October 12, 2026

The Space Industry Needs to Look Under the Hood (Source: Better Futures)
The tendency of experts to express strong opinions on matters outside their areas of expertise is becoming borderline toxic. Everyone has opinions beyond their expertise and locus of control. But having an opinion does not make someone an expert, nor does it make them right. Expertise in one domain does not automatically confer authority in another, yet that distinction is increasingly ignored, even in professional settings.

Elon Musk is a case in point—or, as I like to call him, the South African. I use that description not to besmirch him, but to acknowledge that many people hold extraordinarily strong opinions about him. I am not interested in speculating about the origins of those opinions. What concerns me is the inability to separate personal feelings from professional assessment. In a professional setting, a neutral starting point matters. Calling him the South African acknowledges one dimension of who he is without tipping the scales toward either fanboy admiration or outright vilification.

The point is that professional competence and personal likability are entirely different things. We do ourselves, our businesses, and the industry a disservice when personal feelings replace a serious evaluation of what someone has accomplished, what they are trying to accomplish, and what we can learn from their successes and failures. The same principle applies to politics. While the current administration leaves much to be desired for many people, its approach to commercial space presents significant opportunities. (10/8)

Vandenberg Test Launches Missile That Will Carry Next-Generation Nuclear Weapon  (Source: San Luis Obispo Tribune)
The Air Force conducted a missile test from Vandenberg Space Force Base early Friday morning as part of the ongoing efforts to develop a next-generation weapon system that may see its debut flight next year. Few details were released late Thursday night, but base officials announced the test involving a Minotaur launch vehicle would occur before 6 a.m. Friday. (10/10)

Artemis II's Victor Glover Says Oklahoma is Key to America's Future in Space (Source: The Oklahoman)
Glover was in the state as a guest of the Oklahoma Aerospace Forum, an annual event that highlights Oklahoma's workforce and aerospace companies that support the space program and aviation. There's a lot more that can be done, and the people living, studying and working here have a great chance to join the industry, he said. "You know that saying, 'Houston, we have a problem?' Oklahoma, you have a solution," Glover said. (10/11)

NASA Demonstrates Next-Generation Heat Shield Technologies (Source: NASA)
NASA is testing heat shields that can keep astronauts safe as they return from missions to the Moon and Mars in an unusual way: by taking out the trash. When Northrop Grumman 24th cargo resupply mission for NASA undocked from the International Space Station, it carried a fleet of 12 small, experimental capsules designed to test the next generation of thermal protection materials that could serve as the foundation for future heat shields.

The experiment, called the Kentucky Reentry Probe Experiment (KREPE-3), is the third in a series of low-cost, high-impact missions that use the final moments of the cargo spacecraft’s lifespan to gather valuable data. (10/9)

Russian Satellite Activity Raises Concerns for Starlink, German Space Commander Says (Source: Reuters)
The shadowing of a Western satellite supporting ​Ukraine by a cluster of Russian military satellites earlier this year demonstrates capabilities that could threaten commercial constellations such as ‌Elon Musk's Starlink, Germany’s space commander said. In May, Russia maneuvered four military satellites, known as Cosmos 2610 through 2613, close to a commercial radar-imaging satellite, according to the US Space Force. Finland's ICEYE, which supplies data to the US and its allies, confirmed that it was one of their satellites. (10/9)

Can a Kevlar Tether Create Artificial Gravity in Space? (Source: Big Think)
So could we use a specific type of rotating, low-cost artificial acceleration — with two separate craft connected by a tether — to provide that artificial gravity? “How long would a Kevlar cable need to be for astronauts to feel centripetal acceleration as comfortable as gravity? Why don’t we send up a mile-long Kevlar cable, stretch it between two capsules, spin it up, and have artificial gravity?” In principle, we could do it. In principle, we could even make it equivalent to Earth’s surface gravity in strength. But in practice, it faces some major obstacles.

If you want to create a significant amount of artificial gravity, something close to Earth’s g, for example, you have to have your spacecraft rotate at a particular rate, where the centripetal acceleration is defined by the formula a = v²/r. Since angular velocity is v/r by itself, that means that if you want to reproduce Earth’s gravitational acceleration, a set of capsules separated by a tether that’s: 1) 20 meters long requires spinning at just under 10 revolutions-per-minute, 2) 200 meters long requires spinning at right around 3 revolutions-per-minute, or 3) and 2000 meters long requires spinning at just under 1 revolution-per-minute.

The problem is that the spacecraft needs to rotate quite quickly in all cases, and has to build up a lot of angular momentum while maintaining that balance around the center-of-mass. The faster the speed you have to go at and the larger a radius you’re at from the center-of-mass (or the center-of-rotation), the greater your angular momentum is, and these three examples all have a lot of it. The 20 meter tether requires a speed of about 9.9 m/s, the 200 meter tether requires a speed of about 31.3 m/s, and the 2000 meter tether requires a speed of an impressive 99 m/s. As you can see, greater distances require the buildup of greater amounts of angular momentum, and that’s an enormous challenge to keep delicately balanced. (10/9)

Cygnus XL Cargo Spacecraft Released from Station by Canadarm2 (Source: NASA)
At 12:44 p.m. EDT, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL was released from the Canadarm2 robotic arm after it detached from the Earth-facing port of the International Space Station’s Unity module. At the time of release, the space station was flying about 260 miles above the Pacific Ocean. Cygnus XL successfully departed the orbiting laboratory nearly six months after arriving with about 11,000 pounds of supplies, scientific investigations, commercial products, hardware, and other cargo for NASA and its international partners.

Mission controllers will command the spacecraft to deorbit Monday, Oct. 12, carrying several thousand pounds of disposal items and other unneeded cargo into Earth’s atmosphere, where it will harmlessly burn up during re-entry. NASA will not provide coverage of the deorbit. (10/9)

Black Holes Could Have Planets, New Simulations Suggest (Source: EarthSky)
Astronomers have found thousands of planets orbiting other stars. They’ve even found some rogue planets, or planets without a star. Now, fascinating new research says more planets could be lurking elsewhere. They could, the study says, be forming around black holes. They revealed that massive planets could form in the dusty regions around supermassive black holes, similarly to how planets form around stars. (10/8)

Billionaire Jeff Bezos: ‘Success is Not Villainy' (Source: Geekwire)
When Jeff Bezos sat down on Blue Origin’s Cape Canaveral factory floor for an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier earlier this week, he laid out an unapologetic defense of free enterprise and wealth creation. “Success is not villainy,” Bezos said. The Amazon founder’s point was simple: building a massively successful enterprise isn’t something society should apologize for or view with suspicion, it’s the natural result of creating something people actually want. (10/9)

Engineers at Johnson Space Center Modeled a Mars Propellant Plant Turning Martian Air and Buried Ice into 300 Metric Tons of Methane and Oxygen (Source: EcoNews)
How much hardware that refining would take is the question behind a Mars propellant plant study from engineers working at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. “The SIMA team conducted analyses on a full-scale Martian ISRU production system for oxygen and methane cryopropellant, with the goal of recycling as much material as possible,” the authors wrote. SIMA is the Systems Engineering and Integration ISRU Modeling and Analysis project.

The study looks at 33 tons (30 metric tons) and 331 tons (300 metric tons) of liquid oxygen and methane “produced during the course of a Martian year (~687 Earth days), at a ratio of approximately 3.5:1, respectively.” That works out to 25.7 tons (23.3 metric tons) of oxygen and 7.4 tons (6.7 metric tons) of methane in the small case, and ten times as much in the large one. (10/10)

NASA to Conduct Flyover, Engage NFL Fans at MetLife Stadium (Source: NASA)
As part of the agency’s Inspiration Tour flyover, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman piloted one of three F-5 fighter jets to kick off the New York Jets vs. Cleveland Browns game in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Oct. 11. (10/10)

Retired Widebody Airliner Now Cheaper Than Building A New Hypersonic Carrier Aircraft (Source: Simple Flying)
Stratolaunch Systems is an aerospace company best known for operating the Scaled Composites Model 351 Stratolaunch, or 'Roc', a twin-fuselage testbed aircraft that still holds the record for having the largest wingspan of any aircraft in history. The monstrous-looking aircraft was originally intended to carry air-launch-to-orbit rockets, but is now used for hypersonic vehicle testing, and it's flown 25 times since its introduction in 2019. However, this isn't the only aircraft used by Stratolaunch Systems.

In 2023, the company announced that it would acquire a Boeing 747-400 to complement Roc for hypersonic vehicle testing. The aircraft, now named the 'Spirit of Mojave', has been used multiple times as a more cost-effective and flexible option alongside Roc, as it's essentially a standard 747-400 repurposed for this mission. Meanwhile, in September 2026, Stratolaunch announced that it would be acquiring a third aircraft, selecting a used Boeing 777-200ER to be the company's third carrier platform. (10/10)

Bezos Is Closing the Net Worth Gap With Elon Musk, Thanks to Blue Origin (Source: Benzinga)
Bloomberg data shows that Bezos has a net worth of $372 billion, making him the second-richest person in the world. He has gained over $122 billion from the same point this year. In contrast, Musk has a net worth of over $1 trillion, having gained $548 billion in wealth in the same period, thanks to the SpaceX IPO that raised over $85 billion in June. Jeff Bezos’s wealth jumped after Blue Origin raised new capital at a $130 billion valuation. (10/10)

NASA Releases Finalized RFP for Commercial Space Stations (Source: Space News)
NASA released Friday the final request for proposals for the next phase of its effort to help develop commercial space stations. NASA issued the RFP for the Commercial LEO Destinations, or CLD, program, with proposals due in early December and a selection of two or more companies planned by mid-April. One change from the draft RFP from this summer is that NASA will handle transportation of crews and cargo to commercial stations at least for an initial series of missions, rather than require companies to make their own arrangements. Industry officials previously said they were concerned about the ability to obtain transportation given SpaceX's intent to retire the Dragon spacecraft. (10/12)

SpaceX Launches SDA Satellites From California (Source: Space News)
SpaceX launched on Saturday the first set of Space Development Agency (SDA) satellites built by Northrop Grumman for a communications network. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on the Tranche 1 Transport Layer A mission for SDA. The rocket carried 21 satellites built by Northrop. The 21 satellites are the first half of a $692 million contract the Space Development Agency awarded Northrop Grumman in 2022 to build 42 spacecraft for the Tranche 1 Transport Layer of its Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, or PWSA. York Space Systems and Lockheed Martin previously launched their own satellites for the Transport Layer. The launch was scheduled for Monday but postponed by technical issues with the rocket and range conflicts. (10/12)

Arms Race: Russian Anti-Satellite Weapons Could Counter Golden Dome (Source: Space News)
Russia could develop nuclear weapons and electronic-warfare systems to counter missile defense systems like Golden Dome. A report published last week by U.K.-based Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) argues that Russia's efforts to protect its nuclear arsenal from U.S. weapons and missile defenses could drive Moscow toward anti-satellite weapons designed to disable or disrupt large numbers of spacecraft in orbit. Its conclusions are based on an analysis of Russian military doctrine, technical research and the economic constraints shaping Moscow's weapons investments, and not any evidence of deployment of such weapons. RUSI's assessment comes more than two years after U.S. officials publicly accused Russia of developing a nuclear anti-satellite capability. (10/12)

Kapta Raises $24 Million for Radar Tracking From Orbit (Source: Space News)
Kapta Space has raised $24 million to advance the development of radar technology designed to help the U.S. military track moving targets from orbit. The Seattle-based company said Friday it raised a Series A round led by Washington Harbour Partners and co-led by Bison Ventures, with participation from several other investors. Kapta unveiled plans last year for a less expensive and less power-intensive alternative to conventional satellite radar systems, targeting the military market for space-based surveillance capabilities that can detect and follow moving targets. The company said it has won several classified contracts this year for moving target indication systems, but did not disclose the customers or the contracts' values. (10/12)

Andrenam and AnySignal Partner for Submerged System Satellite Links (Source: Space News)
An undersea tracking company and a space communications startup are teaming up to build a new link between submerged systems and satellite networks. Andrenam and AnySignal announced a partnership Friday to develop a family of underwater acoustic communications modems. The agreement would extend AnySignal's satellite communications technology into the maritime domain while expanding the capabilities of Andrenam's network of ocean-monitoring buoys. Those buoys would serve as relays between vehicles and sensors underwater and satellite and terrestrial networks. (10/12)

Spain's EarthPulse Raising Money for Geospatial Intel Growth (Source: Space News)
EarthPulse, a six-year-old geospatial analytics company, is working on its first funding round. To date, the Barcelona-based startup has grown through sales of geospatial-intelligence products, software-as-a-service and APIs that pair satellite observations with terrestrial data and algorithms. The company says it is raising money now because demand for its services is growing faster than it can accommodate on revenue alone. The company's customers range from the European Union Agency for the Space Program to telecommunications giant Telefónica and personal care company L'Oréal. (10/12)

October 10, 2026

From ‘Pinky Promises’ to Reality: SpaceX Admits 30 Launches a Day Will Block Louisiana Local Access (Source: The Lens)
Residents of Pecan Island — fishers and hunters, many of whom could trace their family’s presence here back generations -- met with SpaceX officials. Mark Soltys, chief engineer, began telling the crowd about SpaceX’s advances in aerospace technology. Craig Pitre, a retired welder sitting in the front row, said: “I don’t think too many of us are worried about the flagship rocket and recoverability. We are worried about the ecological damage. All this stuff goes out and it’s going to pollute the waters. I mean, is there going to be any accountability for anything? That’s mostly what we are concerned about.

For the next two hours, residents peppered SpaceX representatives with questions about the incoming impacts of the company’s planned spaceport. Will they be able to stay in their homes? Will it kill off the wildlife? Will it worsen flooding and endanger their lives? SpaceX reps repeatedly tried to reassure those present that the massive project would have no negative impact on their lives whatsoever. But they also were unable to answer many of the questions the residents posed. And in at least two instances, SpaceX reps were forced to backtrack, as locals held up the promises against the sheer, unprecedented scale of the planned rocket launches.

“Am I still going to be able to get down there to my property?” asked “Lil Mark” Broussard, about an hour into the meeting. “Yeah, we’re not going to deny access to property,” a SpaceX rep replied immediately. Broussard was referring to a strip of land between the shoreline and the southern border of SpaceX’s property. He runs horses and manages cattle on the land. But Soltys was soon forced to retract that promise. SpaceX renderings show launch pads in a row towering above the land where Broussard keeps his cattle. The meeting dissolved into worried crosstalk. (10/8)

4 Companies to Vie for NASA Space Station Funding (Source: Douglas Messier)
Four companies — Axiom Space, Blue Origin, Starlab Space and Vast Space — are expected to submit proposals to NASA for funding to develop commercial stations to replace ISS, which is set to be retired in 2030. NASA released a request for proposals for the Commercial Low Earth Orbit Destination Contract (CLDC) on Oct. 9. Complete proposals are due on Dec. 8; the space agency expects to make an award in spring 2027. NASA has provided limited funding for the Axiom, Blue Origin and Starlab space stations. The space agency has been providing technical support and access to testing facilities to Vast Space, which is developing privately-funded space stations. (10/10)

Payload Shapes for Starship Not Consistent with Many Military Requirements (Source: Politico)
The Space Force hopes SpaceX’s mega-rocket Starship will one day ferry key military satellites after the government stops using the company’s workhorse Falcon 9 rocket.

But it’s unclear how military payloads will fit on the rocket — since it’s designed to launch flat-stacked satellites like Starlink. And SpaceX may not have the capacity, given the company’s ambitious plans to build out huge constellations and orbital data centers.

Detailed design: Starship essentially uses a Pez-style dispenser to push satellites out, ejecting them one by one through a small sliding door — a system that most military payloads aren’t compatible with. And with SpaceX poised to retire Falcon 9 in favor of the larger, more profitable Starship, and new rocket providers slow to get up and running, the government is in a tight spot. (10/9)

GMV Tests in Fuerteventura ESA Lunar Rover Software (Source: Democrata)
The Spanish technology group GMV has carried out tests on the Canary Island of Fuerteventura of a 'software' developed by ESA that makes it possible for rovers or astromobiles to move at greater speed. These trials were completed last Thursday in Lajares with the aim of validating an onboard autonomy framework formed by an advanced guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) system, called Fastnav. (10/9)

Congressional Delegation Urges Musk to Expand Starlink Access for Ukraine (Source: NV)
A U.S. congressional delegation backed expanding Ukraine’s access to Starlink and urged Elon Musk to activate additional capabilities of the service for Ukrainian users. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) said during a briefing in Kyiv on Oct. 9 that he personally supports approaching Musk about expanding Starlink’s coverage and capabilities in Ukraine. Other members of the bipartisan delegation also supported the initiative. Crenshaw said Starlink and the recently passed sanctions bill introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham could serve as tools to increase pressure on Russia. (10/9)

White House on Trump Purchasing SpaceX Debt Before Space Order: ‘No Conflicts of Interest’ (Source: The Hill)
The White House said Friday there was no conflict of interest when President Trump’s accounts bought more than $1 million in SpaceX debt two days before he signed an executive order on space transportation policy. The president’s financial disclosure for August, published Thursday, shows Trump’s accounts purchased between $1 million and $5 million in senior unsecured notes from SpaceX on Aug. 18. (10/9)

SaxaVord Spaceport Earmarked by UK and German Governments for European Launches (Source: Shetland News)
The UK and German governments have identified SaxaVord Spaceport as a potential hub for Europe’s access to space. In a joint statement released following a meeting between prime minister Andy Burnham and German chancellor Friedrich Merz, the countries have agreed to deepen their strategic co-operation in space across their civil, commercial, security and defense interests. A memorandum of understanding between the two countries is set to be signed in early 2027. (10/9)

Canada, Norway Space Agencies Sign First MOU (Source: SpaceQ)
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has signed its first memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Norwegian Space Agency (NOSA), an Arctic-focused partnership it highlighted on social media this week during the International Astronautical Congress in Antalya, Türkiye. (10/9)

Kapta Space Raises $24M from Bill Gates-Backed Fund and Defense Investors (Source: Geekwire)
Kapta Space, a Seattle startup building lower-cost, steerable radar sensors for satellites, has raised $24 million in a Series A funding round to scale production and meet growing demand for defense intelligence contracts. The investment brings total funding to $30 million. It also previously received a $1.8 million grant from the Department of Defense. (10/9)

China's Long March-12 Rocket Launches New Internet Satellite Group (Source: Xinhua)
China launched a Long March-12 carrier rocket on Saturday from a commercial spacecraft launch site in the southern island province of Hainan, sending an internet satellite group into space. The rocket lifted off and successfully placed the payload, the 27th group of low-orbit internet satellites, into the preset orbit. (10/10)

Sovereign Skies, Secure India: Why Starlink Must Be Denied Entry (Source: News 18)
Starlink may expand connectivity in remote, mountainous, maritime, border and disaster-affected areas, but India should approach its use with strategic caution. Satellite broadband is not merely a commercial service: it is part of the national information infrastructure through which data, identities, economic activity, public administration and security communications may flow. (10/10)

SpaceX Spectrum Deal Unsettles Investors in AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile (Source: Axios)
SpaceX's plan to compete with the major cell phone service providers is coming into sharper focus — and raising investor concerns about the threat it poses to traditional telecom companies. Elon Musk has designs on turning SpaceX's Starlink satellite business into a major player in telecom — and he's using the company's massive market position to put his plan in motion. (10/9)

NASA Signs Space Nuclear Pact, Says Moon Base Is Ahead of Schedule (Source: Payload)
To paraphrase the White House, the US scientific enterprise is so back. On Thursday, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) hosted the “Science: A New Golden Age Summit,” following up on the July namesake report. The biggest space news came from NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who signed an agreement to accelerate cooperation between the two agencies on space nuclear power and propulsion.

Isaacman framed SR-1 as the first step in an “Apollo-like endeavor,” with future missions adding better materials, thrusters, and autonomy on the way to a vehicle that can take astronauts to Mars and back. The MoU formalizes existing plans rather than launching new ones. SR-1 debuted at NASA’s Ignition in March, NASA and DOE signed a lunar reactor MoU in January, and Thursday’s agreement came with no new funding figures or cost estimates for nuclear efforts. Still, industry saw the MoU as an important step. (10/9)

Poland’s SpaceForest Completes Fourth PERUN Suborbital Rocket Flight (Source: Space News)
SpaceForest completed the fourth launch of its PERUN suborbital rocket, describing the flight as the vehicle’s most successful test to date. The launch marks another test milestone for the Polish rocket builder’s suborbital program; the available report provides no further flight results or schedule details. (10/9)

Italy Explores Orbital Platform to Generate Artificial Gravity (Source: European Spaceflight)
The Italian Space Agency is examining the possibility of building an orbital platform capable of generating artificial gravity. The concept would create an in-space research facility, though the available details do not specify its design, timeline, funding or intended research program. (10/9)

The Rideshare Era is Ending: Small-Launch Providers Need Anchor Customers as Small Satellites Seek 2029 Rides (Source: LA Tribune)
Small-satellite operators targeting a 2029 launch may already be struggling to secure a ride, while the lowest-cost rideshare option is no longer accepting bookings. The shift puts renewed focus on whether dedicated small-launch providers can attract anchor customers and establish viable demand. (10/9)

October 9, 2026

The Exploration Company to Test Lunar Hopper Demonstrator in 2027 (Source: European Spaceflight)
The Exploration Company has announced it will test a lunar hopper demonstrator called ONEIROS in the United Arab Emirates in 2027. ONEIROS is a privately funded initiative focused on validating technologies that could eventually support lower-cost access to the lunar surface. The company plans to build a one-tonne demonstrator that will use a throttleable methane-fueled rocket engine, autonomous navigation, and hazard-avoidance systems to demonstrate the capabilities needed for controlled landings on the Moon. (10/8)

Amazon Hits 1,000 Sat Milestone; Blue Origin Bolsters Sat Manufacturing (Source: Via Satellite)
Amazon and Blue Origin — two companies owned by Jeff Bezos with separate satellite constellation plans — reached new manufacturing milestones. Amazon reached the milestone of manufacturing 1,000 Amazon Leo satellites. Separately, Blue Origin is building a new manufacturing facility in Texas to support its TeraWave satellite constellation.

The two companies issued separate releases on Thursday. Amazon has passed the 1,000-satellite mark at its satellite factory in Kirkland, Washington. The operator has deployed 396 satellites in the constellation, reporting that only four of those satellites have been deorbited.

Separately, Blue Origin is building a manufacturing hub in Texas to support its TeraWave satellite constellation and Quartz ground communications network. The facility announced Thursday will encompass 1.3 million square feet. Named “Constellation Park,” it is located in Hutto, Texas, north of Austin. (10/8)

SpaceX Acquires More Spectrum Under $8 Billion Deal (Source: Wall Street Journal)
SpaceX has acquired spectrum that could allow the company to augment its direct-to-device services. The company said Thursday it is paying $8 billion to acquire up to 14 megahertz of spectrum in the 800-megahertz band from Grain Management LLC, an investment company. SpaceX said that will allow the company to provide services indoors, where its current satellite spectrum does not work. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk called the deal "the last critical piece of the spectrum puzzle needed for SpaceX to provide complete phone coverage in America." (10/9)

AIA Flags R&D Impacts From Spectrum Bid (Source: LA Times)
SpaceX is lobbying the Federal Communications Commission for easier access to wireless spectrum to boost rocket launches, raising concerns from the Aerospace Industries Association, Boeing, GE Healthcare and others. AIA cites the disruption to flight tests and other critical operations that would happen should SpaceX's plan move forward. "That would be a pretty significant impact for research and development," said AIA Vice President of Engineering and Technology Tim White. "To not be able to do flight testing at the time you need it in the program, it really shuts us down." (10/7)

Aerospace, Defense Key Drivers of Oklahoma Economy (Source: The Journal Record)
Oklahoma's aerospace and defense industry generate $52.5 billion in economic impact annually and support 250,000 jobs, according to a report from the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics. The state's five major military installations contribute $21.8 billion to the total. (10/8)

Astrolight Delivers Its First Space-to-Ground Laser Communication Links for Customers (Source: Astrolight)
Astrolight, a Lithuanian space and defence company developing laser communication solutions across space, ground and maritime domains, the Department of Aerospace of the University of Athens, and the Department of Physics of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki have announced today the successful commissioning of a space-to-ground laser communication link. The commissioning marks ATLAS-1’s first in-orbit operation and the first link between the two Astrolight systems. (10/8)

A Lack of Transparency for Space-Based Weapons (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
The 2026 Global Counterspace Capabilities Report and other resources help provide an overview of potential space weapons. The report lists five categories of counterspace capabilities. It examines systems being developed by 13 countries, among them the U.S., Russia, China, India, Australia, France, Iran, and Israel. These include satellites designed to maneuver near, inspect, disable, or destroy spacecraft. The report also examines ground, air, or sea-launched missile interceptors designed to destroy satellites kinetically.

Furthermore, the report highlights electronic warfare, such as jamming, in addition to lasers or high-power microwaves meant to blind or damage satellite sensors. The report also lists cyber operations targeting space networks. The U.N. Office for Outer Space Affairs supports transparency in space by maintaining a register which links each object to its responsible country. States who signed on to a 1976 agreement are required to provide information on launches by governments and private companies as well as the general function of the space object, but are not required to provide details on their purpose.

As an example of something that could be used for both military and non-military purposes, it became known in 2021 that China had tested a satellite with a robotic arm that can maneuver to a system, grab it, and move it out of orbit. In 2022, China used such a system for the first time to tow one of its dead satellites out of orbit. (10/5)

Iceye Moves into Satcom With Nokia Partnership (Source: Via Satellite)
Iceye, the Finnish space company known for building synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites is venturing into communication satellites — planning to build sovereign satcom satellites for governments through a new partnership with Nokia. Iceye announced the move Thursday and said the first communications satellites are expected to be launched in 2028. An Iceye spokesperson said the existing Iceye satellite platform is “flexible” and now being used for satcom. (10/1)

Space Station Developers Have Mixed Degrees of Optimism for Crew Access (Source: Space News)
Commercial space station developers have varying degrees of optimism that crew access to their stations will be possible once SpaceX retires Crew Dragon. During a panel discussion at the International Astronautical Congress this week, executives from companies working on commercial space stations, such as Starlab Space and Vast, said they expect NASA to ensure there is crewed access through vehicles like Starliner, noting the importance of human spaceflight to low Earth orbit extends beyond their stations.

However, Axiom Space expressed concern, noting their planning has focused on Crew Dragon with no alternative options. Blue Origin has been working on designs for its own crewed vehicle, but a company executive said on the panel it does not plan to fund work on it internally, noting the need to work with NASA to ensure it meets agency certification requirements. (10/9)

Space Force and SpaceWERX Support USAX Development of Provenance Engine (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force is looking for new ways to track emerging technologies and the flow of private capital. The service's innovation arm, SpaceWERX, selected startup USAX for a $1.49 million Direct-to-Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research contract to develop its Provenance Engine, aimed at giving decision makers a clearer picture of technology development, investment activity and opportunities for government and private-sector collaboration. The platform combines information from multiple sources into a common analytical framework, then applies weighting and scoring to help decision makers assess financial relationships and investment exposure. (10/9)

Planet's Berlin Satellite Plant to Support Sovereign Markets (Source: Space News)
Earth observation company Planet is moving to address growing sovereign demand. The company recently opened a satellite production line in Berlin to support European customers and announced a series of deals with European and Japanese customers. As Planet addresses increasing defense and intelligence demands, company leaders are developing tools to pair the extensive Earth observation data provided by their fleet of 150 to 200 satellites in low Earth orbit with the analytical power of artificial intelligence for commercial and civil applications. (10/9)

Trump Bought SpaceX Debt While Approving New Space Policy (Source: Washington Post)
President Trump bought at least $1 million in SpaceX debt around the time he approved a new national space transportation policy. According to financial disclosures, Trump bought between $1 million and $5 million of SpaceX bonds in August that the company sold this summer to finance its artificial intelligence data centers. Two days later, Trump signed the new space transportation policy that features measures designed to support increased launch rates, with a goal of 1,000 launches and landings a year by 2030. A White House spokesperson said that Trump's portfolio is managed independently by third parties but did not say who decided to buy the SpaceX bonds. (10/9)

South Korea Plans Space Command (Source: Seoul Economic Daily)
South Korea is preparing to establish a space command in its military. The chairman of South Korea's joint chiefs of staff said the military was planning to create a space command. The military first plans to create a dedicated electromagnetic warfare unit next year whose activities would include space. (10/9)

Jared Has the Receipts to Counter Apollo Skeptics (Source: WCVB)
Drake Maye committed another turnover by suggesting NASA didn't land on the moon more than 50 years ago. In a sports talk radio interview this week, the New England Patriots quarterback said he was "a little bit skeptical" about the Apollo landings when asked about conspiracy theories, adding "I'm not really sure 200% if we went there or not." His comments prompted a response from NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman on social media: "I quite literally have the receipts." (10/9)

Airbus to Build ESA's Sentinel-3 (Source: Aviation Week)
Airbus secured a $619 million contract from the European Space Agency to build the Sentinel-3 Next-Generation Topography satellite. The agreement, announced at an event in Antalya, Turkey, outlines plans for a satellite launch in 2034, with the possibility of adding a second spacecraft. (10/6)
 
Congress Debates Pentagon's $53.7B Unfunded List (Source: Legis1)
The Department of War has submitted a $53.7 billion unfunded priorities list for fiscal year 2026, reigniting a debate in Congress over the value and impact of such lists. The Congressional Research Service notes that while some lawmakers see the lists as essential for identifying military risks, others view them as undermining budget discipline. The Government Accountability Office reports that the value of these lists has increased by 73% since 2020.

Editor’s Note: Earmark-seekers try hard to be included on the Unfunded Priorities list, as it’s the easiest path toward getting projects funded if they aren’t included in the original appropriation. (10/7)

GE Aerospace Foundation Invests $1M in Alabama Workforce (Source: Alabama Political Reporter)
The GE Aerospace Foundation will invest $1 million in workforce training in Alabama's Auburn-Montgomery region, benefiting more than 400 people in the first year. The funding will support Southern Union State Community College, the Industrial Development Board of Auburn and the Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce, focusing on aerospace and advanced manufacturing careers. (10/7)

Amazon Builds its 1,000th Satellite, with Project Kuiper Internet Rollout Weeks Away (Source: Ars Technica)
Amazon says it has built its 1,000th satellite and is weeks from beginning its space-based internet rollout. The milestone puts the focus on the manufacturing scale and deployment cadence behind Project Kuiper as the company moves from satellite production toward service launch. (10/8)

Astrolight Commissions its First Space-to-Ground Laser Communications Link for a Client (Source: Space News)
Lithuanian space startup Astrolight says it has successfully commissioned a space-to-ground laser communication link for a client. The announcement marks the company’s delivery of its first such link, though the available report does not identify the client or provide technical details, operating parameters or the system’s intended use. (10/8)

BlackSky Claims Six-Figure Pilot Contract to Supply Imagery to International Intelligence Agency (Source: Space News)
BlackSky Technology said it has secured a six-figure pilot contract with an international intelligence agency for global, on-demand, high-resolution imagery. The announcement signals a trial engagement for the company’s satellite-imagery services, but the agency and the contract’s duration were not identified. (10/8)

Starlink Says Satellite Operators’ Maneuver-Data Nondisclosure is LEO’s Biggest Collision Risk (Source: Space Intel Report)
SpaceX’s Starlink says the greatest safety risk to its constellation and other low Earth orbit operators is satellite owners’ refusal to share ephemeris data, including satellite positions and planned maneuvers. The company has updated its debris and collision-risk mitigation measures, according to the report. (10/8)

Study Suggests Earth and Mars Formed Through Different Processes (Source: Universe Today)
A new study finds that Earth and Mars may have formed through different processes. The discovery could help scientists assess whether exoplanets are habitable, linking evidence from the formation of neighboring planets to broader efforts to understand which worlds beyond our solar system might support life. (10/8)

Bezos Says Blue Origin IPO Could Come Within the Next Few Years (Source: Bloomberg)
Blue Origin is likely to pursue an initial public offering within the next several years, founder Jeff Bezos said, following the company’s first outside funding round, which raised billions of dollars. The comments signal a potential future shift in the ownership and financing of the space company. (10/8)

NASA Selects GIMLI Proposal to Investigate Whether Marius Lunar Pit Opens Into a Larger Cave (Source: Universe Today)
NASA has selected a Planetary Science Institute-led proposal to examine whether an underground cave extends beyond the opening of the Marius lunar pit. The investigation will assess a feature that could be relevant to identifying future lunar base sites; the available report does not specify the mission’s timeline or methods. (10/8)

South Korean Spaceport Evolves to Space City (Source: SBS)
Naro Space Center is the outpost of South Korea's space development, completed in 2009. With three Naro rocket launches and five Nuri rocket launches over the past 17 years, Goheung's role is expanding beyond a mere launch site to the broader space industry. Around 50 space companies, including Hanwha Aerospace, plan to move into the Goheung Space National Industrial Complex by 2030. (10/8)

Second New Zealand Spaceport: Big Rockets Could Launch a Dozen Times a Year in Initial Canterbury Plan (Source: RNZ)
Large rockets weighing up to 100 tonnes each could be launched a dozen times a year from a planned national aerospace center near Christchurch. Tāwhaki and a French company are now working on getting capital, consents and customers from Europe to build the spaceport. The few details of the attempt to tap the burgeoning world of the space launch market have been released to RNZ. "Launch facility to cater for up to 100-tonne launch vehicles, with an initial consent for up to 12 launches per year," said an executive summary. (10/8)

Tenerife Submits Bid to Host a Spaceport for the European Iris II Satellite Constellation (Source: Tenerife Weekly)
Tenerife has officially announced its bid to host a ground station for the European Iris II satellite constellation, a project designed to enhance secure satellite communications within the EU. The public authorities on the island revealed the proposal during a council meeting in early October. A territory of Spain, Tenerife is among the Canary Islands. (10/7)

NASA Says Russia, China Could Join Artemis Accords if They Align with Principles (Source: AA.com)
Russia and China could one day join the US-led Artemis Accords on space exploration if they come to share its principles, but they do not today, NASA's deputy administrator said. "If one day, Russia and China were like-minded in those principles, which we don't see them as that right now, then there would be a possibility to join the Artemis Accords," Matt Anderson told reporters at the International Astronautical Congress in Antalya. (10/7)

October 8, 2026

Artemis 2 Dataset Released (Source: Space News)
NASA released Wednesday the full science dataset from the Artemis 2 mission. The data, released at an event during IAC, includes 12,000 photos as well as hours of crew audio records and handwritten annotations the astronauts made as they observed the moon during the April mission. Scientists said the data show the value of human observations in addition to cameras and other instruments. (10/8)

FCC Plans More Spectrum Allocation for D2D Satellite Services (Source: Space News)
The FCC plans to make more spectrum available for satellite direct-to-device services. The FCC said Wednesday it will vote Oct. 29 on a proposal to make an additional 482 megahertz of licensed spectrum available for what it calls Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS). That spectrum would come from low- and mid-band frequencies already licensed for cellular or flexible use, a senior FCC official said, building on SCS rules that have enabled Starlink Mobile to connect smartphones and other devices in the United States via T-Mobile's spectrum.

The announcement came a day after the FCC authorized SpaceX to deploy 15,000 next-gen direct-to-device satellites for its Starlink Mobile constellation. The upgraded satellites are authorized to operate in shells between 326 and 335 kilometers above Earth to reduce latency, compared with as low as 340 kilometers for existing Starlink Mobile spacecraft. (10/8)

Fortastra Raises $30 Million (Source: Space News)
Fortastra, a startup developing maneuverable spacecraft for on-orbit security, raised $30 million. The funding also will allow Fortastra to expand its engineering and operations workforce, extend its manufacturing infrastructure and enhance the agentic and collaborative autonomy of its satellites. Fortastra seeks to establish a large constellation of highly maneuverable spacecraft to guard critical assets, evaluating surrounding activity and responding to potential threats. (10/8)

ESA Sees Reusable Heavy Lift as Feasible (Source: Space News)
An ESA study concluded it is feasible for Europe to pursue a heavy-lift reusable launch vehicle. In a presentation at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) on Wednesday, an ESA official said the agency study found that it is technically feasible for Europe to build a vehicle that would be partially or fully reusable and place at least 30 tons into low Earth orbit. The business case for such a vehicle also closes, the study found, assuming a flight rate of 24 launches a year. ESA officials have expressed interest in pursuing such a vehicle, which could be one of the topics of an ESA intermediate ministerial meeting in December. (10/8)

Colorado's York Expands to Austin (Source: Space News)
Colorado-based York Space Systems is expanding its presence in Austin, Texas. The company announced Thursday it will open a new office for software development there, joining an existing office from the company's 2023 acquisition of Emergent Space Technologies. The company's Texas workforce is expected to grow by 10% to 15% in the next year. (10/8)

GAO Sees Challenges to Modernizing Military Navigation Systems (Source: Space News)
Some U.S. military aircraft and ground vehicles may not be fully equipped with modernized navigation systems until mid-century. That conclusion came from a GAO report Wednesday on modernization of the GPS system, including new receivers that are more resilient to disruptions of space-based systems. The Army does not expect to complete fielding of its EAGLE-M secure GPS navigation system across its aviation fleet until 2049, while full deployment of the next generation of its MAPS navigation system for ground combat vehicles is projected for 2050 or later. One challenge has been a limited supply of chips for receivers that can use the more secure GPS M-code signals. (10/8)

Artemis Accords Partners Could Gain Space Academy Access (Source: Space News)
NASA is providing more incentives for countries that sign the Artemis Accords. NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson, who co-chaired a meeting of Artemis Accords countries at IAC this week, said that the proposed U.S. Space Academy could be open to students from countries who sign the accords, similar to military academies that enroll a small number of international cadets. That is in addition to offers by NASA to allow Artemis Accords countries to participate in the agency's lunar base effort. The IAC meeting included representatives of 44 of the 76 signatory countries. (10/8)

Musk Decries Indian Oligarchs Blocking Starlink Access (Source: The Statesman)
Elon Musk claimed that "certain oligarchs" are blocking SpaceX from offering Starlink in India. In a social media post, Musk claimed those individuals, whom he did not name, are keeping Starlink from offering service in India "to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people." Indian officials pushed back on the claims, with India's Ministry of Communications stating that Musk's claims are "baseless and misconceived" and that every operator must comply with laws and regulations, including security rules. The ministry said that Starlink, along with OneWeb and India's Jio Satellite Communications Ltd., are all at roughly the same stage of the licensing process. (10/7)

Virgin Galactic Performs Glide Test at Spaceport America (Source: Virgin Galactic)
Virgin Galactic performed a glide test of its old suborbital vehicle as part of training for its new one. The company said Wednesday it flew its VSS Unity vehicle on a glide flight from Spaceport America in New Mexico, dropping it from its carrier aircraft to glide back to the spaceport's runway. The flight was part of pilot training ahead of test flights for its first Delta-class suborbital spaceplane in the coming months. (10/8)

Canada Considers Expanding Astronaut Corps (Source: SpaceQ)
A Canadian government minister said the country will consider recruiting a new astronaut class in the near future. Minister of Industry Mélanie Joly, whose portfolio includes space, said in an interview that the government would consider selecting more astronauts once one of its current astronauts, Jenni Gibbons, is assigned to a spaceflight. With the retirement earlier this year of Jeremy Hansen after Artemis 2, Canada has three active astronauts, including Josh Kutryk, who launched to the ISS last week on his first flight. Joly did not give a schedule for starting an astronaut selection but said she hoped to see measurable progress on a selection process as well as a flight assignment for Gibbons in the next year. (10/8)

Hamilton Passes at 90 (Source: New York Times)
The woman who programmed the computers used on Apollo 11 has died. Margaret Hamilton died Sept. 30 at the age of 90. She worked as a computer programmer in the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory in the 1960s, developing software for the computers guiding Apollo 11. Those computers, state of the art at the time, had just 72 kilobytes of memory. A famous photo shows Hamilton standing next to a printout of the code for the Apollo computers; the stack of paper was as tall as her. Hamilton also popularized the term "software engineering" to describe the complexity of computer programming. (10/8)

World Space Week 2026 Underway with One Event in Florida (Source: Florida Today)
The annual event recently kicked off in October and will last for a few more days, with a bevy of events planned in across the United States – including in Florida – and also around the world. While the weeklong extravaganza occurs every October, this year's celebration couldn't come at a better time. Coordinated by the nonprofit World Space Week Association, the celebration features space-related STEM-themed events around the world. In 2025, for instance, 50,000 events were hosted in 102 countries, the association said.

In Florida, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is getting in on World Space Week with a special exhibit for guests. On Friday, Oct. 9, the bottom floor of the exhibit featuring the Space Shuttle Atlantis – which has a permanent home at the center – will host an expo with NASA's industry partners like Blue Origin and Lockheed Martin. Editor's Note: There actually are multiple events in Florida, including a party at Valiant Air Command in Titusville, the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa, and the Sands Space History Center at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. (10/8)

Recovered Starship Returns to Texas Port (Source: Florida Today)
After months at sea and a huge recovery effort by SpaceX, Starship Flight 13’s Ship 40 is back home. It returned to the Port of Brownsville in Texas against all odds. Starship's “lucky Flight 13” on July 24 ended with a major milestone for SpaceX, when for the first time a Starship splashed down intact in the Indian Ocean. No explosion, just some flames. Starship plopped over and bobbed in the sea.

SpaceX personnel quickly scrambled to launch a recovery effort even as the company said they didn't expect the Starship to be retrievable. The arrival comes just over a week after the Sept. 28 Flight 14 from Starbase sent a Starship into orbit for the first time. (10/7)

NASA Faces Uncertain Future as SpaceX Plans to Retire Falcon 9, Dragon (Source: Florida Today)
After years of Falcon 9 and Dragon reliably flying astronauts to orbit, SpaceX’s all-in push for Starship is raising questions about the future of a low Earth orbit economy — especially for NASA’s space station endeavors.

NASA last month awarded SpaceX a $946 million contract extension to continue flying astronaut crews to the International Space Station through 2030. But SpaceX has said that it doesn't intend to fulfil that role forever. Starship, the world's most powerful rocket, is intended to carry massive payloads and, someday, crews to the moon and beyond.

"This is potentially going to be catastrophic," said Ken Kremer, a science journalist and founder of the blog Space UpClose about the future retirement of Falcon 9 and Dragon. "I’m shocked, actually shocked they would say they’re going to hand off this business to Boeing, and they’re basically going to abandon low Earth orbit and not provide any help to NASA when Musk has said repeatedly – and Shotwell and others – that NASA saved them 20 years ago when they gave them that contract." (10/8)

What Comes After Falcon/Dragon? (Source: Florida Today)
With Falcon 9 and Dragon not guaranteed past the end of the decade, experts wonder just what the future of science and human presence in low Earth orbit would look like. Experts have mentioned Sierra Space’s Dreamchaser and a rumored Blue Origin spacecraft as possible contenders. But there's nothing concrete at this point. Blue Origin is focused on getting its New Glenn rocket flying again following a May 2026 explosion that destroyed its Cape Canaveral launch pad.

"We’ve made significant investments in human spaceflight technologies over the past couple of years," Blue Origin's David Limp. However, even with development, it remains unknown if NASA would seek another provider under the current Commercial Crew Program. Starship will eventually carry humans, but the earliest this is publicly promised is with the Starship Human Landing System (HLS) during future NASA Artemis missions.

Before that, astronauts will dock the Orion spacecraft to a modified Starship V3 in low Earth orbit during the Artemis III mission. The crew will not entered the Starship, only test docking capabilities. That mission is slated to occur before the end of 2027. SpaceX has noted that it has already well beyond what they were originally asked to do, and more are contracted. "They should keep flying," said Ken Kremer. "They should do their patriotic duty and keep flying Falcon 9 and Dragon." (10/8)

SpaceX Gearing Up to Launch Starship From Florida for 1st Time (Source: Space.com)
All 14 of the SpaceX megarocket's test flights to date have lifted off from the company's Starbase site in South Texas — including the most recent, on Sept. 28, which saw Starship reach orbit for the first time. But SpaceX is working hard to get three pads on Florida's Space Coast ready for Starship. And one of them, historic Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, is nearly there, according to the company. The pad's new Starship launch tower is nearly complete, as is most other essential construction at the site, according to Julianna Scheiman.

The work at Pad 39A began in late 2021. The fact that it's taken so long shouldn't be surprising, for Starship requires some very specialized infrastructure. After all, it's the biggest rocket ever built, standing about 408 feet (124 meters) tall. SpaceX plans to launch at least one more Starship test flight from Starbase before flying the megarocket out of KSC, Scheiman said on Oct. 1 — meaning the first Florida Starship launch could come as soon as Flight 16. (10/7)

Azercosmos Launches Platerra AI Platform to Automate Satellite Imagery Analysis (Source: SatNews)
Azerbaijan’s national satellite operator Azercosmos has launched Platerra, an AI-driven platform that automates satellite imagery processing and turns imagery into geospatial intelligence. The company says the platform is intended to support decision-making across a range of applications; the announcement did not specify customers or operational deployments. (10/7)

Gogo and Insitu Complete LEO Satcom Integration on Integrator UAS (Source: AIN)
Gogo Special Missions and Boeing subsidiary Insitu have completed integration and testing of a high-speed, low-latency satellite communications capability for the Integrator uncrewed aircraft system. The link is intended to support live video and bring Group 3 UAS operations closer to real time. (10/7)

Study suggests Earth and Mars Formed Through Different Processes (Source: Universe Today)
A new study finds that Earth and Mars may have formed through different processes. The discovery could help scientists assess whether exoplanets are habitable, linking evidence from the formation of neighboring planets to broader efforts to understand which worlds beyond our solar system might support life. (10/7)

The EU Space Act: Building a Market or Adding a Burden? (Source: Via Satellite)
The proposed EU Space Act could become one of the most important developments in Europe’s space economy. For the first time, it would establish EU-wide rules on the safety, resilience and environmental sustainability of many space activities. A common EU framework has long been sought to support competitiveness and create a more level playing field across the Union. Yet, European space law has always faced an important constraint: the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union permits the EU to establish measures necessary to achieve the objectives of European space policy but expressly excludes the harmonization of member states’ laws.

So, what has changed? Strictly speaking, the treaty has not. The European Commission has instead framed the proposed Space Act as an internal-market instrument, relying on EU competences connected with the establishment and functioning of the internal market. That choice of legal basis has consequences. The act’s architecture must be built around the provision of services. This creates a central question of scope. An operator operating its own satellite is not providing a service to a third party, unlike, e.g., an operator providing launch services. The proposal addresses that challenge by coupling the regulation of upstream activities with downstream provision of space-based data in the Union. (10/7)

Lunar Traffic Raises Risks to Historic Sites as Controlled Impacts Become an End-of-Mission Option (Source: Space.com)
As activity around the moon grows, operators are increasingly considering deliberate crashes of orbiters and rocket stages as a way to dispose of them at mission end. The approach could threaten historic lunar sites, adding preservation concerns to decisions about how missions are planned and retired. (10/7)

Musk Accuses Indian Rivals of Blocking Starlink’s Market Entry (Source: Bloomberg)
Elon Musk said unnamed “oligarchs” were preventing Starlink from entering India, in an apparent reference to billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Sunil Bharti Mittal. The remarks followed a post outlining the case for Starlink in India; the reports do not detail any formal blocking action or response from the named companies. (10/7)

Rocket Launches are Scaling Faster Than the Infrastructure Beneath Them (Source: Space News)
Western launch capacity is often measured by rocket cadence, reusability and cost, but infrastructure is increasingly setting the pace. Cape Canaveral saw 36 rocket launches in 2021, underscoring the growing demand on the ground systems that support launch operations. (10/6)

NASA Stacks Artemis III SLS Booster Segments on Mobile Launcher 1 (Source: NSF)
NASA has stacked the center segments of both Artemis III solid rocket boosters on Mobile Launcher 1, ahead of mating with the Core Stage. Artemis III is currently targeted for no earlier than June 2027. Although it won’t go to the Moon, it will carry Orion and a crew of four and test the lunar modules alongside the spacecraft. (10/6)

Airlines Weigh LEO, GEO and Multi-Orbit Options as Free In-Flight Connectivity Gains Ground (Source: Via Satellite)
As airlines embrace free in-flight connectivity, Starlink has made significant inroads over the past two to three years. Four airlines compare offerings spanning low-Earth-orbit, geostationary and multi-orbit systems, reflecting a market at an inflection point. (10/6)

The Breakthroughs and Bottlenecks of Financing Europe's Space Ambitions (Source: Via Satellite)
“Scale-up funding is increasing and becoming more concentrated,” says João Falcão Serra at the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI). “Europe’s five largest ventures raised 629 million euros ($716 million) — half of all 2025 funding — and, for the first time, all five were scale-ups. Scale-up investment rose 28 percent year-over-year.” The diversity of these investment flows is becoming more sophisticated too.

“We’re increasingly seeing major U.S. investors, or European Tier 1s, investing in space,” says Maureen Haverty at Seraphim Space. “That’s a fantastic thing — they see that these European companies can win globally and they’re able to fund much more ambitious plans.” Concerns have not been based on whether Europe has the kinds of strong ideas, robust companies, and fertile opportunities investors were looking for, but rather that the method and culture of its financial infrastructure, forged in more precedented times, may be showing its age. (10/7)

Poland's Space Sector: From Emerging Player to European Partner (Source: Via Satellite)
Before Poland joined the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2012, the country’s space sector was centered around two major public institutions: the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences (CBK PAN) and the Institute of Aviation. CBK PAN has conducted space research since 1977 and contributed to the 1978 mission of Mirosław Hermaszewski, the first Polish astronaut, while the Institute of Aviation developed expertise in rocket technologies that continues to evolve today.

Poland’s accession to ESA marked a turning point. Combined with systematic public investment in domestic space capabilities, it created an environment in which private companies, start-ups and university spin-offs could emerge and participate in international projects. ESA’s geographical return principle was particularly important for an emerging space economy, enabling Polish entities to enter European supply chains, participate in increasingly sophisticated projects and learn from more experienced partners. (10/7)

Xona Prepares Six Pulsar Satellites for Launch as it Scales Production Toward 250 (Source: Payload)
With FCC approval secured and six satellites ready for the launch pad, Xona is shifting its focus to production capacity for the next 250 Pulsar spacecraft. The effort marks a transition from preparing an initial batch for launch to scaling manufacturing for a much larger satellite program. (10/7)

From Sovereign to Responsive: How International Partnerships and Launch Site Diversification Boost Responsive Space Capabilities (Source: Via Satellite)
Today, Europe is on the move to establish a resilient ecosystem of sovereign launch capabilities on European territory and beyond, by working through partnerships. But Europe needs to plan its next move to catch up in the race: from sovereign to responsive access to space. Responsiveness and speed to serve military needs on demand, be it replacing or adding a satellite/service, whenever needed, is crucial in times of geopolitical tensions and strong dependence of military operations on space services.

Responsiveness is becoming a defining measure of sovereignty in space and will ultimately separate autonomy from dependency. While Europe has been recovering from the launcher crisis and now still has to handle limited sovereign launch capabilities to serve steadily rising military demand to be launched until 2030 (IRIS², SatCom BW4, SPOK2, and others), the U.S. and China are in a race in launch cadence and responsive space capabilities, expanding and diversifying launch sites and options. (10/7)

ArianeGroup Completes Second Themis Wet Dress Rehearsal at Sweden's Spaceport (Source: European Spaceflight)
The European Space Agency announced that ArianeGroup and SSC Space completed a second wet dress rehearsal of the Themis reusable rocket demonstrator at Esrange in Sweden. ESA announced the completion of the latest rehearsal on 7 October, saying that the test had taken place on 29 September. As with the first wet dress rehearsal, completed in July, the demonstrator was filled with liquid nitrogen rather than propellant. The nitrogen was cooled to around -200°C, allowing teams to test the vehicle and ground infrastructure under similar cryogenic temperatures and pressures without the added risk of propellant loading. (10/7)

Northrop Grumman Selects ThinKom Antenna for US Navy TACAMO Aircraft (Source: Via Satellite)
Northrop Grumman has selected a ThinKom antenna to provide satcom for the U.S. Navy’s E-130J Phoenix II aircraft, which will assume the Navy’s TACAMO mission. Northrop Grumman is developing the E-130J Phoenix II aircraft to take over the Navy’s Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) mission from the E-6B Mercury fleet. The TACAMO mission provides connectivity between the National Command Authority and U.S. nuclear forces. Northrop Grumman was selected as prime contractor for the E-130J Phoenix II in late 2024. (10/6)

Why is NASA Bringing 7,500 Contractors Back to Work as Civil Servants? (Source: Ars Technica)
As a flight director during NASA’s Apollo missions, Gerry Griffin led several lunar landings. He helped bring the crew of Apollo 13 safely back to Earth. Later, he directed Johnson Space Center in Houston. Through these experiences, Griffin learned the value of teamwork in spaceflight—during the dynamic moments that can make or break a successful launch or landing, you absolutely have to trust your colleagues in the trenches.

After he left NASA, that began to change. “Midway through the space shuttle era, I was surprised to find that a lot of the jobs in Mission Control had gone to contractors,” he said. Griffin doesn’t want to denigrate contractors. They play a critical role in extending the agency’s expertise for subsystems built for the space agency. But over time, often as a way to increase headcount at the space agency without raising the NASA civil service count, critical jobs were outsourced to contractors.

This year, in a move that has largely gone under the radar, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman sought to reverse this trend. As part of his “workforce initiative,” Isaacman is bringing 7,500 contract positions back into the agency, making them civil servants to rebuild what he calls “core competencies.” This is a massive shift in how NASA does business, and it’s not without controversy. But Griffin said he welcomes the change and believes it will be better for the agency in the long run. (10/6)

Advanced Navigation Builds U.S. PNT Manufacturing Hub in Huntsville (Source: Inside GNSS)
Advanced Navigation America, the U.S. arm of Sydney-based Advanced Navigation, is establishing a Positioning, Navigation and Timing Center of Excellence in Huntsville, Alabama, to manufacture navigation technology for GPS-denied environments on U.S. soil.  The center will research, develop and manufacture what the company describes as counter-electromagnetic warfare technologies across fiber optics, MEMS, laser sensing, photonics, vision-based systems, AI and quantum sensing. The company says the site will also accelerate U.S. mergers and acquisitions, grow its U.S. workforce and strengthen onshore capability to support classified U.S. defense programs. (10/6)

EU Deepens Collective Space Security with Mutual Defense Pact (Source: Breaking Defense)
For the first time, the 27 member states of the European Union (EU) officially have given approval for a collective response — via political, economic or even military means — to threats against any one nation’s satellites and related terrestrial infrastructure, under a recent decision by the group’s ruling Council of Ministers. The key tenet of the multifaceted Sept. 23 Council Decision 2026/2195 is a green light for joint action, according to several US and European analysts. (10/6)

October 7, 2026

FAA Moves Ahead with Reviews for Blue Origin, Relativity (Source: WESH)
The Federal Aviation Administration has advanced environmental reviews for Blue Origin's New Glenn and Relativity Space's Terran R for launches from Cape Canaveral. Blue Origin wants to increase its annual launches from 12 to 50. The FAA has adopted a supplemental environmental assessment for Relativity's Terran R but has not yet issued a vehicle operator license. (10/5)

FAA Proposes More Launch/Reentry Licensing (Source: USDOT)
The US Dept. of Transportation announced that the FAA is proposing new rules to streamline and modernize the commercial space launch and reentry regulations. The rules were developed in concert with the recently launched the USDOT Space Policy Administration, Coordination, and Execution (SPACE) Task Force. Key changes to the Part 450 commercial space licensing process include:

1) Allowing operators to submit launch applications electronically; 2) Providing greater flexibility to demonstrate an equivalent level of safety; 3) Combining three required safety analyses into a single submission; and 4) Eliminating duplicative safety analyses when a safety requirement is already addressed through other approved methods. The proposed rules would make the Part 450 licensing process more efficient, less burdensome, and more flexible for operators while maintaining the FAA’s safety standards. (10/6)

Unions Support Senate's Proposed Defense Buyback Ban (Source: WFED)
Labor unions support a Senate provision in the National Defense Authorization Act that would bar the Pentagon from contracting with firms that conduct stock buybacks, saying the industry has shifted toward investor returns at the expense of workers, citing a decline in employment and wages. The provision, which mirrors an executive order from President Donald Trump, faces opposition from industry groups such as the US Chamber of Commerce, which argues that it would discourage private sector involvement in defense contracting. (10/6)

HawkEye 360 Proves RF Detection Satellites (Source: Space News)
HawkEye 360 says it has shown its satellites, designed to detect radio-frequency sources on Earth, can also be used to detect transmissions from other satellites. The results, released after an 18-month project funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory, revealed that HawkEye 360's satellites could collect RF emissions from spacecraft in low, medium and geosynchronous Earth orbit and associate those signals with individual satellites. RF sensing can add another layer of information for space domain awareness efforts by showing whether a spacecraft is transmitting, how it communicates and whether its activity changes over time. RF monitoring could also help satellite operators troubleshoot spacecraft that stop responding or behave unexpectedly. (10/7)

ISS Crew-12 Departs on Dragon for California Splashdown (Source: NASA)
Crew-12 has departed the International Space Station. The Crew Dragon spacecraft undocked from the station for a splashdown off the California coast on Thursday morning. Crew-12 spent nearly eight months on the ISS with astronauts from NASA, ESA and Roscosmos. Their replacements arrived on the ISS last week on Crew-13. (10/7)

South Korean KSLV-2 Rocket Launches Five Satellites (Source: Yonhap)
South Korea launched a group of smallsats overnight. The KSLV-2, or Nuri, rocket lifted off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, 400 kilometers south of Seoul. The rocket, making its fifth flight, deployed five New-space Earth Observation Satellite Constellation for National Safety (NEONSAT) microsatellites into low Earth orbit along with nine cubesats, although a tenth cubesat failed to deploy. The NEONSAT spacecraft are part of a 10-satellite constellation that will provide frequent imagery of the Korean peninsula. (10/7)

SDA Funds Deorbiter Satellites (Source: Space News)
The Space Development Agency is putting money behind a field of companies developing vehicles to remove satellites from orbit at the end of their missions. Deorbit-as-a-Service, a program jointly funded by SDA and the Defense Innovation Unit, is funding Firefly Aerospace, D-Orbit Space and Katalyst Space in an initial phase worth a combined $8.4 million to develop mission designs. Preliminary design reviews are expected by the end of the year. The broader goal is to put a prototype by one of the three companies in orbit by mid-2028. Separately from the partnership with DIU, SDA awarded Starfish Space a contract with a potential value of $52.5 million to deorbit as many as seven spacecraft. (10/7)

Linse Capital Plans Early-Stage Space Fund (Source: Space News)
Linse Capital is exploring another early-stage fund to place more bets on space and other deep tech startups. The VC firm said this week it had backed 14 startups through Ignition I, comprising a $75 million core fund and $75 million in co-investment vehicles to double down on some of those businesses. The investments in that fund included Varda Space Industries. A second fund would allow the company to invest in additional early-stage companies as competition for space deals heats up. (10/7)

SpaceX Reportedly Eyes $40B Debt To Buy Nvidia Chips In Apollo-Led Deal (Source: Mach 33)
The Financial Times reported on October 6 that SpaceX is looking to raise about $40 billion to buy Nvidia chips in an Apollo-led debt package, roughly $10 billion in bank loans and $30 billion in investment-grade debt. Cheaper GPU-backed debt avoids diluting equity on a sum near 40% of SpaceX's war chest; SpaceX has not confirmed. (10/6)

SpaceX Confirms Starmind Formation Flying With ~10-Sat Clusters At ~10 Tbps (Source: Mach 33)
On October 6 SpaceX VP Michael Nicolls said Starmind needs clusters of about 10 satellites in tight formation with about 10 Tbps between them, toward up to 1 million sats. That is SpaceX’s first formation-flying talk, framed as a hybrid of larger ~250 kW satellites and close-formation 10-sat clusters, with Mach33 math at sub-750 m proximity. (10/6)

FCC Grants SpaceX 15,000-Satellite Direct-to-Device Constellation License (Source: Mach 33)
On October 6 the FCC granted-in-part SpaceX’s application for a new 15,000-satellite direct-to-device constellation at 326–335 km, with U.S. SCS/MSS on EchoStar spectrum and direct-to-cell abroad. U.S. operational authority waits until Step Two of the EchoStar deal closes; half the sats are due by October 7, 2032. (10/6)

California to Use Iceye Data for Disaster Response (Source: Space News)
California will use Iceye data to support disaster response efforts. California's Office of Emergency Services began working with Iceye synthetic aperture radar data earlier this year, and is now using it for near-real-time flood and wildfire monitoring. The data is useful, state officials said, as they prepare for a strong El Niño climate event this winter that could bring heavy rains and winds to the state. (10/7)

Nebex Signs LOI With UNOOSA for Supplier Linkages (Source: Space News)
A startup with plans to help connect space industry suppliers with space projects around the world has signed an agreement with the U.N.'s space office. Nebex signed a letter of intent with the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs to see how the company can help U.N. efforts to support emerging space programs. Nebex is a fintech startup that serves as an exchange linking government space projects around the world with suppliers. The company, which raised $30 million in a seed round this summer, says it can help suppliers, many of which are in the U.S., win business in other countries. (10/7)

Artemis 1 and 2 Helped Accelerate Artemis 3 (Source: Space News)
NASA says the experience from the first two Artemis missions is helping work on Artemis 3 go faster. NASA's Artemis program manager, Jeremy Parsons, said SLS and Orion work was going much faster for Artemis 3 than for the previous two missions. Part of that is based on experience, he said, but the organization is also making greater use of in-house expertise versus contractors for that work.

He cited a case where an internal NASA team was able to redesign a hydrogen fitting that leaked during tests ahead of Artemis 2 in a fraction of the time and cost that a vendor quoted. NASA is targeting a mid-2027 launch for Artemis 3 although agency leadership has acknowledged they are behind schedule. An ESA presentation at the conference listed a late 2027 launch date for the mission. (10/7)

Axiom Moving Forward With Simplified Artemis Space Suit (Source: Space News)
Axiom Space is moving ahead with work on a simplified version of its spacesuit for the first Artemis landings. The company said last month that NASA has asked Axiom to study a "Sortie" version of the suit for the first landings in a bid to ensure suit development does not delay those missions. The company said at a briefing during IAC this week that it is working with NASA on revised requirements for the Sortie suit, which will primarily involve reducing the number of some components. Axiom is working on its full-fledged AxEMU suit in parallel to the Sortie design, with plans to deliver a qualification suit to NASA before the end of the year and testing that suit on an International Space Station spacewalk next year. (10/7)

Colorado Springs, Huntsville Make Nice (Source: Space News)
After a bruising fight about who will host the headquarters of U.S. Space Command, Colorado Springs and Huntsville are making up. More than 90 business executives, elected officials and civic leaders from Colorado Springs traveled to Huntsville this week for meetings with local officials and defense companies, working to build partnerships between the cities and their space companies. It comes after a back-and-forth fight between the cities to host the command, eventually won by Huntsville. Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of Space Command, said the nation's needs in military space are "too big for one single city's resources alone." (10/7)

NorthStar Earth and Space 'On Track' with Space Domain Awareness Network, Despite SPAC Disappointment (Source: Space News)
NorthStar Earth and Space says development of a space domain awareness network remains on track despite a disappointing SPAC deal. The company closed a SPAC merger last week, turning the company into a publicly traded firm. However, shareholders in the SPAC redeemed 96% of $230 million it held. NorthStar was able to raise $30 million in a separate transaction, known as a PIPE, which provides the company with funding needed for its  sensors that will fly as hosted payloads on Kepler Communications satellites in 2028. (10/7)

DoD Picks Kymeta for Satellite Comms Terminal (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon is working with satellite antenna manufacturer Kymeta to add new capabilities for a communications terminal. Kymeta said Tuesday that it received a Department of Defense contract to develop an enhanced cartridge for its Osprey u8 terminal that integrates computing, software-defined radio and networking capabilities. The value of the contract was not disclosed. The effort is intended to turn the Osprey from a communications terminal into a multi-mission platform capable of processing and analyzing RF data where military forces are operating. One of the applications Kymeta is targeting is RF space domain awareness. (10/7)

From Debris Mitigation to Orbital Sustainability: The Next Stage of Space Governance (Source: Space Review)
Concerns about the growth of orbital debris have led to the development of best practices to mitigate that growth. Graham Turnock explains why those approaches alone are insufficient when considering orbital sustainability. Click here. (10/6)
 
Beyond the Spacecraft: How Space Exploration Became a Design Language (Source: Space Review)
Space has long been associated with the cutting edge, and technologies developed for engineering purposes find their way into the designs of consumer products. Syed Hasan discusses the connection based on his experience as both an engineer and designer. Click here. (10/6)
 
Military Space Museum, Quo Vadis? (Source: Space Review)
The National Museum of the United States Air Force opened a military space gallery a decade ago, raising hopes that the museum will pay more attention to space. Dwayne Day argues those hopes may be fading. Click here. (10/6)
 
US Space Dominance: Big Changes are Ahead (Source: Space Review)
Over the summer, the White House released a new space transportation policy while other agencies released other, related RFIs and documents. A group of lawyers examine those developments and their implications for the US space industry. Click here. (10/6)

NASA Eyes Bulk Rocket Buy for Moon Base Amid SpaceX Phaseout (Source: Bloomberg)
NASA is close to announcing a bulk purchase of rocket launches to fuel its $30 billion drive to build a permanent base on the moon for humans to live and work. It’s a new strategy that comes as the space industry is grappling with a shortage of rockets amid booming demand. But the agency is hoping to get ahead of this bottleneck now, by buying a variety of rockets to provide options for getting cargo to the lunar surface. “We are evaluating things like NASA doing bulk buys of launchers that could service all the moon base needs,” said Carlos García-Galán. “In the near future, we’ll probably announce the first set of these bulk buys,” he said. (10/6)

ESA to Pursue Crew Transport and Space Stations as European Launchers Come Online (Source: NSF)
The European Space Agency (ESA) recently started investigating options for a European-led space station. The announcement follows “A Call to Boost European Space Exploration,” which ESA’s member states recently endorsed. The Call asks ESA to strengthen its position in human and robotic exploration of low-Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars through developing competitive capabilities, including crew transport.

Meanwhile, Europe’s next generation of launch vehicles has started coming online under ESA’s European Launcher Challenge (ELC). The program booked its first success with Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum reaching orbit on its second flight on Sept. 5. The new rockets complement Europe’s current launch vehicles, Ariane 6 and Vega C, which are ramping up flight cadence to meet an expected peak in demand around 2030. (10/3)

Second HyImpulse Suborbital SR75 Flight Slips to 2027 (Source: European Spaceflight)
German launch startup HyImpulse has pushed the second flight of its SR75 suborbital rocket into spring 2027. On 1 October, HyImpulse announced that it had secured a launch operator license from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to operate its SR75 rocket from SaxaVord in Scotland. With the announcement, the company said the rocket’s first flight from the UK is now planned for spring 2027. Just a month earlier, on 2 September, the company had said the flight would occur at the “end of 2026.”

HyImpulse said the new target was based on its assessment of the remaining activities required under the license framework and the seasonal weather conditions at SaxaVord, rather than on the vehicle’s readiness. (10/5)

One Size Does Not Fit All: Where Does LEO PNT Fit in the Future PNT Ecosystem? (Source: Inside GNSS)
The unprecedented surge of satellites in LEO has created opportunities that simply did not exist before. The central question is no longer whether LEO PNT works. Demonstrations are multiplying. Satellites are launching. Governments, investors, researchers, and industry are all paying attention. The harder question has become: What must happen before users trust LEO PNT?

When that challenge is overcome, we are left with what may be the most consequential question yet: Where does LEO PNT fit in the future PNT ecosystem? Is LEO ultimately a successor to GNSS? Will it complement GNSS? Will it provide a resilience layer? Or will it be part of something bigger: a component of a broader system-of-systems architecture that also includes terrestrial PNT, corrections services, communications networks, inertial sensors, and autonomy stacks?

Technology alone will not determine the answer. Receiver architectures, standards, spectrum allocations, software-defined upgrades, direct-to-device capabilities, service-level commitments, business models, and long-term commercial viability may shape the future of LEO PNT as much as satellites and signals. (9/28)

October 6, 2026

Open Cosmos May Downsize Constellation Plan (Source: Space News)
Satellite operator Open Cosmos says it can provide services with a 192-satellite constellation, a fraction of the size of its original system. An initial 192 small satellites will form the core of its LEO network, the company said Monday. That figure is well below the 576 LEO satellites covered by spectrum filings Open Cosmos gained after they were rescinded from Germany's Rivada Space Networks, but the company says that 192 is sufficient to serve demand it sees from government customers for resilient connectivity. Open Cosmos added that launch constraints have kept it from launching more satellites. The company, which has built 50 satellites that are awaiting launch, is hoping for an extension from the ITU for its deployment deadlines in November. (10/6)

York Satellites to Inspect GEO Objects (Source: Space News)
Two satellites built by York Space Systems will be used for inspecting objects in GEO. The Tetra 3 and 4 satellites will support space domain awareness, including resident-space-object sensing and rendezvous and proximity operations, the company announced Monday. The two spacecraft will carry a suite of sensors, including a long-wave infrared camera, a lidar sensor capable of ranging objects at distances of 20 kilometers and a GPS receiver designed for GEO operations. The Space Force described Tetra 3 and 4 in a 2021 white paper as a "two-for-one" purchase from York to test new technologies and give military operators an on-orbit platform for developing tactics and training. York said Tetra 3 and 4 are its first national security missions in GEO as a prime contractor. (10/6)

FAA Moving with Caution to Ease Launcher Bottleneck (Source: Space News)
As evidence grows of a launch bottleneck, government officials are cautious about taking action out of concerns it could make the problem worse. Data from the FAA show the agency licensed 187 launches in fiscal year 2026, which ended last week, down from the 196 licensed launches in 2025. That is the first time since fiscal year 2019 that the number of licensed launches declined year over year. The FAA had previously forecast between 209 and 214 operations, which include launches and reentries, in 2026; there were 194 operations overall. At a recent spaceport forum, officials said they were aware of the problems companies were facing trying to find launches but said that if the government stepped in to support legacy launch vehicles, it could undercut investment in new vehicles projected to enter service in the coming years. (10/6)

Satellite Redesign Could Ease Launch Capacity Crunch (Source: Space News)
Companies are addressing the launch capacity crunch by redesigning their satellites. Meridian Space, a company working on a broadband constellation, has designed satellites that can be launched up to 250 at a time on a Falcon 9, thanks to a new antenna design. The company is testing the antenna on a satellite launched on a rideshare mission last week. Other satellite developers, though, say that more launch capacity is still needed to meet growing demand. (10/6)

Viasat prepares to demo commercial alternative to NASA’s TDRS (Source: Aerospace America)
California satellite operator Viasat is readying for the launch of a communications satellite that aims to demonstrate commercial spacecraft can take over the duties of NASA’s aging Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) network. The Maxwell satellite, built and operated by Rocket Lab, is set for a journey into orbit on the upcoming SpaceX Bandwagon-5 launch from Florida.

The demonstration is part of NASA’s ongoing Communications Service Project (CSP) to eventually replace TDRS, the first of which began operations in 1983. NASA in late 2024 stopped using TDRS for new missions, but noted “current TDRS users, like the International Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope, and many other Earth- and universe-observing missions, will still rely on TDRS until the mid-2030s.” (10/5)

DISH DBS Exits Bankruptcy (Source: Space News)
The EchoStar subsidiary behind U.S. satellite broadcaster Dish TV and online streaming service Sling TV has emerged from bankruptcy protection. DISH DBS exited Chapter 11 with around $4.35 billion less debt, EchoStar said in a brief regulatory disclosure Friday, three months after filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. DISH DBS had a prepackaged restructuring plan to help it quickly emerge from Chapter 11. EchoStar's Hughes geostationary broadband business separately filed for bankruptcy in August, following mounting competition from SpaceX's Starlink network in LEO, but entered proceedings without a prepackaged deal with creditors. (10/6)

Resource Competition Intensifies with Surge in Megaconstellations (Source: Space News)
The surge of interest in large satellite constellations is putting pressure on the satellite manufacturing supply chain. Companies are facing shortages of specialized components and materials, suppliers struggling to keep up, and competition from the booming artificial intelligence industry. Competition for scarce resources and supplies amid surging demand is forcing tradeoffs in industry that threaten to delay launches and may push companies out of the market or trigger greater consolidation. A report earlier this year by the Aerospace Industries Association and PricewaterhouseCoopers isolated nine critical components contributing to supply chain bottlenecks due to an inability to keep up with demand, ranging from valves and actuators to switchgears and transformers. (10/6)

DoD Interest in Space-Based Solar Intensifies (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon is showing renewed interest in space-based solar power. One startup in the field, Overview Energy, received a contract last week of undisclosed size from the Pentagon's Operational Energy Capability Improvement Fund to finance the design, construction and testing of a ground beacon that would help its satellites locate and authenticate receiving sites before transmitting power. The contract follows an Air Force study announced in May to assess how Overview's system could supply large military installations. Military customers may be willing to pay a premium for dependable electricity in places where conventional supplies are costly or vulnerable, providing an initial source of revenue for companies proposing to beam power from space to the ground. (10/6)

Voyager to Develop Smallsat Deployers for Space Force (Source: Space News)
Voyager Technologies won a Pentagon contract to develop smallsat deployers. The $22.4 million contract announced Monday will go toward work on flight-ready satellite deployment systems aimed at helping the U.S. Space Force make better use of unused capacity aboard national security launches. Under the agreement, Voyager will develop prototype small-satellite dispensers that would allow additional spacecraft to ride aboard launches that have available payload capacity after accounting for the primary mission. Voyager did not disclose when the system could fly or identify the launch vehicles or satellite programs that might use it. (10/6)

NASA Insourcing Triggers Amentum Layoffs at Kennedy Space Center (Source: Florida Today)
The prime contractor for Artemis ground systems at the Kennedy Space Center is laying off staff after NASA took some work in-house. Amentum said in a filing that it will lay off 70 people working at the center at the end of November. The company said the layoffs were prompted by a NASA decision to perform work itself that it previously assigned to contractors. Since Jared Isaacman took over as administrator at the end of last year, the agency has worked to reduce its reliance on contractors, including hiring as civil servants many people who had been contractors. (10/6)

Space Force Considers "Mission Development Zone" at California Spaceport (Source: Air & Space Forces)
The Space Force is considering building support facilities and potentially even factories at Vandenberg Space Force Base. The service issued a notice last month seeking feedback on a concept for a "Mission Development Zone" at Vandenberg. The zone would include facilities needed to support a growth in launch activity at the base, from offices to payload processing facilities. That could also include launch vehicle factories and plants for producing commodities. Vandenberg envisions leasing land in the zone to companies who would build facilities. (10/6)

Halzen Wins Physics Nobel for Cosmic Particles (Source: Scientific American)
A scientist who studied high-energy cosmic particles has won the Nobel Prize in Physics. The 2026 prize, announced Tuesday, went to Francis Halzen, a professor at the University of Wisconsin who is principal investigator for the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica. The observatory is designed to detect neutrinos, which rarely interact with other matter, by detecting the flashes of light in ice deep below the surface when a neutrino does collide with an atom. IceCube has successfully detected high-energy neutrinos from beyond the solar system, helping open up the field of multimessenger astronomy that combined traditional electromagnetic observations with neutrinos and gravitational waves. (10/6)

Environmental Group Urges FCC to Reject Blue Origin's 51,600-Satellite "Project Sunrise" (Source: Center for Space Environmentalism)
The Center for Space Environmentalism, which describes itself as an international collective focused on stewardship of the orbital environment, has formally opposed Blue Origin's FCC application to launch and operate up to 51,600 satellites for an orbital data center system called "Project Sunrise." CSE asked the Commission to apply the Precautionary Principle and reject the application until a rigorous environmental review is done. NASA has separately raised safety and sustainability concerns, as the planned 500–1,800 km altitudes overlap human spaceflight paths and science assets, and that the application lacks an orbital debris mitigation plan.

CSE rejects Blue Origin's claim that putting compute in orbit is "sustainable." It argues that this approach moves the environmental burden of data processing into the upper atmosphere, because the launch cadence would inject alumina and black carbon that can deplete ozone and contribute to climate forcing. The group also objects to the deorbit plan. Even at Blue Origin's stated 90% end-of-mission disposal success rate, as many as 5,160 dead satellites could be left stranded in orbit. CSE also challenges Blue Origin's requested waivers of processing-round rules and of milestone and surety-bond requirements.

CSE wants the FCC to require a full Environmental Impact Statement instead of relying on categorical exclusions, to deny all the waivers, and to update its NEPA procedures in line with GAO recommendations. The group also urged the FCC to weigh the aggregate effect of all pending orbital data center applications, which together total about 1.088 million satellites. (10/5)

PSI-led Team to Explore Potential Lunar Cave (Source: Douglas Messier)
NASA has selected a Planetary Science Institute-led proposal to investigate whether a potentially large underground cave extends beyond the opening of a lunar pit. Such a cave may one day provide a safe haven for astronauts to escape the radiation and extreme temperature swings present at the lunar surface. The project will be funded through NASA’s Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) program, which sends scientific instruments to the Moon on spacecraft provided by the Commercial Lunar Payloads Services (CLPS) initiative providers. (10/4)

Megaconstellation Plans Escalate, From Thousands of Satellites to a Proposed Million (Source: Space News)
Amazon wants more than 5,000 satellites in orbit, while Blue Origin has proposed another 5,400. Chinese companies have filed plans for vastly larger numbers, and Elon Musk has discussed a constellation of 1 million, intensifying competition for the resources needed to deploy megaconstellations. (10/5)

Open Cosmos Targets 192-Satellite ConnectedCosmos Network, with 96 Planned by 2028 (Source: Space Intel Report)
Open Cosmos says it has completed more than 50 satellites for ConnectedCosmos, its planned low-Earth-orbit data-transfer network. The UK company aims to deploy more than 96 by the end of 2028 and build to 192 satellites for global coverage by 2030, despite launch-access challenges and earlier regulatory deployment deadlines. (10/5)

SpaceX Proposes Florida Gas Pipeline to Supply Starship Launches From Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Reuters)
SpaceX is seeking approval to build a natural gas pipeline in Florida to supply fuel for its rocket ​launched from Cape Canaveral, according to a state regulatory ‌filing from September. A SpaceX subsidiary, Coastal Connect Services (CCS), has requested the Florida Public Service Commission to approve a tariff for a new 32.4-mile, 16-inch natural ​gas transmission pipeline in Brevard County, where Cape Canaveral is ​located.

CCS has proposed to build and operate pipeline facilities that would bring natural gas from the existing Florida Gas Transmission (FGT) interstate ​pipeline directly to its customers, according to the filing. In the ​petition, the company said the pipeline is crucial for safe, timely and efficient ‌natural ⁠gas delivery, as current truck-based supply and existing local pipelines cannot meet SpaceX's growing needs at the spaceport. The proposed pipeline would be similar to an 8-mile pipeline SpaceX has also requested for its Boca ​Chica launch site ​in South Texas. (10/5)

Kratos Wins More Than $100 Million in Space Intelligence and Cyber Contracts (Source: Via Satellite)
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has secured multiple contracts worth more than $100 million combined to provide space intelligence data and cyber capabilities. The work will use its KnownSpace Network, an infrastructure of radio-frequency collection assets. (10/5)

FAA Will Accept More Risk to Aircraft From Space Debris Under New Policy (Source: The Air Current)
In a little-noticed June 8 memo from its Executive Safety Council, the FAA has dropped the rolling cap that limited how many aircraft could fly each year through the outer contours of launch and reentry hazard areas. In those zones, debris risk is higher than the Air Traffic Organization's long-standing one-in-a-billion standard. The old cap of 6,412 aircraft per 12 months, adopted in 2017 when the FAA licensed only a few dozen launches a year, was meant to keep 95% confidence of no fatal debris strike over 80 years.

Usage had reached only about 30% of the cap, but the FAA projected the limit would be hit at around 640 operations per year. That ceiling is well below the White House's goal of 1,000+ launches and reentries by 2030 and Elon Musk's stated aim of 10,000 Starship flights a year. Under the new policy, which will be phased in over 12 months, the agency will accept debris risk up to one in a million, the threshold in its Part 450 commercial space rules. It will keep the innermost hazard areas closed and continue tracking how many aircraft fly through the outer contours.

The pilots' union ALPA objected that the FAA lowered the standard without consulting airlines. ALPA noted that newer tools are already shrinking airspace closures without accepting more risk, including the Range Risk Analysis Tool introduced after Starship 7's January 2025 breakup scattered debris across the Caribbean and pushed three airliners into fuel emergencies. ALPA's safety chair warned that integrating airspace "by reducing safety standards will only result in accidents." (10/5)

York to Integrate Space Force Tetra 3 and 4 Missions on GEO Spacecraft (Source: Via Satellite)
York Space Systems will integrate a government space domain awareness (SDA) into a spacecraft headed to Geostationary Orbit (GEO), marking the first time the company has integrated a satellite for GEO. York announced it had cleared the delta critical design review (dCDR) for the U.S. Space Force Tetra 3 and Tetra 4 missions as the prime contractor. York will now proceed to build the spacecraft and expects delivery in the fourth quarter of this year. (10/5)