July 22, 2026

Australian Space Agency Outlines New Strategic Direction for Industry Growth (Source: SpaceQ)
The Australian Space Agency has released an updated framework titled the Statement on Space. Minister Tim Ayres and Assistant Minister Andrew Charlton introduced the document at the ongoing Australian Space Forum, detailing a government vision aimed at securing national capability and boosting industrial participation in the global market.

The strategy arrives as the domestic sector looks to expand beyond its current base of 275 small and medium enterprises, which generated $4.6 billion Australian (about $4.5 billion Cdn) in 2021. Since it’s 2026, it seems odd the government does not have updated financial figures of the impact the space sector has on the Australian economy. (7/21)

Western Range Supports its 50th Launch of the Year (Source: USSF)
Vandenberg Space Force Base Guardians and Airmen supported the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Starlink 17-39 mission to low-Earth orbit Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at 7:49 a.m. from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4). Today's mission marks the 50th launch supported from Vandenberg Space Force Base for 2026 from the U.S. Space Force’s West Coast Spaceport and Test Range at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Every launch approved by the Vandenberg Space Force Base range is designated by the federal government to advance economic growth, strengthen national security, and achieve critical national space objectives — reinforcing the Central Coast’s role as a global gateway to space. (7/21)

Poland Joins Mission to Free Europe From Starlink Dependence (Source: TVP World)
Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński and EU Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius signed an agreement in Warsaw on Tuesday, making Poland one of six key contributors behind the €10.6 billion IRIS2 project. IRIS2 is an EU-backed satellite network designed to provide secure, encrypted communications under European control for governments, emergency responders and critical infrastructure. 

The project reflects Europe’s growing determination to safeguard critical communications following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and amid geopolitical tensions with the Donald Trump administration in the US. Concerns have also grown over dependence on privately owned satellite services after Musk suggested earlier this year that he could restrict Starlink access to Ukraine. (7/21)

ESA Seeks Novel Concepts for a Fast Asteroid Reconnaissance Mission (Source: ESA)
NASA's DART mission proved that a spacecraft can alter an asteroid's trajectory. But it also taught us something equally important: to do so efficiently, you first need to understand your target. That makes reconnaissance the essential first step in any deflection effort – and right now, even the fastest mission ESA can mount takes several years from the start of construction to launch.

ESA is preparing to set a new benchmark for rapid asteroid reconnaissance with RAMSES, which will rendezvous with asteroid Apophis just 3.5 years after the start of construction. Yet even this pace could, in a real-world scenario, mean missing the window to reach a threatening asteroid in time. So ESA is launching a new SysNova challenge calling for novel and advanced concepts for a fast asteroid reconnaissance mission, open now on the Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP). (7/22)

Space Force Could Cap Launch Support Without Extra Funding (Source: Air and Space Forces)
Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman is warning lawmakers that the Space Force may eventually have to limit the number of launches it can support each year without additional resources to manage surging demand at its spaceports.

Demand for rides to space for both commercial and military payloads has risen dramatically in recent years, and the Space Force is responsible for facilitating the bulk of U.S. launch operations at its two coastal ranges, which together supported 180 missions in 2025. Annual launch rates at the two ranges are projected to grow to more than 700 over the next five to 10 years, and leaders say more funding is essential to further prepare its spaceport infrastructure for that higher throughput. (7/21)

Auxilium Biotechnologies Prints Kidney and Liver Tissues in Orbit (Source: Douglas Messier)
Auxilium Biotechnologies has announced a major milestone in space biomanufacturing with the successful bioprinting of kidney and liver tissues aboard the International Space Station (ISS), marking the first time either tissue type has been manufactured in space. Auxilium’s bioprinted biological tissues and nerve repair implants returned to earth on Mission AXLM-3 that flew on NASA’s SpaceX CRS-34 and splashed down off the California coast on June 17th, 2026, at 5:11 am Pacific.

During the mission, Auxilium’s AMP-1 orbital bioprinter successfully manufactured kidney, liver, and cartilage tissues while also producing 28 nerve repair implants. The achievement represents the first demonstration of kidney tissue manufacturing in space, the first demonstration of liver tissue manufacturing in space, and the first mission to manufacture three distinct tissue types during a single spaceflight. The production of multiple tissue types and clinically relevant nerve repair implants represents the first demonstration of a scalable, multi-product biomanufacturing platform in space. (7/21)

Raytheon Leads $423M USSF Radar Modernization Effort (Source: ExecutiveBiz)
The US Space Force has awarded contracts totaling $423.4 million to Raytheon, SciTec Innovations and WildStar to modernize six legacy ground-based radar systems. Raytheon received $309.5 million, SciTec $93.7 million and WildStar $20.2 million. The project aims to enhance battlespace situational awareness by improving radar tracking, range and object classification. (7/20)

NASA’s Nuclear Mars Mission to Cost Over $2 Billion (Source: Politico)
NASA administrator Jared Isaacman’s ambitious plans to build a nuclear-powered spacecraft and fly it to Mars will cost over $2 billion, the agency confirmed this week. The new cost estimate for the mission, dubbed Space Reactor-1 Freedom, comes as the agency juggles a number of high-profile missions — including returning humans to the Moon and building a lunar outpost — all while operating under what is expected to be a flat budget.

“Early cost estimates are approximately $2.1 billion, and NASA will continue refining that figure through the acquisition process,” the agency confirmed. The agency plans to spend $640 million in fiscal 2026, $890 million in 2027, $415 million in 2028, and $180 million in 2029 on the program, according to a document sent to Congress and viewed by POLITICO. NASA will pull that money from the agency’s exploration account and from funding it received through the party-line reconciliation bill passed last year. (7/21)

Space Lasers to Beam 4K Video for Artemis III (Source: Space.com)
NASA is partnering with SpaceX to equip the Artemis III Orion spacecraft with Starlink laser communications terminals. The upgrade is intended to support high-definition—reported as 4K—video transmission and enable higher-throughput, data-heavy mission downlinks during the Artemis III timeframe. (7/21)

SpaceX Launches Tuesday Starlink Mission From California (Source: Spaceflight Now)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched two dozen Starlink V2 Mini broadband internet satellites to its massive low Earth orbit constellation on Tuesday, a day after liftoff was scrubbed Monday by a rare abort during engine ignition. (7/21)

NASA is Flying Planes Into Wildfires to Try and Figure Out How They Make Their Own Thunderstorms (Source: Independent)
NASA says it’s planning to fly planes into dangerous wildfire-generated storms this summer to help improve forecasting – and potentially save lives. Major wildfires across the U.S. West have produced clouds that can shoot choking smoke high into Earth’s atmosphere, generate thousands of fire-causing lightning strikes in a matter of just hours, and even spawn destructive, whirling firenadoes. These clouds and their impacts complicate firefighting efforts and threaten Americans living near the fire and those thousands of miles away. (7/21)

SpaceX Snaps 7-Day Losing Streak, Sets Earnings Date That Triggers First Big Share Unlock (Source: CNBC)
SpaceX’s stock gained 3% on Tuesday, snapping a seven-day losing streak after setting its maiden earnings report, which coincides with a major share lock-up expiration. The contractor announced Aug. 4 as its debut earnings report after its record initial public offering. The date also triggers the company’s unique lock-up period, which allows insiders to begin selling shares earlier than the typical 180-day period.

SpaceX took a staggered approach, allowing insiders to sell portions of their stock at earlier intervals to prevent massive selling and price volatility. The first earnings report paves the way for investors to sell 20% of their eligible locked-up stock, a total of up to 911.5 million shares, on the second full trading day immediately following the first earnings release date, Aug. 6. An additional 10% could be freed up if the stock closes at least 30% above the IPO price for five of the ten trading days heading into the report. (7/21)

New Zealand's Zenno Astronautics to Relocate to the United States (Source: Space News)
Zenno Astronautics, a New Zealand-founded space company pioneering superconducting technologies for space, today announced its intent to redomicile to the United States. While maintaining its presence in New Zealand, the company is establishing its headquarters in Los Angeles as part of its long-term strategy to expand its presence in the world's largest aerospace and defense market and evaluate future investments in manufacturing, testing and operational infrastructure. (7/21)

FCC Eyes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Bands for Satellites (Source: Payload)
The FCC announced last week that it will consider a proposal on Aug. 6 to allow unlicensed Part 15 wireless devices to communicate directly with satellites. More than $40B has moved through D2D spectrum deals since 2024, from SpaceX’s $19.6B EchoStar spectrum purchase to the Amazon-Globalstar and Rocket Lab-Iridium acquisitions. The new FCC proposal would open more than 225 MHz of unlicensed spectrum—over three times what SpaceX bought—for free.

The spectrum the FCC wants to open was never anyone’s to sell. Part 15 governs devices that operate without a license—think Wi-Fi routers, Bluetooth speakers, garage door openers, and smart meters. Rather than applying for spectrum rights, these devices simply comply with technical limitations. (7/21)

Spectrum and RFA One, Two Bavarian Launchers Neck and Neck (Source: AeroSpatium)
Which small European private launcher will be the first to reach orbit? Isar Aerospace, with the second flight of its Spectrum, and Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), with the inaugural flight of its RFA One, are both aiming for the beginning of August. Of the five startups selected last year by the ESA for its European Launcher Challenge , one – Orbex – has gone out of business, and two are preparing to launch from Kourou at the end of this year or next (PLD Space and MaiaSpace). But the other two Bavarian companies, Isar Aerospace and Rocket Factory Augsburg (Germany), both intend to reach orbit next month, launching from Northern Europe. (7/13)

Making Progress: Relativity’s Terran R, Rocket Lab’s Neutron, and PLD Space’s Miura 5 (Source: NSF)
Three companies developing new orbital rockets — Relativity Space, Rocket Lab, and PLD Space — announced key testing milestones for vehicles targeted for debut flights later in 2026. Click here. (7/20)

Vikram-1: A Success for India’s Entire Space Ecosystem (Source: Space Review)
On Saturday, Indian startup Skyroot Aerospace successfully reached orbit on the first flight of its Vikram-1 rocket. Ajey Lele says this is a milestone not just for the company but the emerging Indian commercial space field. Click here. (7/21)
 
Getting to Yes—or No (Source: Space Review)
The US commercial space industry has pushed for years for a “mission authorization” system to approve novel space activities. Jeff Foust reports on the latest attempt to develop such a system, and how it could also become an avenue to block such efforts. Click here. (7/21)
 
The Arsenal’s New Owners (Source: Space Review)
The space industrial base is undergoing major changes with new players and new investment. Bharath Gopalaswamy and Daniel Dant argue that those companies would also benefit from reforms on how the government communicates its demand for space systems. Click here. (7/21)
 
Superstar in the Smithsonian: the FARRAH Satellite (Source: Space Review)
Among the new exhibits in the National Air and Space Museum is a half-scale model of a formerly top-secret signals intelligence satellite from the Cold War known as FARRAH. Dwayne Day discusses the history of that program. Click here. (7/21)

SpaceX Limits Future Commercial Rideshare Bookings Past 2028 Amid Severe Manifest Saturation (Source: SatNews)
Small satellite operators and mission integrators confirmed that SpaceX has stopped accepting new commercial launch bookings for both its Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) Transporter series and mid-inclination Bandwagon missions beyond late 2028. The unexpected capacity freeze has triggered industry-wide logistical concerns as capital-constrained startups confront a sudden bottleneck to space access.

The sudden suspension of future commercial rideshare slots stems from a broader reallocation of internal launch infrastructure. Industry analysts report that SpaceX is increasingly prioritizing its internal Falcon 9 and Starship launch capacity to accelerate the deployment of the next-generation Starlink constellation.

Since the program’s inception in 2020, SpaceX’s sub-$300,000 baseline price point for standard CubeSat slots completely transformed NewSpace business models, rendering legacy, dedicated small-lift launch vehicles economically non-viable. The halt on new bookings past 2028 leaves a massive supply vacuum in the market. Startups that have raised capital based on ultra-cheap, highly predictable Transporter flight cadences must now face significantly higher launch costs or prolonged deployment delays, altering the economic baseline for emerging remote sensing and communications constellations. (7/20)

UK Misses Deadline to Award Contract for Space Debris Removal Mission (Source: European Spaceflight)
The UK Space Agency has missed a deadline to award a £75.6 million contract for the country’s first mission to capture and remove dead satellites from low Earth orbit. A call for Phase 3 of the mission’s development was published in July 2025, with the contract initially expected to be awarded by 30 March 2026. However, in its final annual report as an independent entity, published on 14 July, UKSA admitted that the contract award had been delayed. The agency is now targeting summer 2026 but has not explained the reason for the delay or provided a more precise timetable.

The Active Debris Removal (ADR) mission is expected to capture and remove two defunct UK-licensed satellites from low Earth orbit by the end of 2028. Neither satellite was designed to be removed from orbit, demonstrating the capture of unprepared, uncooperative objects in an increasingly congested orbital environment. In the initial call for tenders, the agency estimated the total value of Phase 3 at £63 million before VAT, or £75.6 million including VAT. However, separate spending-control records published by DSIT, the department that now oversees the UK Space Agency, show that £83.93 million excluding VAT was approved for the Phase 3 mission in June 2025. (7/20)

A SpaceX Rocket is About to Crash Onto the Moon (Source: Scientific American)
Astronomers are gearing up for a unique moon observation event: a stray piece of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is on track to hit the lunar surface on August 5. The collision and its aftermath, which may be visible from Earth- and space-based telescopes, present an opportunity for some singular science. The crash could reveal new information about what happens in the immediate aftermath of an impact on the lunar surface and offer insights into the hazards of errant space junk to the moon. (7/20)