March 23, 2026

Space Force C2 Upgrade Faces Issues, Delays (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The US Space Force continues to face challenges in decommissioning its SPADOC command-and-control system, despite the introduction of the Advanced Tracking and Launch Analysis System last year. A report from the Pentagon's Director of Operational Test and Evaluation reveals that ATLAS does not yet meet the minimum requirements for SPADOC decommissioning, highlighting system immaturity and deficiencies. The Space Force is working with Space Systems Command to address these issues and aims to decommission SPADOC by year's end as part of the broader Space C2 modernization effort. (3/21)

Parsons Unveils New Satellite Antenna Aimed at Military Market (Source: Space News)
Parsons Corporation is rolling out a new satellite ground antenna, targeting a market opening left by the Space Force's recent cancellation of a planned antenna procurement. Developed in collaboration with Raven Defense, the SPARTAN antenna — short for S-Band Phased Array Receive and Transmit Antenna Node — combines a six-meter parabolic dish with an electronically steered phased-array feed. (3/23)

Sovereign Demand and Institutional Capital Reshape Space Economy (Source: Space News)
Large infrastructure funds are "carefully looking" into entering the space sector, Seraphim Space CEO Mark Boggett said March 23, giving early-stage investors more confidence to back ambitious startups that may later need billions of dollars to scale. (3/23)

Arianespace to Launch Katalyst Servicing Spacecraft (Source: Space News)
Arianespace announced March 23 that it won a contract to launch Katalyst's Nexus-1 servicing spacecraft on an Ariane 6 in the second half of 2027. The companies did not disclose terms of the contract, including whether the launch would be shared with other customers. (3/23)

NASA Cuts Short Second Flight of X-59 Experimental Plane (Source: Aerospace America)
NASA is investigating the root cause of a warning light that popped up minutes into the second flight of its X-59 research plane, prompting the pilot to make an early landing. After taking off from NASA’s Armstrong Research Center in California, the demonstrator was to fly subsonically for roughly an hour over the Mojave Desert to check out aircraft handling and systems, prior to its first supersonic flight later this year. Pilot Jim “Clue” Less was to take the needle-nosed jet up to about 415 kilometers per hour and 20,000 feet. (3/23)

NASA’s Artemis II Moon Mission Will Put These Technologies to the Test (Source: Aerospace America)
For its first crewed spaceflight beyond low-Earth orbit since 1972, NASA plans to evaluate a range of technologies and techniques critical to the Artemis IV landing and other future lunar expeditions. “This is an exciting time to fly humans around the moon for the first time in over 50 years, send them further than any humans since Apollo 13, and continue paving the road of human exploration to the moon and beyond,” NASA’s Norm Knight, director of the Flight Operations Directorate, said during a March 12 press conference following the flight readiness review for Artemis II. (3/23)

Russian Space Craft Antenna Problem Forces Manual Docking with ISS (Source: Yahoo News UK)
An unmanned Russian cargo spacecraft has a problem with an ‌antenna so it will have to ‌be manually docked when it reaches the ISS, Russia's Roscosmos state space corporation said in a statement. A Soyuz-2.1a rocket launched the Progress MS-33 cargo spacecraft on Sunday from Baikonur in Kazakhstan but ‌a problem with ⁠one of the KURS automated rendezvous antennas was identified, Roscosmos said. (3/23)

Methalox Explosive Testing Could Reshape Launch Pad Accessibility (Source: Ars Technica)
About 15 years ago, rocket companies started serious development of large methane-fueled engines. SpaceX and Blue Origin now build the most powerful of these new engines—the Raptor and BE-4—each capable of generating more than half a million pounds of thrust. Burning methane in combination with liquid oxygen, these “methalox” engines have several advantages. Methane is better suited for reusable engines because it leaves less behind sooty residue than kerosene and is easier to handle than liquid hydrogen. ULA, Rocket Lab, Stoke Space, and Relativity Space also use, or will use, methalox.

But rockets sometimes blow up. Regulators want to better understand how the hazards from an exploding methalox rocket might differ from those of other launchers. This is important as launches become more routine, with companies foreseeing multiple flights per day from launch pads that are, in some cases, just 1 or 2 miles apart. Companies have raised concerns that SpaceX Starship operations could disrupt activities on neighboring launch pads. Ongoing explosive yield tests are meant to help officials fine-tune their hazard analyses to determine the proper size of the danger areas for methalox rockets. The Space Force currently treats any methalox rocket with “100 percent TNT blast equivalency” and maintains a “maximized keep-out zone” for safety.

Liquid oxygen and methane are highly miscible, meaning they mix together easily, raising the risk of a “condensed phase detonation” with “significantly higher overpressures” than rockets with liquid hydrogen or kerosene fuels. Small-scale mixtures of liquid oxygen and liquified natural gas have “shown a broad detonable range with yields greater than that of TNT,” NASA wrote in 2023. The explosive-yield tests (including at Florida's Eglin AFB) began in January to examine multiple failure modes. Engineers will extrapolate the results to assess the explosive potential of a huge rocket like Starship, which contains more than 10.8 million pounds of propellant at liftoff. Editor's Note: The results could have profound impacts on the usability of multiple launch pads at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. (3/20)

Rice University Wins $22.3 Million to Launch Two New Space Research Centers (Source: Houston Chronicle)
Rice University is boosting its space research after securing $22.3 million from two agreements. The Texas Space Commission approved a $14.2 million grant in February to create the Center for Space Technologies, which will lay the groundwork for systems that could eventually turn the moon’s dirt into hand tools or vehicle parts. The U.S. Space Force likewise approved $8.1 million in funding last month to create the Center for Advanced Space Sensing Technologies. This center, despite its similar name, will be focused on creating cameras that can observe and identify objects in space or on the ground and provide real-time data analysis. (3/16)

China’s Space Development is Outpacing Expectations and Gaining Momentum, Space Force Official Says (Source: Via Satellite)
China’s space asset developments are coming fast and furious as China drives toward the goal of becoming a major space power, outpacing Russia and causing more focused analysis by U.S. Space Command, according to U.S. Space Force Chief Master Sgt. Ron Lerch. China’s 14th five year plan for economic and social development emphasizes strengthening national strategic scientific and technological capabilities and achieving self-reliance in key technologies. Space technologies — satellites, launch systems, deep-space exploration — are treated as strategic high-tech domains within this push. (3/23)

Isar Aerospace in Talks to Raise €250 Million Ahead of Launch (Source: Bloomberg)
German rocket startup Isar Aerospace is in talks to raise €250 million ($289 million) in funding ahead of a key launch attempt planned for this week, according to a person familiar with the matter. The investment round would value the company at €2 billion, the person said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. (3/23)

Contrivian Launches New Product Bundling Amazon Leo & Starlink (Source: Payload)
Customers looking for satellite connectivity are often forced to choose between one provider or another. Those days are over. Managed connectivity provider Contrivian announced a new product today—Contrivian Constellation—which combines Amazon Leo and Starlink connectivity into one solution, offering customers both services under a single data plan, contract, and IP address. (3/23)

Katalyst Planning Ambitious Swift Rescue Mission (Source: Ars Technica)
One of NASA’s oldest astronomy missions, the Swift Observatory, has been out of action for more than a month as scientists await the arrival of a pioneering robotic rescue mission. The 21-year-old spacecraft is falling out of orbit, and NASA officials believe it’s worth saving. Swift was never designed to be captured or reboosted in orbit. This mission is the first time Katalyst will attempt to dock with another satellite in space. And third, NASA gave Katalyst a daunting timetable of just nine months to build, test, and launch the rescue mission before Swift’s altitude falls too low for a safe rendezvous.

“This is really technically ambitious,” said Ghonhee Lee, founder and CEO of Katalyst. Launch is scheduled for June 1, and there’s little margin for error. By late summer or early fall, Swift will slip below 200 miles (320 kilometers), too low for Katalyst to have confidence in controlling its spacecraft. (3/23)

Dawn’s ‘Aurora’ Spaceplane Completes Radar Tracking Experiment with New Zealand Defense and Navy (Source: Spacewatch Global)
The Royal New Zealand Navy, Defense Science and Technology, and Dawn Aerospace, have completed a live radar tracking experiment using a reusable rocket-powered aircraft during the Dawn Aerospace Radar Tracking Experiment. The trial, involving Dawn's Aurora spaceplane, evaluated the surveillance radar’s ability to detect and track a high-altitude, high-speed air vehicle under controlled conditions. (3/23)

EchoStar Moves Into Chinese, Korean Mobile Video Markets (Source: Space News)
U.S. satellite-television broadcaster EchoStar Communications Corp., in what appears to be a major expansion of its business, confirmed that it is providing an S-band mobile video satellite through a Chinese subsidiary to be launched in time for the Beijing Olympics in August 2008, and partnering with an already successful satellite mobile video business in South Korea.

In separate announcements Feb. 21 and Feb. 22, Englewood, Colorado-based EchoStar said it is investing $40 million in TU Media of South Korea, which in late 2006 passed the million-customer milestone for its satellite mobile video service. EchoStar also said that its Chinese subsidiary, China Mobile Broadcasting Satellite Ltd., or CMBSat, had won Chinese regulatory approval to launch a similar project in China. (3/1)

SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Others Race to Saturate Orbits Before Someone Says Stop (Source: SPACErePORT)
SpaceX, Blue Origin, and others are aggressively launching thousands of satellites, driven by a race to secure orbital slots and spectrum rights before international regulations tighten. This rapid deployment is motivated by a "use it or lose it" scenario, where companies must populate their authorized orbital shells to prevent regulators from reallocating the space to competitors.
 
The race is characterized by intense regulatory maneuvering on Earth, with companies asking the FCC to restrict competitors while simultaneously filing for massive, even million-satellite constellations themselves. There are valid questions about the feasibility of massive constellations that could turn Low Earth Orbit into a difficult-to-navigate zone. Despite objections, the current outdated regulatory environment allows this rapid buildup, with a focus on managing rather than halting the new "space rush".

There is no central governing body with the absolute authority to stop the sometimes reckless pace of satellite deployment. While the FCC handles U.S. spectrum licensing and debris mitigation, and the FAA handles launch safety, the sheer velocity of the private sector threatens to overwhelm the capabilities of global, often slow-moving agencies like the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The ultimate fear is that before a definitive international treaty or central authority can be established to mandate limitations, companies will have already created untenable debris and navigation risks while severely impeding astronomical research. (3/23)

Musk Says Tesla, SpaceX, xAI Chip Factory Planned in Texas (Source: Bloomberg)
Elon Musk said his Terafab project — a grand plan to eventually manufacture his own chips for robotics, artificial intelligence and space data centers — will be built in Austin and jointly run by Tesla and SpaceX. Musk, the chief executive officer of both companies, said he will start off with an “advanced technology fab” in Austin that will have all of the equipment necessary to make chips of any kind, and test them. Musk, who has no background in semiconductor production and a history of over-promising on goals and timelines, had said before that the company will start with a smaller scale fab before moving to a bigger one. (3/23)

Ran Livne Appointed as the new Director of the Israeli Space Agency (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Mr. Ran Livne has become the newest Director of the Israel Space Agency after the appointment announcement by the Israeli Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Gila Gamliel. The national government approved the appointment following the recommendation of a professional search committee. As the new Director of the Israeli Space Agency for the next four years, Livne brings over a decade of experience in the space industry in Israel and worldwide, as well as over 15 years of experience working with the public sector and government ministries. (3/23)

State of Vandenberg: Growth, Transparency, and a Shared Future (Source: Santa Maria Times)
Last week, Vandenberg Space Force Base opened its doors to community leaders, mission partners and stakeholders for the 2026 State of Vandenberg— an annual event in partnership with the Santa Maria Valley and Lompoc Valley chambers of commerce. “We’ve had an incredible year, and as we step into the next era of the space race, Vandenberg stands at the nexus of some of the most critically important strategic capabilities in the Department of War,” said Space Force Col. James T. Horne III. “This event offers a unique opportunity to explore the diverse missions that call Vandenberg and California’s Central Coast home.”

Vandenberg serves as a critical hub for space access and advanced air and space testing, supporting more than 54 mission partners and hosting all three U.S. Space Force field commands. From nuclear deterrence and homeland defense to global command and control of space assets, orbital tracking and the training of Space Guardians and nuclear Airmen, the installation sits at the nexus of capabilities that underpin national and global security.

“There is no question that activity is increasing at Vandenberg,” Horne said. “We understand that comes with more visibility — and at times, more impact— for our surrounding communities. That’s exactly why we are committed to keeping people informed as this growth continues.” That commitment to transparency has become a central line of effort for the installation. (3/21)

Van Horn's Space Tourism Boom Remains Elusive Despite Blue Origin's Presence (Source: El Paso Inc.)
It’s been more than 20 years since then. Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder of Amazon and Blue Origin, has purchased about 400,000 acres of land, and his spaceflight company has had 38 successful missions, some carrying scientists and celebrities to the edge of space. But the economic impact the town was anticipating? “That hasn’t happened,” said Brenda Hinojos, director of the Van Horn Convention and Visitors Bureau. “At first we thought it would have an economic impact, and a lot of people do think that we do get that impact from them, but no, we don’t.

“There were a lot of these high-profile people coming, so we were hoping we would get tourists, space tourists, that would want to move to Van Horn to be closer to what was happening. But that hasn’t been the case,” said Cody Davis, a Van Horn native and member of the Van Horn Economic Development Corporation. “We still didn’t get the boom.” Blue Origin announced in January that it was pausing New Shepard flights to focus on developing its lunar capabilities as NASA works to return astronauts to the moon. The company did not respond to inquiries. Even if flights resume, it could take years for Van Horn to see meaningful benefits from space tourism, said one expert on spaceports. (3/22)

Russia Resumes Use of Launch Site Damaged in Accident (Source: AFP)
Russia has launched a rocket from Site 31 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome for the first time since it was damaged during a lift-off last November, video from Russia's Roscosmos space agency showed Sunday. Site 31 was Russia's only operational launch pad for crewed missions to the ISS. Part of the launch site collapsed during lift-off of Soyuz MS-28 in November last year, temporarily preventing Russia from being able to send cosmonauts into space. (3/22)

NASA Is Laying the Legal Groundwork To Build Its Lunar Base in 2027 (Source: The Hill)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman opened his mind about how the space agency intends to start building a lunar base. “We are going to start immediately…we can do this with uncrewed robotic vehicles and landers and we are going to start in 2027. And I think the public is going to be able to tune in and almost watch us build this space in real time as we start landing on the moon,” Isaacman said. While the initial building campaign will involve smaller, Commercial Lunar Payload Services-sized landers, eventually NASA will have to scale things up.

Having some of the infrastructure of a lunar base already in place would be of immense advantage for the first crew of astronauts to land on the moon perhaps a few months later. Equipment, supplies and perhaps even a habitat would greatly enhance what the crew of Artemis IV and subsequent missions can do on the moon’s surface. One reason for starting a lunar base soon may be rooted in space law, both established and evolving, stemming from the question of how to deal with the other great space power, the People’s Republic of China.

The Artemis Accords, a nonbinding agreement between (so far) 61 countries, is meant to revise and extend the provisions of the Outer Space Treaty. Paragraph seven of Section 11 is the relevant provision. It says the treaty’s signers must “provide notification of their activities and commit to coordinating with any relevant actor to avoid harmful interference,” in a dedicated “safety zone” where “nominal operations of a relevant activity or an anomalous event could reasonably cause harmful interference.” (3/22)

How Congress Became NASA’s Partner for the Artemis Return to the Moon (Source: The Hill)
The 2026 version of the NASA authorization bill that passed out of Senate Commerce is as different from the 2010 legislation as day to night. Whereas the 2010 bill imposed the will of Congress on NASA, the 2026 bill has essentially given NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman carte blanche to do what he feels is necessary to get Americans back on the moon before the Chinese and then to build a lunar base. So, what happened in the 16 years between the two pieces of legislation to make them so starkly different?

Jim Bridenstine failed to get the Artemis program out from under the Space Launch System. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) a powerful defender of the giant rocket, informed the NASA administrator in no uncertain terms that any attempt to replace the SLS would mean the death of the Artemis program. Bill Nelson established the theme of a space race back to the moon with China. But Nelson, one of the architects of the SLS, did nothing to try to replace it with a cheaper, commercial launch vehicle.

The difference between the 2026 legislation and the 2010 version reflects Bridenstine’s efforts to sell the Artemis program and Nelson’s warnings about a Chinese victory in a new space race. Also, Shelby, now retired, is no longer the Senate’s arbiter of space policy. Cruz is the new adjudicator of space in the upper chamber, and he understands the importance of space as a source of national greatness and prosperity beyond just being a jobs program. (3/20)