March 18, 2026

GSA Kicks Off Spaceport Heritage Series (Source: SPACErePORT)
The Global Spaceport Alliance (GSA) is turning a spotlight to the lesser known histories of spaceport developments worldwide. The Spaceport Heritage Series, sponsored by Merrick & Co., a Denver-based aerospace architecture and engineering firm, kicked off in March with an article on the odd history of the site used by Robert Goddard to launch world's the first liquid-fueled rockets. Look to the GSA website here for bi-monthly Spaceport Heritage articles. Editor's Note: I'll be a regular contributor to this series. (3/18)

HyperSigma.AI Aims to Accelerate FAA Part 450 Licensing (Source: GSA)
HyperSigma.AI announced on March 12 that it has joined the Global Spaceport Alliance (GSA). This membership marks a strategic commitment to providing the digital infrastructure required to scale the High-Speed Aerospace Transportation (HSAT) industry. HyperSigma.AI was born out of a critical 2025 HSAT action item following extensive consultation with operators and regulators. "Our mission is to streamline complex regulatory processes with a secure, intelligent operating system."

The founding team identified a universal bottleneck: the administrative friction and technical complexity of the FAA Part 450 license application process. Officially launched in January 2026, HyperSigma.AI provides an AI-powered operating system specifically designed to accelerate FAA launch and reentry licensing—transforming manual submissions and compliance reviews into a streamlined, digital workflow. (3/13)

New Space Force Acquisition Portfolios Include Space Control, Orbital Warfare (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Space Force now has put into place all of its mission-focused acquisition portfolios, including offices dedicated to space control and orbital warfare, according to the top space acquisition officer. Tom Ainsworth, who is performing the duties of the Air Force assistant secretary for Space Acquisition and Integration, told the annual McAleese Defense Programs Conference today that while the department is “still working through the detail of which programs specifically go into each one,” the final seven portfolio acquisition executive (PAE) offices now are being put in place. (3/18)

Golden Dome’s Projected Cost Just Jumped $10 Billion. Experts Fear that’s Just for Starters (Source: Defense One)
Golden Dome’s official projected price tag just jumped $10 billion to $185 billion. Experts say the real cost is likely to be far, far more. Gen. Michael Guetlein, the Space Force officer in charge of the sprawling missile defense project, said Tuesday that it was no longer expected to cost $175 billion, the number given by President Trump when he announced the project last May. (3/18)

NASA Grappling with Planetary Science Funding Shortfall (Source: Space News)
NASA’s planetary science program, while spared steep cuts proposed last year, is still facing a funding shortfall that requires “strategic choices” about which missions to continue. Speaking at a town hall during the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference on March 16, Louise Prockter, director of NASA’s planetary science division, said funding for fiscal year 2026 is about $200 million below what her division received in 2025. (3/18)

Sirius Space Services Acquires AMM-42 as It Prepares for Inaugural Flight (Source: European Spaceflight)
French launch startup Sirius Space Services has acquired the high-precision metal-component manufacturer AMM-42. The acquisition is part of the company’s vertical integration efforts to bring key manufacturing capabilities in-house. (3/18)

Space Industry Growth is Straining Supply Chains (Source: Space News)
The growth of the space industry is putting new strains on its supply chain. A report released Tuesday by the Aerospace Industries Association and PricewaterhouseCoopers found that the network of suppliers for space companies, built for smaller volumes and slower production cycles, is struggling to keep up with growth. The result is a growing number of bottlenecks across critical parts of the supply chain. Among the most constrained areas are specialized components such as space-grade microelectronics, radiation-hardened chips, sensors and propulsion systems. The report recommended government and industry provide better long-term forecasts for suppliers as well as expanding the supplier base. (3/18)

Missile Strikes Damage Iran's Space Program (Source: Jerusalem Post)
Israeli missile strikes in Iran have damaged that country's space program. An attack Friday hit the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps's Aerospace Division, while another Monday hit a facility Israeli officials said had been developing anti-satellite technologies. The attacks appear to have dealt a serious setback to Iran's capabilities to build and launch satellites. (3/18)

ESA to Incentivize the Use of European Launchers for LEO Cargo Return Initiative (Source: European Spaceflight)
The European Space Agency (ESA) plans to provide a financial incentive to companies awarded Phase 2 contracts under its LEO Cargo Return Services initiative to use European launch services for their demonstration missions. Initially announced in May 2023, the LEO Cargo Return Service initiative aims to foster the development of a sovereign European space cargo transport service. In May 2024, the agency awarded Phase 1 contracts to The Exploration Company and Thales Alenia Space. This phase is focused on the maturation of the individual proposals and is expected to run until June 2026. (3/18)

Kongsberg NanoAvionics Books Solar Array Order From Korea’s Flexell Space for Hanwha Systems Constellation (Source: Space Intel Report)
Satellite platform builder Kongsberg NanoAvionics of Lithuania has signed a multimillion-dollar/euro contract to build solar arrays for  Korea’s Flexell Space, a specialist in solar cells, to be used for an unnamed Korean sovereign low-orbit satellite constellation for national security uses under construction by Hanwha Systems. The contract sounds like it’s for Korea’s K-LEO constellation, but the chief executives of NanoAvionics and Flexell declined to identify it. (3/18)

China Signals New Target for 2027 Asteroid Deflection Test (Source: Space News)
China's first planetary defense kinetic test mission is scheduled to launch in 2027 targeting the near-Earth asteroid 2015 XF261. This mission involves a dual-spacecraft approach where one probe will conduct close-range observations of the asteroid before a second spacecraft performs a high-speed kinetic impact to test deflection capabilities. The target, 2015 XF261, is a small Aten-class asteroid approximately 30 meters in diameter. (3/18)

Infinite Orbits Acquires Lunasa (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Infinite Orbits, the in-orbit servicing company announces the acquisition of Lunasa Space, which becomes Infinite Orbits UK – strengthening the company’s LEO capabilities, UK market access, and rendezvous and proximity operations expertise. Infinite Orbits designs, builds, owns, and operates “servicers” – satellites whose sole purpose is to extend the life of other satellites, conduct surveillance, and eventually refuel assets in orbit. (3/17)

Europe’s Rocket Race Approaches the Finish Line (Sources: Bloomberg, Spacewatch Global, ESA)
A spaceport in Norway will host a German startup's orbital launch attempt this week. Rocket Factory Augsburg has delivered the first and second stages of its RFA ONE launch vehicle to the SaxaVord Spaceport in Scotland, reaching an important milestone in preparation for the vehicle's first test flight, which is tentatively in summer 2026. Meanwhile at the Andoya spaceport, Isar Aerospace is targeting no earlier than 23 March for their Spectrum rocket launch. (3/18)

Government Registers Aliens.Gov Domain (Source: 404 Media)
The Executive Office of the President registered the domain aliens.gov on Wednesday a little after 6:30 AM according to a bot that monitors federal domains. There’s no associated website just yet, but the registration comes a month after Trump said he would direct the government to release files related to aliens and UFOs to the public. (3/18)

ISPTech Raises €5.5M Seed Round to Redefine How Spacecraft Maneuver in Orbit (Source: Space News)
ISPTech, a German space technology company developing propulsion systems for agile in-orbit maneuvering, announced it has raised €5.5 million in seed funding to deploy its advanced, non-toxic propulsion solutions for operational space missions. (3/17)

The Global Space Economy is on Track to Hit $1 Trillion by 2033 (Source: Modern Integrated Warfare)
The global space economy is entering a transformative era thanks in large part to expanding defense budgets and accelerating direct-to-device (D2D) capabilities. According to Novaspace, the space industry is projected to reach nearly $1 trillion by 2033 from its current value of around $600 billion, with downstream solutions and sovereign space investments fueling much of this growth. But behind the headlines of consolidation, mega-mergers, and the rise of new entrants, the true drivers of long-term value will be scale, trust, resilience, and the ability to deliver proven outcomes. (3/17)

Redwire and Los Alamos National Laboratory Successfully Complete Demonstration of Deployable Heat Shield (Source: Redwire)
In November 2025, Redwire and Los Alamos National Laboratory, with assistance from NASA Ames Research Center, successfully completed the demonstration of a new deployable aeroshell. Deployable heat shields are crucial for protecting spacecraft from the extreme heat encountered at high speeds. Redwire provided the deployment mechanism and structural aeroshell for the demonstration, while Los Alamos was responsible for the payload and integration. Integration of the aeroshell structure was completed at Redwire‘s newly opened Firestone Rapid Capabilities Facility, located in Albuquerque, NM. (3/6)

ESA-Enabled Helical Antenna Innovations Boost Space-Based Connectivity (Source: ESA)
Recent in‑orbit demonstrations supported by ESA‑developed technologies represent a significant advancement in deployable antenna systems for small satellites. Oxford Space Systems’ (OSS) successful deployment of a large Very High Frequency (VHF) isoflux helical antenna further underscores Europe’s growing leadership in compact, lightweight, and high‑performance antenna solutions. The in‑space deployment of OSS’s antenna on the IOD 2 mission marks a major milestone. Supporting the Startical ECHOES project, the nearly 4‑metre deployable antenna – designed to operate between 117 MHz and 138 MHz – plays a crucial role in enabling space‑based air traffic management (ATM). (3/16)

Can Potatoes Grow on the Moon? (Source: Science)
Researchers have shown that potatoes can indeed grow in the equivalent of Moon dust, though they need a lot of help from compost found on Earth. As NASA researchers plot out sustained Moon bases, they are considering crops such as the potato, which is nutrient- and calorie-dense and adaptable to different environments. The work provides “in-depth analysis to start to answer the questions that need to be answered” to ensure the success of these long-term missions, says Jared Long-Fox, a lunar scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory who was not involved with the work. (3/16)

SpaceX Launches Tuesday Starlink Mission at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX kicked off the St. Patrick’s Day holiday on Tuesday with a Falcon 9 rocket launch, flying from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. The Starlink 10-46 mission added another 29 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites to the low Earth orbit megaconstellation. Liftoff was from Launch Complex 40. (3/17)

China Launches Highly Retrograde Yaogan Satellite (Sources: CGTN, Space News)
China on Sunday sent the Yaogan-50 02 remote sensing satellite into space. The satellite was sent into a highly retrograde orbit aboard a modified version of the Long March-6 rocket at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. The launch was the 633rd flight mission undertaken by the Long March rocket series. (3/16)

Office of Space Commerce Weighing Options for TraCSS User Fees (Source: Space News)
The Trump administration has not yet decided whether to charge for space safety data, despite a December 2025 policy change removing the "free of direct user fees" clause for Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS) data. While the update allows for potential charges, officials stated no decision has been made. During a March 2026 panel, administration officials confirmed that the policy change does not automatically mean fees will be implemented. The Office of Space Commerce is still exploring options for TraCSS, which is designed to manage space traffic as satellites increase. (3/17)

Telesat Pivots Lightspeed Toward Defense as Delays Push Global Service to 2028 (Source: Space News)
Telesat plans to carve out 25% of its Lightspeed broadband constellation for military Ka-band as the program’s latest delay pushes global service into early 2028, creating more room to align the design with shifting geopolitical priorities. The Canadian operator announced plans March 17 to add 500 megahertz of Mil-Ka to Lightspeed’s initial 156 satellites, replacing the same amount of commercial Ka-band frequencies on the network’s user link. Goldberg said substantially increasing the global supply of Mil-Ka band would enable Lightspeed to outperform legacy geostationary systems that rely on protected Ka-band spectrum. (3/17)