February 25, 2026

Artemis 2 Crew Attends State of the Union Address (Source: Axios)
The Artemis 2 astronauts attended Tuesday's State of the Union address. The astronauts were guests of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who invited them to highlight the role his state plays in building the Space Launch System rocket at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The invitation was presumably made at the last minute, as the astronauts were supposed to be in a pre-flight quarantine for the Artemis 2 launch this week before NASA delayed the launch to fix a problem with the SLS upper stage. (2/25)

A Banner Year for US Military Space Funding (Source: Space News)
The Space Force has nearly $42 billion in funding this year, although future funding is uncertain. An analysis released by the National Security Space Association on Tuesday estimated that the Pentagon is spending $57.7 billion on space in fiscal year 2026, including the Space Force, Missile Defense Agency and space efforts in other services. That funding comes from the regular appropriations bill and last summer's budget reconciliation act, including money set aside for the Golden Dome missile defense initiative. A key question is whether the 2026 surge represents a new baseline or a peak. If the additional funding from budget reconciliation is not renewed, the Space Force's budget could revert to $26 billion, placing constraints on some programs. (2/24)

Iridium Launches Next Generation IoT Platform (Source: Iridium)
Iridium Communications unveiled the Iridium 9604, a compact, three-in-one IoT module that integrates Iridium Short Burst Data satellite service, LTE-M cellular connectivity, and GNSS positioning into a single platform. By combining these features in one device, the Iridium 9604 reduces solution complexity, lowers costs, and accelerates time to market, making dual-mode IoT connectivity viable for price-sensitive, high-volume deployments. (2/24)

Lockheed Martin Presses Case That GPS Upgrade Will Counter Jamming Threats (Source: Space News)
Lockheed Martin is stepping up its argument that the U.S. military’s GPS constellation is becoming more resilient, even as military leaders warn publicly about rising jamming and spoofing threats and lawmakers debate alternatives to satellite-based positioning, navigation and timing. (2/24)

Microsoft and SpaceX’s Starlink Partner on Global Community Internet Effort (Source: CNBC)
Microsoft on Tuesday announced a collaboration with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service to expand connectivity across the world. It’s a sign of the software company’s willingness to collaborate with Tesla  CEO Elon Musk’s family of businesses, as the world’s richest person takes Microsoft partner OpenAI to court. (2/24)

Applied Aerospace Acquires Vestigo Aerospace for Deorbit Drag Sails (Source: Via Satellite)
Applied Aerospace & Defense has acquired Vestigo Aerospace, which is known for its line of drag sails used to deorbit satellites. The company’s Spinnaker line of drag sails are designed to deorbit cubesats, small satellites, orbital transfer vehicles, and launch vehicle upper stages. The drag sails are thin deployable structures that work by increasing aerodynamic drag and accelerating orbital decay. (2/24)