach 33)
SpaceX CFO Bret Johnsen said on September 10, 2026, at Goldman Sachs' Communacopia conference that the company closed a compute hosting deal with an undisclosed customer worth about $1.11 billion a month, starting December 1. He also cited a range of 5 GW to 10 GW of terrestrial compute deployed in 2027, up from slightly more than 2 GW expected by the end of 2026. (9/10)
Maritime Launch Services and Isar Aerospace Finalize Statement of Work, Advance to Execution (Source: Mach 33)
Maritime Launch Services and Isar Aerospace have finalized plans required under their previously announced facilities usage agreement for Spaceport Nova Scotia. The agreement advances plans for the development of Isar Aerospace’s dedicated launch complex for its Spectrum launch vehicle at Spaceport Nova Scotia. (9/14)
EU President Endorses Space Policy, Funding Increase (Source: Space News)
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, called for coordinated action by Europe to expand its capabilities. That includes an effort to pool demand for launches among the commission, ESA and national governments. “Our industries are calling for clear and predictable demand, to give them the certainty they need to invest and scale,” she said.
She endorsed a proposed major increase in funding for the commission’s defense and space directorate, to 131 billion euros ($152 billion) in the next seven-year funding cycle that begins in 2028, five times the amount in the current EU budget. She also backed the EU Space Act, which would create a single market for space within the EU, as well as a separate effort to assign spectrum for satellite communications at the EU rather than national level. (9/16)
NASA Rushed Engineers Out of Their Labs. They Say it Risks Future Space Missions (Source: NPR)
When NASA launched the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida late last month, engineers were anxious. Fifteen years of preparation and $4 billion had led to this moment. With spacecraft, the smallest of mistakes can derail everything. And at NASA's premier space flight complex, the Goddard Space Flight Center, engineers knew that teams working on the telescope had been operating under tenuous conditions.
NASA's management had forced scientists to quickly move out of their labs at Goddard multiple times since last November — and as recently as a month before Roman's launch, engineers said. NASA's management said that moving scientists out of buildings last year was aimed at reducing costs and eliminating "waste and redundancies," according to internal NASA documents reviewed by NPR. (9/15)
Interlune Raises $5M for Initiatives That Go Beyond Mining the Moon (Source: Geekwire)
Seattle-based Interlune has raised $5 million in fresh funding to support a business plan that involves building space infrastructure as well as mining the moon for helium-3 and other valuable resources. The funds were raised through a Simple Agreement for Future Equity, or SAFE, in which investors provide upfront cash to a startup in exchange for shares to be issued during a future priced round. Interlune used the same approach to raise $5 million earlier this year. Interlune said existing and new investors participated in its latest SAFE offering, which came to light today in a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. (9/15)
Space Force Announces Interservice Transfer Opportunities (Source: USSF)
The Interservice Transfer program, or IST, allows qualified regular component, full-time, active-duty officers and enlisted members serving in the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps to apply for transfer into the Space Force. The program gives the service an additional pathway to bring experienced military talent into select career fields as the Space Force continues to grow and build the force required to meet evolving mission demands. (9/15)
NASA Expects One Lunar Launch This Year, Moon Base Manager Says (Source: Aerospace America)
Voyager Technologies’ first Griffin lunar lander is on track to launch no earlier than November, but a handful of the agency’s robotic landings have slipped to 2027, NASA’s Moon Base program manager said. Griffin was one of four landers NASA had been planning to send to the lunar surface this year. The next two — Blue Origin’s Mark 1 Endurance and Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C Trinity — are now slated to launch in “the first part of 2027,” said Carlos García-Galán.
The fourth, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost 2, is scheduled to launch later in 2027, he added. NASA and Blue Origin officials have attributed the Mark 1 delay to the May explosion of a New Glenn rocket on its Florida launch pad. Blue Origin CEO David Limp last week posted on X that the company is making “incredible progress” at rebuilding that infrastructure. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in June that launching Mark 1 aboard New Glenn is still “Plan A,” but the agency is assessing alternatives. Intuitive Machines CEO and President Steve Altemus said in August the Nova-C launch would slip to “the first quarter of 2027.” (9/15)
Satellite Ground Infrastructure Accelerates as Viasat-Space42 Commit up to $1B and Telesat Expands Lightspeed Network (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Viasat and Space42 are establishing Equatys, a mobile satellite services venture backed by up to $1 billion, while Telesat and SatPort Infrastructure pursue a global build-to-suit ground network for Lightspeed. Northwood introduced its Prism antenna, and Involve Space won ESA funding for a stratospheric radar platform. (9/16)
Rocket Lab Fully Funds Iridium Acquisition After $1.94 Billion Share Sale and Drops $3.6 Billion Bridge Facility (Source: Defence Industry Europe)
Rocket Lab said it has fully financed its pending acquisition of Iridium Communications after completing an at-the-market equity program that raised approximately $1.944 billion in gross proceeds. The company issued 29.3 million shares under the program and plans to use the net proceeds primarily to fund cash payments required for the transaction. The $1.944 billion figure is before commissions and offering expenses. Rocket Lab said any excess proceeds, or the funds if the Iridium acquisition is not completed, would be used for future growth, potential acquisitions, general corporate purposes and working capital. (9/16)
Open Cosmos Raises €300 Million as Investors Back Europe’s Space Push (Source: European Spaceflight)
UK-based satellite maker Open Cosmos announced on 14 September that it had closed a €300 million funding round. The company said it would use the new funding to expand its manufacturing capacity and accelerate the deployment of its Earth observation and communications constellations.
The €300 million raise represents the company’s first major publicly announced funding round since September 2023, when it secured $50 million in Series B funding. The round was led by venture investors including UK-based Lightrock, ETF Partners and Entrepreneurs First, alongside Catalonia’s public financial institution, Institut Català de Finances. Two unnamed international pension funds were also among the lead investors. (9/15)
Microscopic Alien Technology May Be Hidden in Moon Dust (Source: Space.com)
Could we find alien technology embedded in moon dust? The bold idea, not yet peer-reviewed, suggests checking out the lunar surface for "microscopic technosignatures." The SETI Institute — or the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute — describes these technosignatures as "tiny engineered particles" that may have come from interstellar space before settling on the moon. (9/15)
Sidus Space announced the signing of a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with 3GM Plus, a Slovenian company headquartered in Ljubljana, to collaborate on satellite manufacturing, technology licensing, and the establishment of a domestic small satellite capability in Slovenia. Under the MOU, 3GM Plus will serve as prime contractor for Slovenian satellite programs, with Sidus supporting as subcontractor providing satellite bus technology and licensing, engineering development and knowledge transfer, and flight-proven hardware. (9/17)
Groups Say FAA Commercial Space Waivers Illegal (Source: Douglas Messier)
The Department of Transportation’s plan to waive the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and a dozen related laws to “supercharge” the commercial space industry is both illegal and grossly irresponsible, environmental groups said in comments submitted to the government.
“Nothing in the language of the Waiver Provision suggests or supports a broad, complete waiver of an entire law’s application across the board, much less waiver of all provisions of 13 environmental protection laws as set forth in the Proposed Rule,” Earthjustice said in a letter submitted to DOT last month.
The Seattle-based non-profit submitted the letter on behalf of the American Bird Conservancy, DarkSky International, and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. The letter is one of more than 3,500 submissions that DOT received during a month-long public comment period that ended on Aug. 31. (9/17)
Space Inventor and Astroscale Japan Develop In-Orbit Satellite Servicing Architecture (Source: SatNews)
On Sep. 16, Danish satellite manufacturer Space Inventor and its partner Astroscale Japan announced the development of a joint technological capability enabling in-orbit satellite servicing, maintenance, and repair. The system combines Space Inventor’s modular smallsat platforms with Astroscale Japan’s flight-proven rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking infrastructure to address spacecraft operational failures and propellant depletion in low Earth orbit. (9/16)
Space Force’s GMTI Program Gets a Name, with Northrop as Prime (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Space Force plans to begin launching a new satellite constellation that can track ground targets from orbit by 2028, according to a top service official. Space Force Lt. Gen. Gregory Gagnon revealed that the Resilient Radar System-Ground, or RRS-G, program will go up “in the next two years.” The satellite system is built by Northrop Grumman, the general said. (9/16)
Space Security: Can Europe Connect the Dots Better? (Source: Via Satellite)
Europe needs to embrace risk if it is to benefit more from next generation of space capabilities and keep its space assets secure. This was one of the key takeaways from a discussion on international alliances and cooperation in space security on Tuesday. Ahead of the discussion, Eva Portier, space deputy to the Director General for Armaments (DGA) in France admitted that “Space has become a domain of war,” and that we are currently witnessing is a changing nature of the space environment.
“Cooperation is in the DNA of the European Union. That cooperation is being challenged. There is a need for Europe to do much more, and that means space capabilities. We need to have more cooperation. We want to incentivize member states to invest in space capabilities,” he said. "How can we connect the dots between what the EU is doing and what member states are doing? How do we tap into the potential of the private sector? It has to be a very agile architecture to plug and play capabilities. We need space capabilities that are fit for purpose over the coming years. The intelligence itself is for member states. But we are helping member states in developing capabilities. But, how can we have EU based industry provide sovereign services? We need an industry that is fully up to speed and agile. Sovereignty matters.” (9/16)
L3Harris Chose To Not Be An SBI Prime, Instead Focusing As Propulsion Supplier (Source: Defense Daily)
An L3Harris executive said the company has elected to not be a prime on the Space Force’s Space-Based Interceptor (SBI) competition because for now it wanted to instead focus on being a propulsion supplier for that element of missile defense. "We chose to be a merchant supplier, leveraging our equities that were proven in, which is propulsion, and I’ll leave it at that,” said Rob Mitrevski. (9/16)
China Launches Another Two Rockets in One Day (Source: Space News)
China conducted two launches about two hours apart Wednesday evening. A Long March 12 rocket lifted off from the Hainan commercial space launch center. It placed nine satellites into orbit for the Guowang constellation into orbits at an inclination of 50 degrees. A Kuaizhou-11 lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, putting into orbit Tianyi-51 and Tianyi-52, spacecraft developed by Chinese company Spacety to perform interferometric synthetic aperture radar imaging from mid-inclination orbits. The launches were part of four conducted by China within 48 hours. (9/17)
Russia Launches Cargo Mission to ISS (Sources: Space.com, NASA)
Russia launched a Progress cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station on Wednesday. A Soyuz-2.1b placed the Progress MS-35 spacecraft into orbit. The spacecraft, carrying about three tons of cargo, will dock with the station on Saturday. The launch was scheduled for last week but delayed, reportedly because of problems with the rocket's third stage. NASA separately announced Wednesday that the next crewed mission to the ISS, Crew-13, will now launch in early October. Crew-13 was scheduled to launch in mid-September but was delayed to correct a leak in an oxidizer line in the Crew Dragon spacecraft. (9/17)
SpaceX Launches Classified Wednesday Mission From California (Source: Spaceflight Now)
A Falcon 9 launched a classified Space Force mission Wednesday night. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 9:07 p.m. Eastern after a one-day delay. Neither SpaceX nor the Space Force disclosed details about the payload on the Falcon 9 for this mission, designated USSF-259. It followed two similar Space Force Falcon 9 missions launched in mid-August and last week, with another expected in late September. (9/17)
Rocket Lab's Iridium Acquisition is On Track (Source: Space News)
Rocket Lab says its acquisition of satellite operator Iridium remains on track. The company said Tuesday it completed financing for the $8 billion deal announced in June and is now working on regulatory issues before closing the deal. Rocket Lab previously said it expected the acquisition to close by mid-2027 but company CFO Adam Spice said at World Space Business Week earlier this week that it could be done sooner. Spice said Rocket Lab sees growth opportunities for using Iridium's existing constellation for navigation services as well as direct-to-device applications that comply with the 3GPP standard. (9/17)
Intuitive Machines Plans Entry Into Orbital Data Centers (Source: Space News)
Intuitive Machines wants to leverage its GEO satellite manufacturing capabilities for orbital data centers. Company executives said at World Space Business Week that they are studying how to transfer existing capabilities to build large GEO satellites, obtained when Intuitive Machines acquired Lanteris Space Systems, to orbital data center satellites. Doing so would also require "industrial-scale" production, shifting from a handful of satellites built for GEO customers to potentially hundreds for orbital data center customers. The company currently builds spacecraft that produce about 30 kilowatts of power and sees a path to scale them to spacecraft with 100 kilowatts or more. (9/17)
Behold, a Large New Crater on the Moon! (Source: AP)
Scientists have discovered a large new crater on the moon. The crater, 222 meters across and 43 meters deep, was created some time between April 11 and May 22 of 2024 based on images from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The crater was likely caused by an impact of an asteroid the size of a small building. Such an impact should happen on the moon less than once a century. Scientists named the crater McGetchin after the late Thomas McGetchin, a former director of the Lunar and Planetary Institute. (9/17)
China Launches Another Two Rockets in One Day (Source: Space News)
China conducted two launches about two hours apart Wednesday evening. A Long March 12 rocket lifted off from the Hainan commercial space launch center. It placed nine satellites into orbit for the Guowang constellation into orbits at an inclination of 50 degrees. A Kuaizhou-11 lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, putting into orbit Tianyi-51 and Tianyi-52, spacecraft developed by Chinese company Spacety to perform interferometric synthetic aperture radar imaging from mid-inclination orbits. The launches were part of four conducted by China within 48 hours. (9/17)
Russia Launches Cargo Mission to ISS (Sources: Space.com, NASA)
Russia launched a Progress cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station on Wednesday. A Soyuz-2.1b lifted off at 9:33 a.m. Eastern and placed the Progress MS-35 spacecraft into orbit. The spacecraft, carrying about three tons of cargo, will dock with the station on Saturday. The launch was scheduled for last week but delayed, reportedly because of problems with the rocket's third stage. NASA separately announced Wednesday that the next crewed mission to the ISS, Crew-13, will now launch in early October. Crew-13 was scheduled to launch in mid-September but was delayed to correct a leak in an oxidizer line in the Crew Dragon spacecraft. (9/17)
SpaceX Launches Classified Wednesday Mission From California (Source: Spaceflight Now)
A Falcon 9 launched a classified Space Force mission Wednesday night. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 9:07 p.m. Eastern after a one-day delay. Neither SpaceX nor the Space Force disclosed details about the payload on the Falcon 9 for this mission, designated USSF-259. It followed two similar Space Force Falcon 9 missions launched in mid-August and last week, with another expected in late September. (9/17)
Rocket Lab's Iridium Acquisition is On Track (Source: Space News)
Rocket Lab says its acquisition of satellite operator Iridium remains on track. The company said Tuesday it completed financing for the $8 billion deal announced in June and is now working on regulatory issues before closing the deal. Rocket Lab previously said it expected the acquisition to close by mid-2027 but company CFO Adam Spice said at World Space Business Week earlier this week that it could be done sooner. Spice said Rocket Lab sees growth opportunities for using Iridium's existing constellation for navigation services as well as direct-to-device applications that comply with the 3GPP standard. (9/17)
Intuitive Machines Plans Entry Into Orbital Data Centers (Source: Space News)
Intuitive Machines wants to leverage its GEO satellite manufacturing capabilities for orbital data centers. Company executives said at World Space Business Week that they are studying how to transfer existing capabilities to build large GEO satellites, obtained when Intuitive Machines acquired Lanteris Space Systems, to orbital data center satellites. Doing so would also require "industrial-scale" production, shifting from a handful of satellites built for GEO customers to potentially hundreds for orbital data center customers. The company currently builds spacecraft that produce about 30 kilowatts of power and sees a path to scale them to spacecraft with 100 kilowatts or more. (9/17)
Behold, a Large New Crater on the Moon! (Source: AP)
Scientists have discovered a large new crater on the moon. The crater, 222 meters across and 43 meters deep, was created some time between April 11 and May 22 of 2024 based on images from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The crater was likely caused by an impact of an asteroid the size of a small building. Such an impact should happen on the moon less than once a century. Scientists named the crater McGetchin after the late Thomas McGetchin, a former director of the Lunar and Planetary Institute. (9/17)
Bulgaria's EnduroSat Raises $205 Million, Including for New US Manufacturing Site (Source: Space News)
Bulgarian satellite manufacturer EnduroSat has raised $205 million to ramp up production in Europe and the United States. The company announced Wednesday it closed a funding round led by Riot Ventures and Atreides Management that valued the company at more than $1 billion. The extra funds will help establish a new high-volume manufacturing facility in the United States, where it announced an order from navigation startup TrustPoint last week for 40 low Earth orbit satellites.
Also central to the raise are plans announced last month with Bulgaria's government for a space and defense hub at a former military airbase near Sofia featuring a production line designed to produce two 200- to 500-kilogram satellites a day. The company, once known for just cubesats, is looking to move beyond the 500-kilogram class with FRAME Max, designed for spacecraft weighing between one and five tons for orbital computing and other power-intensive applications. (9/17)
EnduroSat is also teaming with CACI to build two dozen imaging satellites for Vantor. Their 'Pulse' constellation will use 40-centimeter-imaging satellites to provide more frequent coverage than Vantor's existing high-resolution spacecraft. EnduroSat will supply the satellite buses and handle spacecraft integration, while CACI will provide the optical imaging payloads. Payload integration and testing will take place in the UUS, and Vantor said the satellites are expected to deploy between 2027 and 2029. Pulse satellites will monitor broad areas for changes and then cue higher-resolution satellites to collect more detailed imagery. (9/17)
Impulse Space Adds $308 Million to Scale (Source: Space News)
Impulse Space added $308 million in new investments. The additional money will help Impulse Space scale its team and work on new product development. The company has flown three of its Mira maneuverable spacecraft, two of which recently completed proximity operations that saw them come within 200 meters of each other. A fourth Mira is scheduled to launch next month, while the company works on its larger Helios kick stage for a 2027 first flight. (9/17)
ULA Vulcan Must Resume Commercial Missions Before Conducting More NatSec Missions (Source: Space News)
The Space Force will wait for ULA's Vulcan to resume commercial launches before using it for national security missions. A Space Force official said ULA will resume commercial operations, starting with an upcoming launch for Amazon Leo, while the Space Force continues its own review under the National Security Space Launch program, or NSSL, which buys launches for the military and intelligence community. Vulcan has not flown since February when one of its solid rocket boosters suffered an in-flight anomaly, although the mission was still a success. The pause has prompted the Space Force to examine how it can rearrange its launch schedule rather than wait for Vulcan to return, including potentially swapping missions between vehicles. (9/17)
Space Force Defers to SpaceX on SDN-B Constellation Design (Source: Space News)
The Space Force is deferring the design of a new satellite network to SpaceX. Rather than set specific spacecraft requirements for the Space Data Network Backbone (SDN-B) constellation, the service instead set constellation-level requirements for coverage, capacity, number of users and data throughput, allowing SpaceX to decide how to best achieve those requirements. SpaceX won the $2.29 billion contract for the SDN-B system in May. The Space Force describes the network as a foundational data backhaul layer providing high-capacity, low-latency communications. (9/17)
L3Harris HBTSS Missile Tracking Prototype to Become Part of AMDT3 Golden Dome Constellation (Source: Space News)
L3Harris is turning a missile-tracking prototype satellite developed for the Missile Defense Agency into a production spacecraft for Golden Dome. The company in July received a $955 million Space Development Agency contract for 18 Accelerated Missile Defense Tranche 3, or AMDT3, satellites, which will carry sensors designed to produce precise tracking data needed to support missile intercepts. The spacecraft are closely based on the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor, or HBTSS, prototype that L3Harris launched in 2024 and subsequently tested on orbit. SDA tied the AMDT3 procurement to Golden Dome when it announced the contracts in July. (9/17)
Will Space Coast Innovation Park Draw Mystery Space Company to Titusville? (Source: Florida Today)
A 50-acre development at Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville is expected to bring 1,500 to 2,000 high-tech aerospace jobs to north Brevard County. Space Coast Innovation Park is planned as a three-phase hub for aerospace and defense manufacturing companies. The project is being built on Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority land. The industrial zone will ultimately span 1.1 million square feet of floorspace across 100 acres in its first two phases for aerospace and defense companies at Space Coast Regional Airport.
The land has been owned by the Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority and has sat empty and unused for about 20 years, according to Kevin Daughtery of the airport authority. “We’ve gone from tire kickers to real companies wanting to look at our property and invest,” Daughtery said. Officials said the project is expected to add to the region’s economy through new jobs and property tax revenue. “We are adding to the tax base, not just the jobs, but the ad valorem tax base,” Daughtery said. The park will help the region compete for companies looking for space to locate or expand. (9/16)
Space Force Growth Plans Put Florida's STARCOM at Center of Training Push (Source: Florida Today)
With the Space Force confirming America has weapons orbiting Earth, the recently minted military branch is launching a growth boom to face threats of space-based warfare by rivals such as Russia, China and rogue nations. And STARCOM at Patrick Space Force Base will play a critical role in training burgeoning ranks of Space Force guardians for futuristic space conflicts — think electromagnetic attacks, missile-laser weaponry and cyberwarfare. (9/16)
Space Force leaders want to double the number of today's 10,000-odd active-duty guardians within the next five years, said Space Force Maj. Gen. James Smith, who commands STARCOM. An acronym for Space Training and Readiness Command, STARCOM must develop space-warfighting tactics, techniques and wargaming for a nationwide wave of recruits, including training about 5,000 civilian employees.
STARCOM continues settling in on Florida's Space Coast after moving cross-country from Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The command marked its Sunshine State one-year anniversary in July. In March, STARCOM conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a $28 million headquarters annex, a pair of nondescript modular buildings near the Air Force Technical Applications Center. Looking ahead, Smith said the Space Force may build a permanent STARCOM headquarters at Patrick SFB in the early 2030s. (9/16)
Breakthrough Could Enable Rocket-Fuel Production From Mars’ Thin Atmosphere (Source: Space.com)
A new breakthrough could make it possible to produce rocket fuel on Mars rather than transport it from Earth. Local production would reduce the mass a Mars mission must launch and carry, potentially improving mission architecture and expanding the feasibility of sustained exploration beyond Earth. It's an old method involving electrolysis, but the new trick produces methane pure enough to be used as liquid propellant. (9/15)
Planet Nine Isn’t Hiding Because it Would be Small (Source: Space Daily)
Somewhere far past Neptune, a handful of icy worlds swing around the sun on orbits that lean the same way, like debris caught in a current. The tilt of those orbits is the strongest hint we have that something big is out there — the math points to a world around six times Earth's mass, tugging them into line. So why haven't we seen it? Not because it's small. Because of how far light has to go.
Sunlight leaving the sun spreads out as it travels, dimming with distance. Out where this planet would sit, that light is already faint. Then it has to bounce off the planet and come all the way back to us — dimming a second time on the return trip. The light is thinned twice, going and coming. A planet several times Earth's size can still be nearly invisible, not because there's little to see, but because there's so little light left to see it by. (9/16)
SpaceX Adds 300-Plus Engineers to AI Data Center Unit After Leadership Overhaul (Source: Mach 33)
More than 300 SpaceX engineers joined the company's AI data-center project over the past month following a leadership change that replaced data-center veterans with rocket- and Starlink-manufacturing executives. SpaceXAI reported 1.4 GW of compute capacity online with a target of over 2 GW by year-end. (9/10)
SpaceX CFO Discloses Compute Hosting Deal Worth $1.11 Billion a Month (Source: Mach 33)
SpaceX CFO Bret Johnsen said on September 10, 2026, at Goldman Sachs' Communacopia conference that the company closed a compute hosting deal with an undisclosed customer worth about $1.11 billion a month, starting December 1. He also cited a range of 5 GW to 10 GW of terrestrial compute deployed in 2027, up from slightly more than 2 GW expected by the end of 2026. (9/10)
Maritime Launch Services and Isar Aerospace Finalize Statement of Work, Advance to Execution (Source: Mach 33)
Maritime Launch Services and Isar Aerospace have finalized plans required under their previously announced facilities usage agreement for Spaceport Nova Scotia. The agreement advances plans for the development of Isar Aerospace’s dedicated launch complex for its Spectrum launch vehicle at Spaceport Nova Scotia. (9/14)
EU President Endorses Space Policy, Funding Increase (Source: Space News)
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, called for coordinated action by Europe to expand its capabilities. That includes an effort to pool demand for launches among the commission, ESA and national governments. “Our industries are calling for clear and predictable demand, to give them the certainty they need to invest and scale,” she said.
She endorsed a proposed major increase in funding for the commission’s defense and space directorate, to 131 billion euros ($152 billion) in the next seven-year funding cycle that begins in 2028, five times the amount in the current EU budget. She also backed the EU Space Act, which would create a single market for space within the EU, as well as a separate effort to assign spectrum for satellite communications at the EU rather than national level. (9/16)
NASA Rushed Engineers Out of Their Labs. They Say it Risks Future Space Missions (Source: NPR)
When NASA launched the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida late last month, engineers were anxious. Fifteen years of preparation and $4 billion had led to this moment. With spacecraft, the smallest of mistakes can derail everything. And at NASA's premier space flight complex, the Goddard Space Flight Center, engineers knew that teams working on the telescope had been operating under tenuous conditions.
NASA's management had forced scientists to quickly move out of their labs at Goddard multiple times since last November — and as recently as a month before Roman's launch, engineers said. NASA's management said that moving scientists out of buildings last year was aimed at reducing costs and eliminating "waste and redundancies," according to internal NASA documents reviewed by NPR. (9/15)
Interlune Raises $5M for Initiatives That Go Beyond Mining the Moon (Source: Geekwire)
Seattle-based Interlune has raised $5 million in fresh funding to support a business plan that involves building space infrastructure as well as mining the moon for helium-3 and other valuable resources. The funds were raised through a Simple Agreement for Future Equity, or SAFE, in which investors provide upfront cash to a startup in exchange for shares to be issued during a future priced round. Interlune used the same approach to raise $5 million earlier this year. Interlune said existing and new investors participated in its latest SAFE offering, which came to light today in a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. (9/15)
Space Force Announces Interservice Transfer Opportunities (Source: USSF)
The Interservice Transfer program, or IST, allows qualified regular component, full-time, active-duty officers and enlisted members serving in the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps to apply for transfer into the Space Force. The program gives the service an additional pathway to bring experienced military talent into select career fields as the Space Force continues to grow and build the force required to meet evolving mission demands. (9/15)
NASA Expects One Lunar Launch This Year, Moon Base Manager Says (Source: Aerospace America)
Voyager Technologies’ first Griffin lunar lander is on track to launch no earlier than November, but a handful of the agency’s robotic landings have slipped to 2027, NASA’s Moon Base program manager said. Griffin was one of four landers NASA had been planning to send to the lunar surface this year. The next two — Blue Origin’s Mark 1 Endurance and Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C Trinity — are now slated to launch in “the first part of 2027,” said Carlos García-Galán.
The fourth, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost 2, is scheduled to launch later in 2027, he added. NASA and Blue Origin officials have attributed the Mark 1 delay to the May explosion of a New Glenn rocket on its Florida launch pad. Blue Origin CEO David Limp last week posted on X that the company is making “incredible progress” at rebuilding that infrastructure. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in June that launching Mark 1 aboard New Glenn is still “Plan A,” but the agency is assessing alternatives. Intuitive Machines CEO and President Steve Altemus said in August the Nova-C launch would slip to “the first quarter of 2027.” (9/15)
Satellite Ground Infrastructure Accelerates as Viasat-Space42 Commit up to $1B and Telesat Expands Lightspeed Network (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Viasat and Space42 are establishing Equatys, a mobile satellite services venture backed by up to $1 billion, while Telesat and SatPort Infrastructure pursue a global build-to-suit ground network for Lightspeed. Northwood introduced its Prism antenna, and Involve Space won ESA funding for a stratospheric radar platform. (9/16)
Rocket Lab Fully Funds Iridium Acquisition After $1.94 Billion Share Sale and Drops $3.6 Billion Bridge Facility (Source: Defence Industry Europe)
Rocket Lab said it has fully financed its pending acquisition of Iridium Communications after completing an at-the-market equity program that raised approximately $1.944 billion in gross proceeds. The company issued 29.3 million shares under the program and plans to use the net proceeds primarily to fund cash payments required for the transaction. The $1.944 billion figure is before commissions and offering expenses. Rocket Lab said any excess proceeds, or the funds if the Iridium acquisition is not completed, would be used for future growth, potential acquisitions, general corporate purposes and working capital. (9/16)
Open Cosmos Raises €300 Million as Investors Back Europe’s Space Push (Source: European Spaceflight)
UK-based satellite maker Open Cosmos announced on 14 September that it had closed a €300 million funding round. The company said it would use the new funding to expand its manufacturing capacity and accelerate the deployment of its Earth observation and communications constellations.
The €300 million raise represents the company’s first major publicly announced funding round since September 2023, when it secured $50 million in Series B funding. The round was led by venture investors including UK-based Lightrock, ETF Partners and Entrepreneurs First, alongside Catalonia’s public financial institution, Institut Català de Finances. Two unnamed international pension funds were also among the lead investors. (9/15)
Microscopic Alien Technology May Be Hidden in Moon Dust (Source: Space.com)
Could we find alien technology embedded in moon dust? The bold idea, not yet peer-reviewed, suggests checking out the lunar surface for "microscopic technosignatures." The SETI Institute — or the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute — describes these technosignatures as "tiny engineered particles" that may have come from interstellar space before settling on the moon. (9/15)
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)
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)
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