February 15, 2026

SpaceX's Starlink Gets Nod for Satellite Internet in Vietnam (Source: Reuters)
Vietnam's government has allowed SpaceX to launch its Starlink satellite internet service in the country, state media reported on Saturday. The report said the Ministry of Science and Technology granted Starlink's local unit a license to provide both fixed and mobile satellite internet services. The company was also granted a license to use radio frequencies and radio equipment. The ministry did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation outside business hours. (2/14)

U.S. Smuggled Thousands of Starlink Terminals Into Iran After Protest Crackdown (Source: Wall Street Journal)
The Trump administration covertly sent thousands of Starlink terminals into Iran after the regime’s brutal crackdown on demonstrations last month, U.S. officials said, an effort to keep dissidents online following Tehran’s stifling of internet access. After Iranian authorities smothered mounting unrest in January by killing thousands of protesters and severely cutting internet connectivity, the U.S. smuggled roughly 6,000 of the satellite-internet kits into the country, the first time the U.S. has directly sent Starlink into Iran. (2/12)

NASA Launches Twin Rocket Missions From Alaska to Study Mysterious Black Auroras (Source: Space.com)
NASA launched two rockets from Alaska this week to learn more about the electrical "circuitry" within auroras, the colorful light shows that occur when solar wind collides with Earth's atmosphere. The missions saw two suborbital sounding rockets launch from the Poker Flat Research Range near Fairbanks, Alaska loaded with scientific equipment that will fly into the atmosphere for a short period of time to gather data. The destination for the rockets in both missions was the northern lights, or aurora borealis. (2/15)

Meet the 10 Startups Set to Pitch Their Companies in Startup Space 2026 (Source: Via Satellite)
The annual Startup Space entrepreneur pitch contest showcases emerging space and satellite technology to an audience of investors during SATShow Week. Competitors’ technologies and innovations have pushed the boundaries of the field. Last year, Phemotron Systems won the competition, and previous winners include TrustPoint and Vyoma. Now, in the contest’s 10th iteration, carefully selected finalists from four continents will vie for a grand prize that includes guaranteed investor meetings and business development assistance. Click here. (2/13)

SpaceX Launches 600th Falcon 9 Mission, Deploying Starlink Satellites From California (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX continues its busy weekend with the launch of its 600th Falcon 9 rocket to date. The milestone mission comes hours after its Dragon spacecraft arrived at the ISS as part of its 20th human spaceflight mission. The Starlink 17-13 mission launched Saturday evening from Vandenberg Space Force Base. (2/15)

Space Forge is Sending a Factory Into Space to Make Materials for Semiconductors (Source: CNN)
A British company is developing a space-based “factory” to produce materials for quantum computers, AI data centers and defense infrastructure. Space Forge, located in Wales, has reached a key milestone on its way to creating ultra-high-quality crystal “seeds” in space for the manufacture of semiconductors back on Earth, where they could be used in communications infrastructure, computing, and transport. In June 2025, it launched a microwave-sized factory satellite called ForgeStar-1 into orbit on a SpaceX rocket, and was able to generate plasma — gas heated to 1,000 degrees Celsius — which would allow the production of advanced crystals in the future. (2/13)