July 24, 2026

SpaceX Is Turning Away Falcon Customers in Major Bet on Starship (Source: Bloomberg)
SpaceX has started to turn away satellite operators seeking dedicated rides to orbit aboard its staple Falcon 9 rocket beyond 2028, people familiar with the matter said, underscoring the massive bet Elon Musk is making on its unproven Starship. Musk’s rocket, satellite and artificial intelligence juggernaut has also stopped building some non-reusable components for the Falcon family, such as the rocket’s massive upper stage, said one of the people. (7/24)

US Aerospace/Defense Contractors Confront Europe's Drive for Local Control (Source: Reuters)
As U.S. defense companies descended on Britain's Farnborough Airshow this week hoping to tap Europe's military spending boom, they encountered increased concern among customers about reliance on American ​suppliers. European governments are demanding greater control over defense equipment, more local production and a bigger share of industrial benefits. In response, U.S. ‌arms makers are expanding manufacturing in Europe, forming joint ventures and offering more tailored products. (7/24)

House NDAA Rejects Civilian Workforce Cuts, Anti-Union Proposals (Source: FNN)
The House narrowly passed its version of the fiscal 2027 defense policy bill on Wednesday evening despite strong Democratic opposition over the bill’s massive price tag, the war with Iran and a provision that would expand military partnership between the United States and Israel.

While the $1.15 trillion defense bill backs President Donald Trump’s request to raise all service members’ pay by 5 to 7%, it does not mention a pay raise for DoD civilians in fiscal 2027. While civilian pay is addressed outside the annual defense authorization process, some Democrats argued that House lawmakers missed an opportunity to provide a pay increase for the department’s civilian workforce. (7/23)

Florida Economy Surpasses Australia's (Source: Fox Business)
New data from the Florida Chamber of Commerce shows the Sunshine State's $1.8 trillion economy has climbed to No. 14 globally, according to the Florida Chamber Foundation. The chamber says the ranking demonstrates the state's emphasis on lower taxes, streamlined regulations and free enterprise.

Last week, the chamber announced Florida had climbed to No. 14 among the world's largest economies by gross domestic product (GDP). The state's economy reached $1.8 trillion after growing 6.3% over the past year, surpassing Australia and Mexico, according to the chamber. Florida now ranks behind South Korea at No. 13 and would need roughly 2% additional growth to surpass it and about 21% more growth to overtake Canada, which ranks No. 10. (7/23)

Rivers of Magma Once Bubbled Beneath Crust of Mars (Source: Guardian)
Mars once had rivers of magma bubbling beneath its crust, new research suggests. The surprise find makes it more probable that Mars could have supported life and widens the selection of rocky planets that may once have been habitable. Researchers at the University of Oxford studied data gathered by NASA’s Insight Lander, which recorded seismic waves caused by meteorite impacts and Martian quakes. They used the seismic data to analyze a mysterious boundary 15 miles below the surface of Mars. Their findings showed that the most likely cause for this boundary was molten rock pooling deep underground and stretching sideways for hundreds or even thousands of miles. (7/23)

SpaceX Plans Texas Data Center Expansion (Source: Reuters)
SpaceX is preparing for at least one new large-scale data center in Texas, ​according to people ‌familiar with the matter. The expansion would significantly increase the company's AI computing capacity beyond ​its existing Memphis-area hub, where it ​operates two data centers with about ⁠1 gigawatt of compute capacity. SpaceX has explored several potential data center ​sites in Texas in recent months, aiming for a Texas expansion on a similar or larger scale than its ​existing Memphis-area ​facilities. (7/22)

Congress Seeks Details on NASA Workforce Plan (Source: Politico)
Lawmakers wanted more information on NASA’s plans to convert a chunk of its contractor-heavy workforce into full-time government employees. Isaacman has said the move will save NASA overhead costs and bring core functions in-house. As of May, NASA has approved the “hiring of 3,664 contractor positions to civil servant roles,” according to a document NASA sent in response to questions from the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science. The move will generate $140 million in annual savings. (7/23)

Sidus Space Appoints Chief Financial Officer (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIDU) announced the appointment of Alan Khalili as Chief Financial Officer, effective July 27. Mr. Khalili brings more than two decades of executive financial leadership across the space, satellite, and technology sectors, spanning publicly traded and high growth companies. (7/24)

Council on Foreign Relations visits Cape Canaveral Spaceport to Discuss the Future of Launch (Source: USSF)
 On June 26, 2026, the Council on Foreign Relations visited Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Members of the CFR met with Space Force Col. Brian Chatman, commander of Space Launch Delta 45, to discuss the scale of Space Coast operations, spaceport logistics and ways to ensure Cape Canaveral Space Force Station remains the “Premier Gateway to Space.”

The CFR is a nonpartisan, United States-based think tank with its headquarters in New York City. The council focuses on international affairs and their relation to U.S. interests. Members discuss these global challenges with government officials and scholars to advocate for policy changes that are better postured to address international and national issues. (7/23)

From Farnborough to Florida (Source: Florida High Tech Corridor)
Florida’s innovation ecosystem and the Florida High Tech Corridor Region are having a standout week at the 2026 Farnborough International Airshow in England, one of the world’s premier aerospace and technology events. Leading a business development mission to the United Kingdom, Florida officials are showcasing the state’s strengths in aerospace, aviation, advanced manufacturing and space commerce while highlighting new investment opportunities. Click here. (7/23)

Space Florida and Seraphim Showcase Second Investment Readiness Cohort at Farnborough (Source: Space Florida)
Space Florida and Seraphim Space, the world's leading SpaceTech investment group, today announced the second cohort of their Investment Readiness Program at the Farnborough International Airshow. Building on the successful launch of the program in 2025, the announcement adds to the momentum behind the new Space Florida-UK Memorandum of Understanding, signed by Governor Ron DeSantis. The growing collaboration between the two regions continues to strengthen innovation, investment, and commercial growth across the space sector. (7/23)

NASA Programs Feel Effects of Workforce Reductions (Source: Space News)
More than two dozen major NASA projects say they’ve been affected by the loss of roughly a fifth of the agency’s civil servant workforce over the past year. The impact signals operational strain across program execution and delivery timelines, as multiple initiatives contend with reduced staffing capacity. (7/23)

Space Is Coming for Silicon (Source: Via Satellite)
Orbital data centers are now taking shape enough to have brand names. SpaceX has put Starmind on the map, with Elon Musk describing it as an AI satellite megaconstellation that could eventually operate as “orbital data centers” at enormous scale. While that is the headline, the footnote is more interesting. Reuters reported that SpaceX has warned investors its orbital AI compute plans remain technically complex, unproven, exposed to the harsh space environment, and may not become commercially viable.

That contradiction is the real story. The public pitch is simple: AI needs power, space has sunlight, vacuum is cold, and launch costs are falling. It is a good slide. It is also incomplete. Physics does not care that the renderings look clean. A hyperscale cloud in orbit still has to survive radiation, thermal cycling, launch vibration, orbital debris, limited servicing, short technology refresh cycles, and a communications architecture that does not turn every workload into an expensive round trip. (7/23)

Thales Space Division Reports Growing Sales and Profit Despite $174.5M Cost of Cancellation of Two Satellites for SES (Source: Space Intel Report)
Thales’ space business—run largely through Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio—posted continued recovery in the three months ended June 30, with both sales and profit increasing. The improvement held even after a customer cancellation of two geostationary-orbit telecommunications satellites, costing €174.5M for Thales’ accounts. Satellite fleet operator SES in May cancelled the IS-41 and IS44 satellites, both designed with Thales Alenia Space’s SpaceInspire software-defined platform, in May. (7/23)

Frequency Electronics Reports Increased Demand From Proliferated Satellite Programs (Source: Via Satellite)
Frequency Electronics reports $18 million in recent contract wins, including an $11 million award from an undisclosed major aerospace prime contractor to support a proliferated satellite program. Under the contract, Frequency Electronics will provide on-board precision frequency-generation systems. The company also secured $7 million in follow-on production contracts for both space oscillators and non-space U.S. government programs. (7/23)

Intel Authorization Act Proposes Limiting Commercial EO Access (Source: Payload)
A proposed provision in the US Intel Authorization Act would treat commercial Earth Observation (EO) data access as a controlled privilege rather than a right, seeking to limit what Earth-observation satellite operators can publicly share. The measure frames data dissemination as something the government should govern for security reasons. (7/23)

Vulcan Centaur Swapped Out Again: NASA Goes with SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket for Launch of Space Weather Mission (Source: Space.com)
NASA is shaking things up for its next mission to research the sun. The six satellites of NASA's Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment (SunRISE) mission are poised to launch to Earth orbit soon, to serve as an early warning system for incoming solar storms. They were originally slated to lift off on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan Centaur rocket but have now been assigned a SpaceX Falcon Heavy, according to a NASA mission update.

SunRISE will fly to space as part of a rideshare mission sponsored by the U.S. Space Force's (USSF's) Space Systems Command (SSC). Though it's not stated specifically in the NASA release, that may be a hint as to why the mission's rocket was changed. On its most recent launch, USSF-87, Vulcan experienced an anomaly in one of its solid rocket boosters — the second such incident to occur during the rocket's four launches to date. (7/23)

Canadian Consul General Visits Vandenberg to Strengthen U.S.- Canada Space Partnerships (Source: USSF)
Sylvie Bédard, Canada’s Consul General in Los Angeles, visited Vandenberg Space Force Base July 16 and 17 to observe the installation’s launch operations and reinforce the U.S.-Canada commitment to advancing security and cooperation in the space domain. Bédard met with Space Launch Delta 30 leadership to learn how Vandenberg supports national security, civil and commercial space launches. (7/22)

Louisiana State Senator Addresses Space X, Blue Origin Rumors (Source: KATC)
For months, speculation has circulated about a space exploration company coming to Vermilion Parish. State Sen. Bob Hensgens addressed those rumors directly with parish residents at a meeting, though no questions were taken from the public during or after the meeting. "I hold no details of a possible SpaceX or Blue Origin purchase of property in Vermilion Parish," Hensgens said. He said the parish's access to the Intracoastal Waterway, which provides direct access to the Gulf Coast, is a factor that makes the possibility appear real. (7/22)

New Mexico County Adopts Data Center Moratorium as Residents Protest Spaceport Proposal (Source: SourceNM)
This week, another New Mexico county commission unanimously approved a data center moratorium. The Sierra County Commission met in Truth or Consequences Tuesday to vote on a resolution opposing the development of large-scale data centers within the confines of the county. By the end of the roughly three-hour meeting, commissioners had amended the item into an 18-month moratorium on data centers.

This week’s vote in Sierra County, which follows similar approvals in Santa Fe and Socorro counties, came as residents scrutinized a proposal from a Canadian company to build a data center and solar array at Spaceport America. In a statement Tuesday, Spaceport spokesperson Charlie Hurley said leaders at Spaceport were not in talks with other data center developers and had not signed a lease, construction agreement or development agreement with Green Data. (7/22)

South Australia Signs MoU with Space Florida to Expand Launch and Spaceport Cooperation (Source: Space and Defense)
The South Australian Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Space Florida aimed at increasing international cooperation and engagement in the space sector, with a focus on spaceport development and launch-related activity. The agreement, entered into through the South Australian Space Industry Centre (SASIC), was announced at the 19th Australian Space Forum in Adelaide. It sets out a framework for collaboration across areas including spaceport development, space trade, economic opportunity, research and development, and workforce development. (7/23)

A Talent Race ISRO Can't Lose (Source: Deccan Herald)
More than 100 scientists are reported to have resigned or taken voluntary retirement from ISRO. India is entering the most ambitious phase of its space program just as its institutional core is being thinned by an exodus of experience. Since the space sector was opened to private participation in 2020, startups such as Skyroot Aerospace, Agnikul Cosmos, Pixxel, Bellatrix Aerospace, Dhruva Space, and Digantara have transformed India’s aerospace landscape. They offer higher salaries, stock options, quicker career progression, and a faster, less bureaucratic work environment. For technically ambitious scientists, the attraction is obvious. (7/22)

USRA Boosts Transatlantic Space Research Collaboration with Leicester Presence (Source: USRA)
The Universities Space Research Association, an organisation dedicated to international co-operation on space and advanced aeronautics research, is to establish a new corporate entity at Space Park Leicester. The news was announced at the Farnborough International Airshow. The University of Leicester's £100 million science and innovation park will host the USRA's UK presence, supporting the space economy across Europe and strengthening transatlantic space collaboration. (7/22)