April 2, 2026

Astroscale U.S. Expands into Texas Space Ecosystem in Collaboration with UTEP and City of El Paso (Source: Astroscale)
Astroscale is expanding its commitment to the Texas space ecosystem by setting up to do business in El Paso and collaborating with the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). The expansion is supported through an economic development agreement approved by the El Paso City Council, reinforcing the city’s commitment to growing the aerospace and defense industry and advancing economic development opportunities in the region. 

Astroscale U.S. selected El Paso and UTEP because of their commitment to growing the commercial space ecosystem through speed and innovation. The company will maintain a permanent employment presence and workspace at the City of El Paso’s Innovation Factory near the El Paso International Airport and plans to work closely with UTEP's researchers and faculty to further advance the Astroscale U.S. mission. (3/2)

Redefining Space as a Contested Military and Strategic Domain (Source: Modern Integrated Warfare)
“When we look at space and counterspace activities, I’m not just worried about all the dog fighting we see between Chinese and U.S. satellites, which are now becoming real maneuvers and operations,” said Dr. Nötzold. “What [concerns me the most] was what happened in July, when the Chinese managed to have a successful docking of satellites in geostationary orbit and refueled a satellite. Why [does this concern me the most]? Because it shows that China is ahead of the United States. It brings more ambiguity to the whole dynamic, as we don’t know much about China’s intentions. I would say it also changes a lot of the dynamics for future in-orbit service operations.” 

“Satellite services are embedded in the critical infrastructure services on Earth,” Dr. Janes said. “The energy, military, healthcare, and financial sectors depend on the availability of space services. We have a space, ground, and link segment for all space services. All those layers are only as strong as their weakest link. We must make sure that all the links are hardened to the level that we need.” Hilgert believes that world governments must heavily invest in bolstering resilience measures in the space domain and be proactive by preparing for any type of crisis that may affect space services on Earth. (4/1)

STARCOM Expands Footprint with New Annex at Patrick Space Force Base (Source: Team Orlando News)
The annex project cost $28 million and includes office space, parking and related infrastructure. As of the opening, approximately 142 personnel are assigned to the facility, with additional workspace available to accommodate future staffing increases and the relocation of personnel from Colorado. STARCOM relocated its headquarters to Patrick Space Force Base in July 2025. The addition of the annex increases available workspace as the command continues shifting personnel and functions to the installation. The expansion reflects a broader effort by the Space Force to position key training and readiness functions closer to operational units located along the Space Coast. (4/1)

Phantom Space Acquires Thermal Management Technologies (Source: Payload)
Phantom Space today announced the acquisition of Thermal Management Technologies (TMT), a company that builds advanced satellite thermal components for in-space applications. With the acquisition, the AZ-based rocket and satellite developer is aiming to spur development of its in-orbit data center constellation—called Phantom Cloud—which is targeting an initial deployment in mid-2027. TMT will operate as a subsidiary of Phantom, with founder Scott Schick staying on as the company’s general manager. TMT will also collaborate with Phantom to develop Block 1 Phantom Cloud sats. The companies did not announce the terms of the deal. (4/2)

ThrustMe to Equip 40 Japanese EO Satellites with its Propulsion Systems (Source: Spacewatch Global)
ThrustMe, a French scale-up specializing in electric propulsion systems for satellites based in Verrières-le-Buisson (Essonne), is equipping 40 Japanese satellites under commercial agreements worth over ten million euros. These commercial agreements are highlighted on the occasion of the French President’s official visit to Japan, in which the company is participating. A pioneering deep tech company in the space sector, born from scientific research conducted at CNRS, ThrustMe designs and manufactures electric propulsion systems for satellites, including Earth observation satellites, a fast-growing sector. These innovative propulsion systems radically transform satellite maneuverability, enabling essential functions such as station-keeping, trajectory corrections and end-of-life deorbiting. (4/2)

Italy Signs Agreement with NASA to Cooperate on Moon Base (Source: European Spaceflight)
The Italian government and NASA have signed an agreement to cooperate on the development of a U.S.-led lunar surface base. The move is the latest in a series of bilateral efforts between the two nations, including a June 2022 cooperation agreement that tasked Italy with leading the design of a multi-purpose lunar habitation module, currently being developed by Thales Alenia Space Italia under an Italian Space Agency (ASI) contract. (4/2)

Argentina Joins NASA’s Moon Return with Microsatellite Testing GPS Beyond Earth (Source: Reuters)
An Argentine-built microsatellite, the only one from Latin America selected for NASA's return to the moon, will test experimental navigation systems and measure radiation far beyond Earth's orbit when it flies on the Artemis ‌II mission. The shoebox-sized satellite, known as ATENEA, is one of four international payloads chosen by NASA from proposals submitted by nearly 50 countries to accompany Artemis II, the first crewed lunar mission in more than half a century, which was scheduled to lift off later on Wednesday. The others are from Germany, Saudi Arabia and South Korea. (4/1)

Spain Approves €325 Million ESCA+ Expansion of Atlantic Constellation (Source: European Spaceflight)
Spain’s Council of Ministers has approved the allocation of €325 million for the development of three Earth observation satellites that will expand the 16-satellite Atlantic Constellation. The Constelación Atlántica (Atlantic Constellation) is a joint initiative between Spain and Portugal to develop an Earth observation constellation for environmental monitoring, coastal surveillance, and disaster management. The two countries have committed to contributing eight satellites each to form the core 16-satellite constellation. (4/1)

Aspect Aerospace Secures Early Funding to Advance Swarm-Deployable VLEO Satellites (Source: Space News)
Aspect Aerospace, a University of South Alabama spin-off, has secured $2.4 million to develop circuit-board-sized spacecraft that could be deployed from space into very low Earth orbit (VLEO) in swarms to monitor the space environment. The funding includes a $1.9 million U.S. Space Force grant to build a space-ready Single-Board Satellite (SBS) prototype within 18 months, the startup announced April 1, and a $500,000 pre-seed investment from venture capital firm SOSV. (4/1)

Creating Near-Term Lunar Settlements: Lessons From Space History (Source: Space News)
March 16, 2026, was the 100th anniversary of Robert Goddard’s first flight of a liquid fueled rocket. It reached an altitude of 41 feet. 31 years later, in 1957, Sputnik began a lonely beep as the first satellite in orbit. In 1969, 12 years after Sputnik and 43 years after Goddard’s first flight, Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. It’s been 57 years since the first Apollo landing and we don’t yet have a group of folks living and working on the moon or Mars (although people have lived for more than a year in the International Space Station in low Earth orbit). Frankly, we’re not even close to living on the moon. Something has gone remarkably wrong. Something needs to change dramatically if living and working on the moon is going to become real. (4/1)

NASA’s Artemis II Lifts Off, Beginning First Crewed Moon Mission Since 1972 (Source: Aerospace America)
NASA’s first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years began today when the towering SLS rocket lifted off at 6:35 p.m. Eastern, leaving behind a thick, white plume as it ascended into the blue sky over Cape Canaveral and disappeared over the Atlantic. Inside the Orion crew capsule atop the rocket are NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Over the next 10 days, they are to loop around the moon and return to Earth for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, marking a critical step toward NASA’s goal of returning humans to the lunar surface in 2028. (4/2)

Space Force Looks To Begin Doubling Size With FY ’27 Budget Request (Source: Aerospace America)
As the White House prepares to release its proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, the top U.S. Space Force official said he remains confident the service will receive a boost to its current funding. “The leadership in the Department of War, the leadership in OMB, certainly the leadership in the White House and the president, agree with us, agree with our advocacy that space capabilities need to grow, that the Space Force’s capacity needs to grow,” Gen. Chance Saltzman, Space Force’s chief of space operations, said during a keynote at the Mitchell Institute’s Spacepower Security Forum. (4/2)

Aspect Aerospace Secures Early Funding to Advance Swarm-Deployable VLEO Satellites (Source: Space News)
Aspect Aerospace, a University of South Alabama spin-off, has secured $2.4 million to develop circuit-board-sized spacecraft that could be deployed from space into very low Earth orbit (VLEO) in swarms to monitor the space environment. The funding includes a $1.9 million U.S. Space Force grant to build a space-ready Single-Board Satellite (SBS) prototype within 18 months, the startup announced April 1, and a $500,000 pre-seed investment from venture capital firm SOSV. (4/2)

From GNSS to PNT Systems: Europe’s Strategic Pivot at the Munich Space Summit (Source: Inside GNSS)
For the first time, the summit merged two meetings, the Munich Satellite Navigation Summit and the Munich NewSpace Summit, highlighting how NewSpace energy is starting to reshape Europe’s space model and PNT vision. At this year’s Munich Space Summit, something subtle—but significant—happened. What began two decades ago as a focused gathering of satellite navigation experts has merged with the faster-moving world of NewSpace. (4/2)

Arianespace CEO David Cavaillolès Previews Ariane 6 Ramp-Up (Source: Via Satellite)
Arianespace is in the midst of its launch campaign for Amazon Leo after conducting the first launch for its largest customer in February. The next mission is planned for April 28. Amid this ramp-up, Arianespace CEO David Cavaillolès joins Via Satellite for a “Live in the Booth” interview. While sovereign space was one of the key topics of the show, Cavaillolès says this issue has always been part of Arianespace’s DNA, providing access to space for Europe. New investments across Europe are driving up demand for the company’s launch capabilities. (4/2)

Teledyne Forms Dedicated Space Unit to Capture Rising Demand (Source: Space News)
Teledyne Technologies is creating a dedicated business unit for space programs, consolidating its imaging, electronics and component businesses as demand rises for satellite-based sensing technologies. The Thousand Oaks, California-based supplier said the new sector, Teledyne Space, will combine capabilities that had been spread across multiple segments, including detectors, microwave devices, optoelectronics and radiation-tolerant semiconductors. (4/2)

AIA Supports Plan for Expanding Commercial Space Ops (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Aerospace Industries Association has come out in favor of a Commerce Department proposal to create a framework for approval of space activities that are currently unregulated. AIA President and CEO Eric Fannings says it is "the right moment" for the proposal as firms look to expand activities and support for orbital operations by the US Space Force. "As implementation moves forward, it's important to have clear accountability across agencies, guardrails against regulatory creep, and the predictability companies need to invest for the long term. We look forward to continuing to work with the government as the details take shape," he said. (4/1)

SpaceX Files for IPO (Source: Space News)
SpaceX has confidentially filed plans to go public. While the company made no formal announcement, industry sources said Wednesday that SpaceX did file with the Securities and Exchange Commission for its initial public offering. The confidential filing allows SpaceX to work with regulators on the proposal before making it public. SpaceX is seeking to raise as much as $75 billion in the IPO that would value the company at $1.75 trillion. SpaceX is also reportedly exploring a dual-class share structure that would give Musk and other insiders outsized voting control. The filing marks a pivotal moment for a space sector that is increasingly attracting mainstream market investors, even as SpaceX's valuation raises questions about how much weight to place on future ambitions. (4/2)

Amazon Considers Globalstar Acquisition (Source: Financial Times)
Amazon is in talks to acquire satellite operator Globlastar. The companies are in discussions about an acquisition but are still negotiating complexities of any deal, such as Apple's 20% stake in Globalstar, with no guarantee a sale can be closed. Globalstar operates a constellation of several dozen satellites that it is in the process of replenishing with financial support from Apple, which uses Globalstar for its emergency connectivity service. Amazon is likely primarily interested in Globalstar for its spectrum as it builds out its Amazon Leo constellation. Rumors of an acquisition have boosted Globalstar's stock, giving the company a valuation of $9 billion. (4/2)

Space Force's "Outsized Role" in Iran and Venezuela Military Campaigns (Source: Space News)
The commanding general of the Space Force says the service is "sitting at the center" of recent military campaigns in Iran and Venezuela. Speaking at the Mitchell Institute's Spacepower Security Forum, Gen. Chance Saltzman said space capabilities provided by the Space Force "have played an outsized role" in those operations. His comments add to a growing body of official statements pointing to the importance of space and cyber capabilities in the Feb. 28 U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent operations. He pointed to a shift in how space is integrated into military planning, saying that space was "baked in from the beginning" rather than added on later. (4/2)

California's Fortastra Starts Up with Aerospace Vetrans for On-Orbit Security (Source: Space News)
Los Angeles startup Fortastra has hired veterans from several aerospace companies to design and operate maneuverable spacecraft for on-orbit security. The company announced Tuesday it hired executives who previously worked at Relativity Space, Hermeus, Astrion and Divergent Technologies to top positions at the startup. Fortastra is developing spacecraft with advanced guidance and propulsion systems to enable rapid maneuver, rendezvous and proximity operations, and mission assurance in degraded environments. The company raised more than $8 million in a seed round last year. (4/2)

Sidus Space Announces Financial Results for 2025 (Source: Sidus Space)
Total revenue for the twelve months ending December 31, 2025, was approximately $3.4 million, a decrease of approximately $1.3 million or 28% compared to total revenue for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024. This decrease reflects Sidus' continued strategic transition toward higher-margin satellite manufacturing, data, and technology business lines. Gross loss for the twelve months ended December 31, 2025, was approximately $5.7 million, compared to a gross loss of approximately $1.5 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024. The change was primarily driven by higher non-cash depreciation reflecting the significant progress Sidus has made in deploying its LizzieSat satellite fleet and building the infrastructure to support long-term, high-margin satellite data revenue. (4/1)

China's Reusable Rocket Tianlong-3 Targeting April 3 Maiden Flight (Source: Mach 33)
Space Pioneer's Tianlong-3, a 71-meter, 9-engine, LOX/kerosene reusable rocket that closely mirrors Falcon 9 in dimensions and engine layout, is targeting an April 3 maiden flight from Jiuquan. It may carry satellites for China's SpaceSail/Qianfan LEO constellation. The rocket uses nine Tianhuo-12 engines with landing legs and grid fins for first-stage recovery.

If Tianlong-3 reaches orbit and demonstrates even partial reusability, it validates that the Falcon 9 architecture can be replicated outside of SpaceX. That matters less for SpaceX's near-term dominance (their moat is cadence and operational maturity, not design secrecy) and more for the trajectory of Chinese launch costs, which directly affects how fast China can build out competing LEO constellations. (4/1)

Rocket Lab Europe - Mynaric Acquisition Opens Doors (Source: Mach 33)
Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs granted FDI approval for Rocket Lab's approximately $150 million acquisition of laser communications specialist Mynaric AG. Closing expected in April. Mynaric stays headquartered in Munich, creating Rocket Lab Europe. The path cleared after Rheinmetall withdrew its competing bid in mid-March. Mynaric is already a subcontractor on Rocket Lab's $1.3 billion SDA prime contract to build 36 satellites.

Beyond the dollar value, this deal positions Rocket Lab to compete for the EUR 6 billion IRIS2 constellation, German military satellite programs, and European LEO navigation work that requires sovereign industrial participation. Laser inter-satellite links are a critical bottleneck for constellation operators, and bringing Mynaric in-house gives Rocket Lab vertical control over a component most competitors source externally. (4/1)

The Artemis Moon Base Project is Legally Dubious (Source: The Verge)
The justification underlying much of Artemis: Resources are needed to support a Moon base, so we need to build a Moon base to search for them. The agency has even described these efforts as a “lunar gold rush.” But this points to a problem with Artemis that isn’t solvable by developing new technologies: Some experts say that extracting resources from the Moon is a violation of international law. There isn’t a huge amount of international law that applies to space exploration, but one point is very clear: No one owns the Moon.

The Outer Space Treaty (which was signed nearly 60 years ago but is still the main basis for international law in space today, if you can believe it) is very explicit regarding the principle of non-appropriation, meaning that nations can’t claim sovereignty over any body in space. But what about extracting resources? There, we get into sticky territory. “The US considers that resource extraction is not appropriation,” says Cassandra Steer. Many international space lawyers, including Steer, have argued that this is unlawful. “That is an incorrect interpretation of the Outer Space Treaty. You’re trying to carve out a loophole.” If a nation started digging up resources from a territory it didn’t have claim to on Earth, that would cause a few legal problems.

The US has been tactical in its approach to this issue, through the use of an agreement called the Artemis Accords. This is not an international treaty. The document includes sections specifically allowing the extraction and use of space resources, saying that this doesn’t conflict with the principle of non-appropriation, and allowing specific nations to establish “safety zones” around areas of their lunar activity where other nations cannot interfere. It is implicitly saying that whoever starts activities like research or mining in a certain lunar region now gets to extract resources from that region and other countries can’t stop them. It’s not owning a piece of the Moon, but it is getting priority access to it. (4/1)