July 9, 2026

Sweden and Oman Compete for Small-Launch Traffic (Source: Space News)
It has been an interesting couple of weeks for spaceport geopolitics. Spaceports, considered the second bottleneck for space access after launchers, have been increasingly debated at the ESA level. The question is a sophisticated one: Does Europe need to finance multiple spaceports, with different sizes and characteristics, to create a system in which Kourou can be complemented by smaller, decentralized spaceports?

On the commercial side, however, the question seems to have a different tone. With the exception of PLD Space, private and smaller launcher operators seem to have already decided to invest in the smaller bets. U.S. company Firefly Aerospace is targeting the first launch of its Alpha rocket from Esrange in Sweden, in 2028. And again, both Germany’s HyImpulse and France’s Latitude signed agreements to use Oman's Etlaq Spaceport.

There is a fair amount of wishful thinking in all this. None of these companies have flown an orbital rocket yet, and signing MoUs is not the same as reaching orbit. Still, it would be interesting and slightly worrying if, after so much bureaucratic debate over “spaceports yes” or “spaceports no,” Oman takes the lead on something Europe could have arranged by itself. (7/8)

Venus Aerospace Raises $91 Million for Hypersonic Engine Development (Source: Space News)
Hypersonic propulsion startup Venus Aerospace has raised $91 million. The company said the new capital will fund engine development and manufacturing as it seeks to scale production of its rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) from flight testing toward operational deployment. The reusable, throttleable engine is intended for a range of missions, including munitions, space launch vehicles, orbital transfer vehicles and lunar landers. (7/8)

Italy's D-Orbit to Support Japan's ArkEdge with Launch Logistics (Source: Space News)
Italian space logistics specialist D-Orbit will provide a series of launches aboard its ION Satellite Carrier for Japanese startup ArkEdge Space. D-Orbit will send ArkEdge satellites to sun-synchronous orbit in 2027 and 2028 on an undisclosed number of missions, the companies announced Tuesday. D-Orbit's ION has completed 23 missions with the most recent ION launched on a SpaceX rideshare mission Tuesday. (7/8)

The Government’s Options to Address Strained Spaceports (Source: Space News)
Industry officials are offering a range of options to deal with strained launch sites. The concepts range from additional funding for spaceport infrastructure improvements to more cooperation among government agencies in dealing with launch site upgrades. The ideas are, in many cases, not new but are getting more attention after the Blue Origin New Glenn pad explosion in May. (7/8)

Apolink Deploys 3U Cubesat to Test S-Band Intersatellite Links (Source: Space News)
Among the payloads on Transporter-17 was the first satellite for data-relay startup Apolink. The 3U cubesat will test intersatellite links in S-band using a novel experimental license from the FCC. That license allows Apolink's cubesat to receive S-band signals from designated partner satellites on an unprotected and non-interference basis, before storing and forwarding them to approved ground stations. The IPoS-TDsM, or Interoperability Protocol over Satellite – Technology Demonstration Mission, is designed to close low-power links at distances of up to about 150 kilometers during line-of-sight passes. (7/8)

Orbit Fab Gets New CEO, New Investment for In-Orbit Fueling (Source: Space News)
Satellite refueling company Orbit Fab has a new CEO and additional funding as it moves from technology development to commercial operations. The company announced Tuesday it hired Peter Shaper, a former CEO of satellite services companies CapRock Communications and Speedcast, while lead investor Stride Capital is providing more than $25 million in interim financing as it works closing a Series B round.

Shaper said he is tasked with taking Orbit Fab's technology to refuel satellites in orbit, with three demo missions planned in the next 18 to 24 months, and turning it into a commercial service with the U.S. government as a likely initial customer. (7/8)

Space Systems Command Awards SES 5-Year Blanket Purchase Agreement (Source: Via Satellite)
The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) has awarded SES Space and Defense a five-year blanket purchase agreement (BPA) for global Ku-band connectivity, including a number of managed connectivity services. (7/8)

VSFB Announces ‘Spaceport of the Future' Industry Day to Drive Large-Scale Infrastructure Modernization (Source: USSF)
Space Launch Delta 30 is scheduled to host a "Spaceport of the Future" Industry Day  on July 29 at Vandenberg Space Force Base. The Industry Day aims to align government and industry partners on a large-scale infrastructure recapitalization effort designed to transform the base into a high-capacity spaceport.

The Industry Day will gather executive-level decision-makers, site leads, and organizations specializing in large-scale infrastructure, power grid expansion, environmental planning, logistics, and venture capital. Topics of discussion will include streamlining contract procurement timelines, exploring public-private collaboration models, and implementing shared-use infrastructure strategies. (7/6)

Blue Origin Reportedly Raising $10B at $130B Valuation (Source: Tech Crunch)
Billionaire Jeff Bezos’ space rocket company Blue Origin is raising $10 billion at a $130 billion pre-money valuation from Coatue Asset Management, Bezos himself, and other large investors. Coatue is expected to invest about $4 billion in the round, which would be Blue Origin’s first external fundraise. Bezos is said to be committing $2 billion, and the other investors will account for the remaining funds, according to the report. (7/8)

AST SpaceMobile Adds Three More BlueBird Satellites to LEO (Source: Space News)
AST SpaceMobile has deployed three additional BlueBird satellites into low Earth orbit, moving ahead of its plan to build a space-based cellular broadband network. The company is targeting deployment of 45 to 60 satellites by the end of the year as it scales capacity in-orbit. (7/8)

Component Anomaly Delays Thaicom 9, Affecting Other Astranis Satellites Too (Source: Space Intel Report)
Thaicom says its Thaicom 9 satellite—previously scheduled for launch in 2024—has been delayed to March 2027 following a power system anomaly identified on one of the four other Astranis Space Technologies micro-GEO satellites that were sharing a SpaceX launch. The issue drives a multi-satellite schedule slip for the cluster. (7/8)

CesiumAstro Files FCC Application for 737-Satellite “Synchronicity” Reconfigurable Connectivity Constellation (Source: Via Satellite)
CesiumAstro submitted an FCC filing for a 737-satellite constellation called Synchronicity to provide reconfigurable connectivity to fixed and mobile satellite users. CesiumAstro, which is based in Austin, Texas, builds software-defined radios and phased arrays and processor systems, and has moved into end-to-end missions. Last year the company announced its Element reconfigurable satellite platform, but this is the first indication it plans to launch its own constellation. (7/7)