July 1, 2026

Blue Origin Still Doesn’t Know Why its New Glenn Rocket Blew Up (Source: Tech Crunch)
Blue Origin wants to return the rocket to flight as quickly as it can because the company has become one of the central players in NASA’s push to return humans to the moon before President Trump leaves office. CEO Dave Limp said his company is still trying to “identify and correct the root cause” of the explosion. “Early analysis points to the aft section of the first stage” of the rocket, Limp wrote, saying the company is pulling on “extensive data from multiple camera angles and sensors.” (6/30)

Raytheon To Build Private Space Telescope For Eric Schmidt’s Nonprofit (Source: Aviation Week)
Raytheon is building a private, large-aperture space telescope for billionaire Eric Schmidt’s nonprofit, Schmidt Sciences. The Lazuli Space Observatory is in production and scheduled to be delivered in 2028, having passed an “accelerated” preliminary design review, Raytheon said on June 30. (6/30)

South Korea Studies Second Spaceport to Expand Launch Capacity (Source: Aviation Week)
South Korea is officially seeking metropolitan and provincial government bids to host its second national space center, with site evaluations concluding in a final selection in October. The proposed 5.6 million-square-meter spaceport will target the growing demand for reusable rocket operations and frequent satellite launches. The push for a second spaceport is being led by the Korea AeroSpace Administration, which is tasked with expanding domestic space transportation capabilities to reduce reliance on foreign launch providers. (6/30)

Rice Grown on the Moon? (Source: Tohoku University)
Securing sustainable food supplies is a key challenge for long-term human exploration and potential habitation of the Moon. The Moon's soil contains no organic material, and essential plant nitrogen sources like ammonia and nitrate are virtually nonexistent. Researchers from Tohoku University and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) addressed this obstacle by creating a green, energy-efficient plasma technology capable of synthesizing nitrogen fertilizer from atmospheric air. (6/30)

Astrobotic, Firefly, Intuitive Machines Win More NASA Moon Lander Missions (Source: Reuters)
NASA on Tuesday awarded $590 million worth of contracts to Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines for more uncrewed lunar lander missions in late 2028 ‌as the agency seeks to ramp up commercial moon activities under its Artemis program. Astrobotic, a Pittsburgh-based moon lander company in the process of being acquired by Voyager Technologies, won a $297.9 million contract to deliver two landers. ​Firefly won a $144.2 million contract for a single lander mission and Intuitive Machines was awarded $148.3 million, also for a single lander mission. (6/30)

FAA Says Employees Can’t Purchase SpaceX Stock (Source: Politico)
Federal Aviation Administration employees can’t buy or hold stock in Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which went public earlier this month, according to an internal agency web page. The FAA licenses the commercial spaceflight firm’s launches and reentries, and it requires company-led investigations into rocket mishaps. (6/30)

Thales Alenia Space Wins Software-Defined Satellite Order from Es’hailSat (Source: Via Satellite)
Thales Alenia Space has won a major new software-defined satellite order from Es’hailSat, one of the biggest satellite operators in the Middle East. The satellite called, Eshail-3/Türksat-Biruni, will offer high-speed broadband connectivity services across Europe, Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East, and will be shared with Turkish satellite operator Türksat. Thales Alenia Space announced the contract on June 30.

Eshail-3/Türksat-Biruni will rely on Space Inspire, the Thales fully software-defined satellite platform, which is designed to offer instant in-orbit adjustment to broadband connectivity demands. As prime contractor, Thales Alenia Space is responsible for the design, manufacturing, testing, and on-ground delivery of the satellite, as well as for the ground segment and associated services. (6/30)

SpaceX Cuts Starlink Internet Prices in Memphis After Data Center Opposition (Source: Bloomberg)
SpaceX is offering discounts for Starlink internet plans in Memphis, Tennessee, as the Elon Musk-led company endures blowback and legal challenges from opponents of its data centers in the area and neighboring Mississippi. Customers that opt in will be able to access Starlink service plans for half the monthly price, which can range from $55 to $130 per month. The discount can be shared with friends and family. New users won’t have upfront hardware costs, according to a company statement. (6/30)

MaiaSpace Plans to Double Its Rocket’s Performance with One Extra Engine (Source: European Spaceflight)
ArianeGroup subsidiary MaiaSpace is examining the possibility of doubling the performance of all variants of its Maia rocket “if market response for such a configuration is favorable.” According to the company, this upgrade would involve the addition of a fourth Prometheus rocket engine powering its first stage and would not increase the average cost per launch.

MaiaSpace is currently working toward an early 2027 debut of Maia. The two-stage rocket’s first and second stages are powered by Prometheus methalox engines developed by ArianeGroup under a European Space Agency contract for the Themis demonstrator. (6/30)

Space Force Fields Mobile Satellite-Jamming System (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force has placed into operational service a new mobile satellite-jamming system capable of temporarily disrupting an adversary’s communications. The Meadowlands system, developed by L3Harris, uses ground-based radio frequency units to disrupt satellite communications. (6/30)

Germany's Satellite Lasercom Terminal Builder Tesat: Production Ramping to 5 Per Day (Source: Space Intel Report)
Tesat Spacecom of Germany, which pioneered the use of satellite optical laser communications terminals on satellites, has seen multiple competitors surface and a veteran competitor, Mynaric, purchased out of bankruptcy from Rocket Lab of the United States. Based in Backnang, Tesat is a subsidiary of Airbus but acts with a degree of independence that can be useful in Europe, especially for the future Iris2 multi-orbit secure communications network. (6/30)

NASA Tests New Device for Future In-Space Refueling Missions (Source: NASA)
For NASA’s next generation of deep space exploration missions, spacecraft may need to refuel in Earth orbit before pushing farther into the solar system. Similar to how a gas pump needs a nozzle to fit your fuel tank, future spacecraft could require a special device in order to fill up prior to departure, known as a cryocoupler.

Cryocouplers would allow spacecraft to connect to future orbital propellant depots, which would serve as the gas stations of space. The technology comes with the challenge of reliably transferring cryogenic, or super-cold, fluids without losing propellant or performance. Cryogenic propellants like liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen must stay chilled to hundreds of degrees below zero Fahrenheit, placing strict demands on the materials, seals, and mechanisms that move them. (6/26)

South Korea Prepares Naro Spaceport for Private Launches (Source: UPI)
South Korea's space agency released guidelines Monday for private companies seeking to use the Naro Space Center, beginning preparations for the country's first dedicated commercial launch facilities. The Korea AeroSpace Administration said the guidelines outline a four-stage consultation and approval process, methods for calculating fees and safety and security requirements. (6/29)

Australian Spaceport CEO Owed $2.3m After Employer's Misconduct Defense Fails (Source: HCA)
When Australia's first commercial spaceport collapsed into liquidation, its former chief executive came out of court owed millions over the payout she was promised. On June 19, 2026, the Federal Court found that Carley Scott, the former CEO of Equatorial Launch Australia, was entitled to $2,367,430.25 under a special contract built around her work for the start-up, plus $17,458.58 in unpaid employment entitlements. (6/30)
   
Southern Launch Secures $25m to Help Scale Australia's Sovereign Launch Infrastructure (Source: Business News Australia)
Adelaide-based spaceport operator Southern Launch has raised $25 million in a funding round led by national security investor Brindabella & Company, with the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (NRFC) committing $10 million in direct equity to help scale Australia's sovereign launch infrastructure.

The capital will fund expansion of Southern Launch's two facilities - the Koonibba Test Range on the far west coast of South Australia and the Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex near Port Lincoln - as the company works to meet growing demand from domestic and international launch customers. Among them is US-based Varda Space Industries, which manufactures pharmaceuticals in microgravity and uses Southern Launch's Koonibba facility to land its reentry capsules. (6/30)

NordSpace CEO Rahul Goel Details Canadian Spaceport Progress and New Tempest Rocket (Source: SpaceQ)
It’s been a few months since the announcement of the three Phase 1 winners of Canada’s Launch the North IDEaS Challenge. NordSpace, Canada Rocket Company, and Reaction Dynamics evenly split a $25-million award to “develop and demonstrate breakthrough technologies to advance Canada’s sovereign space launch capabilities.”

Each is pursuing a somewhat different type of launcher technology: Reaction Dynamics is developing hybrid solid/liquid propellant rockets, NordSpace is working on launchers that use more traditional liquid kerosene/oxygen propellants and Canada Rocket Company, which recently emerged from stealth mode, is working on launchers with methalox engines that use liquid oxygen and liquid methane as propellants. (6/29)

So Paso Robles Wants to Build a Spaceport? Here’s What It Has to Do (Source: The Tribune)
The space industry is booming — in fact, its economy is projected to go from $500 billion in 2025 to $1 trillion by 2030. And Paso Robles wants a piece of the pie — since 2022, in fact. But before it can create its own spaceport, it must first be licensed through a process that’s known to be highly complex and rigorous with the FAA. After four years of pursuing such a goal, the city announced that it finally had a “solid foundation for advancing the project while identifying the remaining steps needed to complete the licensing process.”

By June 16, the city opened an RFP in hopes of finding a consulting firm to help with the final push of its application for license. The city is preparing an application to the FAA to convert its municipal airport into a spaceport, which would accommodate space planes. The FAA’s launch and reentry site operator license authorizes a non-federal entity to operate a launch or reentry site within the United States, allowing them to host, manage and facilitate third-party commercial vehicle activities. (6/29)

New SpaceX Millionaires are Reshaping SoCal Coastal Real Estate (Source: KTLA)
The recent initial public offering of SpaceX stock has created a wave of new millionaires, boosting demand for luxury homes in Southern California. The Hawthorne-based aerospace company went public June 12 and quickly raised $75 billion. Around 4,000 current and former SpaceX employees are expected to become millionaires, with roughly 400 of them making $100 million or more from the stock.

With its headquarters in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County, Realtors expect a surge of interest in homes along the “Silicon Beach” corridor, from Santa Monica to the Palos Verdes Peninsula, including Venice and Manhattan Beach. Other upscale neighborhoods could also see a bump in wealthy homebuyers. Melissa Pilon, a South Bay real estate agent with Compass, told the Times that one SpaceX buyer contacted her the day of the IPO about a property in north Redondo Beach. (6/29)

ISU Seeking Investors or Buyer (Source: Douglas Messier)
The financially distressed International Space University, based in Srasbourg, is seeking investors or a buyer: "An investment or takeover opportunity is currently open for International Space University, a private higher education institution specializing in the space sector...  Interested investors or buyers can contact the CBF Associés teams for more information. CBF Associes bills itself as “a team of 28 crisis management and turnaround professionals.” The company appears to be an administrator appointed by the court to deal with ISU’s financial problems. (6/30)

AIA Highlights Need to Grow Space Industrial Base (Source: CyberWire)
Aerospace Industries Association Vice President for Space Systems Steve Jordan-Tomaszewski highlights challenges facing the space industry's supply chain, citing limited system capacity and the need to "grow and scale the current supply chain to match all of this new, incoming demand." He says expanding the space industrial base will require close collaboration between industry and government. (6/28)

BAE Systems Validates Endura SOC for Space Radiation (Source: ExecutiveBiz)
BAE Systems successfully demonstrated its Endura system-on-chip processor in severe radiation environments. This test validated the processor's ability to operate reliably under high-radiation conditions, confirming its suitability for challenging space missions requiring robust performance in harsh environments. (6/29)

‘Pink Planet’ Surrounded by Salty Clouds (Source: News Nation)
The universe’s famous “Pink Planet” is surrounded by salty clouds, astronomers have discovered using data from the James Webb Space Telescope. A team of astronomers led by Northwestern University discovered exotic chemistry in the rosy atmosphere of a planet too faint for scientists to dissect its light from Earth. The new study, published in the Astronomical Journal, supplies direct evidence for salt clouds in a cold object’s atmosphere, something scientists first theorized over 15 years ago. (6/29)

SpaceX is Putting Top Starship and Starlink Engineers to Work on Grok (Source: Business Insider)
It's all hands on deck at SpaceX as the company plays catch-up in the AI race. Elon Musk said on Sunday that SpaceX had deployed "a few dozen" top Starlink and Starship engineers to help overhaul its Grok model. "The SpaceXAI cadence of model and harness improvement is speeding up tremendously, particularly due to a few dozen of the top Starlink/Starship engineers shifting much of their time to AI," wrote Musk in a post on X. (6/29)

Orbital Seeks FCC Approval for 100,000-Satellite Data Center Constellation (Source: Space News)
Another company has filed plans for a massive constellation of orbital data center satellites. Orbital asked the Federal Communications Commission for permission to deploy as many as 100,000 data center satellites, aiming to bring 10 gigawatts of computing power from space to meet rising artificial intelligence demand. The filing comes just weeks after the company emerged from stealth with $5 million in pre-seed funding ahead of a demonstration mission next year.

Orbital is seeking to deploy 100-kilowatt-class satellites in low Earth orbit at altitudes of 500 to 850 kilometers, with solar arrays and radiators spanning around 100 meters and a dry mass of 1.5-2.5 metric tons. Orbital joins fellow startups Cowboy Space and Starcloud, along with Blue Origin and SpaceX, seeking permission for giant orbital data center constellations. (6/30)

Isakowitz Joins Vast as Advisor (Source: Space News)
The former CEO of The Aerospace Corporation is now an adviser to commercial Space station developer Vast. The company announced Tuesday that Steve Isakowitz, who retired from Aerospace last year, has joined its team of advisers, leveraging his experience in industry and government. The move comes as Vast and other companies await a draft request for proposals from NASA on the next phase of its Commercial LEO Development program to support the development of commercial successors to the ISS. (6/30)

Space Force Is Learning To Scramble Rocket Launches Like They're Fighter Jets (Source: Jalopnik)
Planning a rocket launch usually takes ages, as in months of sometimes even years. Rocket Lab just demonstrated it can be done in less than a day, and with an actual payload that then went on to do actual work. Essentially, the Space Force is figuring out how to scramble space rockets the way the Air Force scrambles fighter jets. As activity in space gets bigger and bigger, it's getting more and more likely that satellites could get targeted in a conflict. The USSF wants to be able to respond rapidly, like every other military branch does. (6/28)