March 26, 2026

Terran Orbital Introduces New Star Tracker Product Line (Source: Space News)
Terran Orbital, a Lockheed Martin company, unveiled its new star tracker product line, expanding the company’s growing portfolio of components and modules designed to deliver mission-ready performance at scale. The new product line includes three models engineered to support a wide range of mission requirements for high-accuracy attitude determination for next-generation satellite missions. (3/25)

Microgravity Can Disorient Human Sperm (Source: Science Alert)
The future of space travel has a sex problem. A trip beyond our planet may very well disorient human sperm, making it harder for them to find an egg. In the lab, scientists at the University of Adelaide in Australia have simulated microgravity conditions to see how the sperm of humans, pigs, and rodents cope. Without the sure pull of gravity as a guide, the sperm seem to become disoriented. As a result, the cells were less able to navigate a channel designed to mimic the female reproductive tract. Plus, in mice, there seems to be another danger. Rodent sperm subjected to microgravity are less able to successfully fertilize an egg. (3/26)

Space Force to Revise Launch Plans After ULA Vulcan Anomalies (Source: Space News)
The Space Force says it will have to revise plans for upcoming missions because of the grounding of ULA's Vulcan Centaur. The rocket has not flown since a launch in early February that suffered an anomaly with one of its solid rocket boosters, although the payload was able to reach its planned orbit. The chair of the House Armed Services Committee's strategic forces subcommittee said at a hearing Wednesday he expected the rocket to be grounded for at least six months. Space Force officials said at the hearing they are considering options of moving payloads to other vehicles or extending the lives of satellites on orbit because of delays in the launch of their replacements. (3/26)

Switzerland's Pave Space Raises $40 Million for Orbital Transfer Vehicle (Source: Space News)
Swiss startup Pave Space has raised $40 million to develop an orbital transfer vehicle. The company announced the seed round Wednesday led by Visionaries Club and Creandum with participation from several other investors. The company is developing a roughly 20-metric-ton vehicle that would be able to deliver up to five metric tons of payload from LEO to medium and geostationary Earth orbit, or lunar trajectories, in less than a day. Pave plans to fly a pathfinder called Graze in October to validate in-house avionics as it performs ground tests of the vehicle's propulsion system. A first flight of the transfer vehicle is scheduled for 2029. (3/26)

Airbase Raises $5 Million for RF Coordination Tools (Source: Space News)
Airbase has emerged from stealth with plans to improve coordination of satellite and other radio-frequency spectrum. The startup said Wednesday it raised $5 million to modernize how governments coordinate radio frequencies used by satellites, 5G networks and other wireless systems by automating decades-old coordination systems with software-driven tools. The software is designed to reduce the burden of manual interference analysis and legacy database management. Its efforts come as the FCC is set today to approve a notice of proposed rulemaking to free up spectrum for novel space activities or, in the FCC's words, "weird space stuff." (3/26)

Canada's Telesat Pitches Lightspeed for Defense (Source: Space News)
Telesat is sharpening its pitch to U.S. defense customers for its Lightspeed constellation. The Canadian satellite operator is positioning Lightspeed as a high-capacity data transport layer for defense networks, capable of moving large volumes of information with low latency while reducing exposure to jamming or interception. The company has added military Ka-band spectrum to its system and also plans to conduct a test of optical intersatellite links under a NASA contract. Telesat is seeking to align Lightspeed with U.S military requirements, arguing that commercial networks can supplement government systems and help close near-term gaps in capacity. (3/26)

China Launches Imaging Satellites on Long March 2D (Source: Xinhua)
China launched a pair of imaging satellites Wednesday. A Long March 2D lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center and placed into orbit the Siwei Gaojing-2 05 and 06 satellites. The spacecraft, also known as Superview Neo, provide high-resolution imaging for the China Siwei Survey and Mapping Technology, a subsidiary of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. (3/26)

Isar Scrubs Norway Launch After Boat Incursion (Source: NSF)
Isar Aerospace scrubbed a launch of its Spectrum rocket from Norway Wednesday. The company called off the launch from the Andøya Spaceport after a boat went into restricted waters offshore. The company has not disclosed a new launch attempt for the mission, the second flight of the Spectrum rocket. (3/26)

Iceland and Norway Join IRIS² Program (Source: Euractiv)
Two countries outside of the European Union are joining the EU's IRIS² constellation. Iceland and Norway signed agreements Thursday to participate in the secure broadband constellation and are the first countries outside the EU to join the system. Norway will provide 40 million euros ($46 million) and Iceland 3 million euros for IRIS² in 2026-2027, with future funding to be negotiated later. (3/26)

Climate Scientist Kate Marvel Resigns From NASA (Source: Scientific American)
A leading climate scientist has resigned from NASA. Kate Marvel, who studied climate at the Goddard Institute for Space Sciences (GISS), said Tuesday she was resigning out of concerns that science had come under attack at the agency. In an interview, she said there was no single incident that led her to resign but instead the "accumulation of thing after thing," from NASA terminating the lease for GISS's New York office to a lack of research funding. (3/26)

Port Canaveral Denies Property Sale for LNG Liquefaction Plant Near Spaceport (Source: Spectrum News)
The proposal for a liquefied natural gas plant in Merritt Island across from Port Canaveral is now off the table. Port Canaveral commissioners unanimously voted Wednesday morning not to sell the 50-acre parcel of land that was being considered as a site for the facility. Officials from Chesapeake Utilities and Berkshire Hathaway planned to purchase the parcel for LNG liquefaction, a process that transforms the gaseous fuel into liquid form. The company officials stressed the idea that there’s a growing need for LNG facilities to meet the state’s future demand in the space and maritime industries.

Editor's Note: The local LNG demand will not diminish. While Port Canaveral's primary need is for next-generation cruise ships, there is also a massive need for LNG to fuel upcoming high-cadence Starship and New Glenn missions. Outdated master plans for real estate on the Cape Canaveral Spaceport did not contemplate this level of demand. On the south-side portions of Kennedy Space Center and/or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station are parcels of federal land that could accommodate LNG liquefaction and/or tank farms that could feed both the launch and cruise industries. Absent the liquefaction, the tank farms could be topped off with LNG barged into Port Canaveral from Jacksonville. (3/26)

Returning to the Moon and Helium 3 (Source: SpaceCom)
As Artemis III circles the Moon and NASA swings into high gear for returning humans to the lunar surface before China, commercial ventures are examining their options to leverage a long tail of NASA investment for generating monetary returns. Helium-3, a rare isotope found in abundance on the lunar surface, provides not one but two paths for profitability if start-up firms can put together a combination of pieces to mine the gas and return it to Earth.

In the real world, Helion Energy and Princeton Satellite Systems both are working towards helium-3-fueled reactors, with Helion having raised over $1 billion to scale their technology into commercial production with the stated goal to deliver electricity to Microsoft from a 50 MW fusion plant starting in 2028. (3/26)

Symphony Space Unveils Adagio Hosted Payload Platform (Source: Payload)
Symphony Space is building a new model for hosting payloads—one where the satellite remains in orbit and the payloads come and go. The platform—called Adagio—aims to be a lower-cost, higher-capacity hosted payload provider. It’s a big departure from traditional business models, where payloads took a one-way, permanent ride to space aboard their host sats. Symphony said it’s aiming to raise $6M+ to fund its first ground demonstration next year—though it’s also considering a larger round due to increased interest that would fund itself through its first demo flight in 2028.

At first, Adagio works like any other hosted payload satellite. The platform launches to space, preloaded with modules housing customer payloads. Throughout its lifetime, however, Adagio is designed to accept new occupants, who reach the sat via orbital transfer vehicles, space tugs, and rideshare launches. Adagio will be equipped with robotic arms that can grapple the new payloads and make them right at home. (3/26)

Astroport Developing Construction Tools for Use with Venturi Astrolab’s Self-Driving Rovers (Source: San Antonio Express-News)
Robotic dirt movers developed in San Antonio could help build the Artemis moon base and nuclear reactor. Astroport Space Technologies has partnered with space robotics company Venturi Astrolab to build self-driving rovers that can move lunar soil to make landing sites, launch pads, berms and roads on the moon. Under the deal, Astroport will provide construction tools such as excavators, graders, compactors and sievers for the rovers built by California-based Astrolab. (3/17)

Unseenlabs Announces the Launch of BRO-19, the Latest Satellite of Its Constellation (Souce: Unseenlabs)
Unseenlabs announces the upcoming launch of BRO-19, the twentieth satellite of its constellation, dedicated to maritime domain awareness. BRO-19 will be launched as part of the upcoming Transporter-16 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, United States. BRO-19 is integrated with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket via the German launch integrator Exolaunch. (3/26)

Reimagining America’s R&D Framework: Valuing Our Laboratories and Testing Facilities as National Treasures (Source: AIAA)
The leadership of the U.S. aerospace and defense sectors relies not solely on strategic documents but also on the tangible environments where concepts are validated, calibrated, qualified, stress-tested, and made repeatable. These include laboratories, wind tunnels, anechoic chambers, propulsion test stands, materials testing facilities, space-environment simulators, spectrum testbeds, and instrumentation-rich ranges that transform prototypes into operational systems.

When this layer deteriorates, the consequences are predictable: extended timelines, increased rework, fewer testing repetitions, elevated safety risks, decreased throughput, and a growing divide between theoretical capabilities and actual performance in the field. (3/26)

US House Passes Bill to Allow Overland Supersonic Flights (Source: AeroTime)
The US House of Representatives passed legislation aimed at opening the skies to civil supersonic flight over land, a step supporters say could usher in a new era of air travel in the United States. The bill would require the FAA to revise its rules within a year to allow civil aircraft to fly faster than Mach 1 over land without special authorization, provided no sonic boom reaches the ground. The measure, H.R. 3410, targets a long-standing FAA ban dating to 1973, when regulators barred overland civil supersonic flight because of noise concerns tied to sonic booms.

Europe’s Space Ambitions Risk Splintering as Germany Pushes Ahead Alone (Source: Defence Matters)
At a time when Europe is under growing pressure to take responsibility for its own defense, a new German initiative exposes fault lines at the heart of the EU. Berlin’s plan to develop a €10 billion military satellite network—independent of an existing EU program—has sparked unease in Brussels and beyond, Reuters reports, reviving concerns about duplication, inefficiency and the enduring tension between national sovereignty and collective ambition. (3/26)

Rocket Lab Emerging as Potential Bus Provider for 2,800-Satellite Equatys Constellation (Source: SatNews)
In the wake of Mobile World Congress 2026, industry speculation has intensified regarding a potential partnership between Rocket Lab and Equatys, the newly detailed Direct-to-Device (D2D) joint venture between Viasat and Space42. The venture aims to deploy a massive LEO constellation of up to 2,800 satellites to provide seamless 3GPP-aligned connectivity to standard smartphones and IoT devices globally. Reports from late March 2026 suggest that Rocket Lab is a primary candidate for the satellite bus manufacturing contract. Analysts point to Rocket Lab’s recent $1 billion capital raise as a potential strategic fund for an equity stake in the venture, mirroring its successful vertical integration strategy as a prime contractor for the U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA). (3/26)

Pulsar Fusion Achieves Historic ‘First Plasma’ in Major Leap for Fusion-Powered Space Exploration (Source: Pulsar Fusion)
In a milestone that could reshape space exploration, Pulsar Fusion announced the successful demonstration of “first plasma” within its Sunbird exhaust test system. This was achieved live on March 23 during a dedicated technical session at Amazon’s prestigious MARS Conference in California. Hosted by Jeff Bezos, the session showcased the Sunbird’s ability to achieve plasma confinement – a critical step in developing the high-powered thrust needed for long-distance space exploration. (3/25)

Sift Raises $42 Million (Source: Space News)
Sift, a Southern California startup developing tools to help engineers make sense of hardware sensor data, raised $42 million in a Series B investment round. With the funding, Sift plans to expand its staff of engineers building the infrastructure layer that underpins devices controlled by artificial intelligence algorithms. (3/25)

Airbase Raises $5 Million to Tackle Spectrum Bottleneck as FCC Eyes New Space Uses (Source: Space News)
New York-based software startup Airbase emerged from stealth March 25 after raising $5 million to modernize how governments coordinate radio frequencies used by satellites, 5G networks and other wireless systems. (3/25)

Pave Space Raises $40 Million to Develop European Heavy Kickstage (Source: Space News)
Swiss startup Pave Space has raised $40 million to develop an orbital transfer vehicle that could move satellites from low Earth orbit to their final destinations in hours instead of months. (3/25)

Office of Space Commerce Releases Mission Authorization Proposal (Source: Space News)
The Office of Space Commerce rolled out its draft mission authorization proposal late March 24, laying out a "light touch" approach to the topic. It represents the latest attempt in a long-running effort to regulate new commercial space applications.

The proposal is intended to address a gap in oversight of so-called "novel space activities," such as satellite servicing, orbital debris removal and lunar missions, that are not currently regulated by agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration or Federal Communications Commission. The Outer Space Treaty requires member states to perform authorization and continuing supervision of space activities by their nationals. (3/25)

Trump Names Billionaire Tech Bros to Science & Technology Council - More Tech, Less Science (Source: Douglas Messier)
President Donald Trump has appointed members of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). Unsurprisingly, the 15-member council is heavily stocked with Silicon Valley billionaire tech bros (Mark Zuckerberg, Sergey Brin, Marc Andreessen, and Larry Ellison among others) and short on scientists (one who’s a former Silicon Valley tech bro).

Notably absent are the world’s richest man, SpaceX Founder Elon Musk (estimated net worth, $855 billion), and Amazon and Blue Origin Founder Jeff Bezos (estimated net worth, $239 billion to $259 billion). The White House emphasized the council’s focus on technology rather than science. (3/25)

NASA's New Space Reactor to Support Mars Mission in 2028 (Source: NSF)
In a significant NASA announcement, Administrator Isaacman outlined plans for a nuclear-powered mission to Mars within the next two years. The project involves reallocating existing Lunar Gateway hardware to demonstrate highly efficient mass transport in space, with the spacecraft carrying multiple Ingenuity-class helicopters to explore the Red Planet.

The mission, called Space Reactor-1 Freedom (SR-1 Freedom), is set to launch in December 2028. This mission aims to showcase the use of nuclear fission in space to power electric thrusters. NASA’s Program Executive of Fission Surface Power, Steve Sinacore, summarized the objectives clearly: demonstrate Nuclear Electric Propulsion.This will be the first-ever nuclear-propelled spacecraft to exit Earth’s sphere of influence.

Editor's Note: Add this to the growing list of nuclear hardware in need of specialized payload processing capacity at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. (3/24)

The Death Spiral of a $250 Million Satellite Startup (Sources: Bloomberg Business Journal)
In 2020, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller announced that his city had entered into a “game-changing partnership” with a little-known aerospace startup called Theia Group Inc. Theia, based in Washington, DC, was planning to build a multibillion-dollar, 80-acre facility in Albuquerque to manufacture observation satellites it would then deploy and manage. The startup envisioned total extraterrestrial surveillance—a sprawling constellation of satellites capturing detailed shots of the entire Earth at a half-meter resolution on a near-continuous basis.

Plenty of companies already sold satellite imaging services, but this promise of functionally real-time digital images set Theia apart. A promotional video made this promise: “Every tree on Earth: digital. Every truck: digital. Every whale: digital.” By the time of the New Mexico announcement, Theia had pulled together more than $250 million in funding and a well-credentialed team, and the FCC had licensed it to deploy 112 satellites in low-Earth orbit. It seemed on its way to world domination.

Theia Group did not receive the promised New Mexico incentives for its failed "Orion Center" satellite project, as the City of Albuquerque walked away from the agreement in December 2021. While state and local officials had approved over $10 million in total incentives—$7.7 million in state LEDA funds and $3 million from the city—the funds were not fully deployed due to the project's failure. (3/25)

Bright Green Fireball Captured on Video in Pacific Northwest Sky As Another Meteor Streaks Across U.S. (Source: CBS)
Jason Jenkins was driving to work before dawn about 20 miles north of Portland, Oregon. "It kind of reminded me of a lightning strike because it was so bright," he said. "The video doesn't do justice on how bright and close it seemed." What Jenkins saw was a particularly bright meteor up to 80 miles above the Earth,

Fireballs have been spotted in the skies across the U.S. in recent days. An apparent meteor lit up the skies over Northern California over the weekend, drawing hundreds of reports from viewers across the region. Last week a 7-ton meteor sped across the Ohio sky in a fireball that broke apart in a thunderous boom that startled residents who feared an explosion. NASA said eyewitnesses from 10 states, Washington, D.C., and the Canadian province of Ontario reported seeing the fireball. (3/25)

SpaceX Said to Target as Much as $75 Billion in Blockbuster IPO (Source: Bloomberg)
SpaceX is considering a new fundraising target in its IPO of about $75 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. The company has discussed with potential investors the prospect of raising more than $70 billion, and either figure would be far above the $50 billion target previously reported. SpaceX could seek a valuation in the IPO of more than $1.75 trillion, and is weighing a market debut in June, though the timing could still shift. (3/25)

SpaceX Aims Could File IPO Prospectus Within Days (Source: Mach 33)
SpaceX is aiming to file its IPO prospectus with regulators later this week or next week, per a March 24, 2026 report by The Information. This is a market rumor sourced from unnamed individuals. The filing would represent a key step toward a potential public debut targeted around June 2026. The development heightens expectations for SpaceX public market entry. Sophisticated investors may position for related space sector momentum as the IPO would validate strong growth in Starlink and launch services. It also provides a benchmark for secondary market pricing in private space companies amid rising institutional interest. (3/24)

Intuitive Machines Wins $180.4M NASA CLPS Contract for Lunar Payload Delivery (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Intuitive Machines has won a $180.4 million NASA contract to deliver seven science and technology payloads to the Lunar South Pole Region under the agency's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. The contract award is Intuitive Machines’ fifth CLPS task order but the first to require a larger Nova-D lunar lander to deliver science and technology payloads and return valuable data, while operating autonomously on the lunar surface. (3/25)