August 3, 2026

Stratolaunch Achieves 10+ Flights of Hypersonic Reusable Testbed (Source: Stratolaunch)
Stratolaunch announced the completion of more than 10 successful hypersonic flights with its Talon-A in July. Talon-A is a reusable, fully autonomous air-launched hypersonic aircraft. The Talon-A is a testbed designed to accelerate the development of hypersonic technologies. Capable of reaching speeds exceeding Mach 5, Talon-A is air-launched from Stratolaunch's carrier fleet and operates with no onboard crew throughout its mission. After completing its high-speed flight profile, Talon-A returns safely, landing on a standard runway, for recovery refurbishment and reuse, dramatically reducing the turnaround time and cost per flight. (7/21)

4th Space Launch Squadron Reactivation Marks New Era at Vandenberg Space Force Base (Source: KSBY)
As Vandenberg Space Force Base looks to build the "Spaceport of the Future," it's bringing back a squadron that was deactivated in 2018. The 4th Space Launch Squadron was first activated in 1994 and oversaw Titan, Delta and Atlas rocket launches before it was deactivated. According to Colonel James T. Horne III, Space Launch Delta 30 commander, the squadron's reactivation is part of Vandenberg's efforts to transform the base into a more efficient spaceport capable of supporting rapidly growing launch activity. (7/31)

Lemons to Bitter Lemonade: From the Samos E-5 to the LANYARD Reconnaissance Satellite (Source: Space Review)
When the NRO decided to cancel a classified satellite reconnaissance program in the early 1960s, engineers with the company that designed its camera sought to salvage that work. Dwayne Day examines how that led to an alternative satellite program called LANYARD. Click here. (8/3)
 
The Roads to the Moon (Source: Space Review)
NASA has announced plans for a lunar base starting with its current Artemis architecture. Ernesto Gabriel Arias discusses an alternative approach better suited for lunar permanence. Click here. (8/3)
 
Price it Like a Tomahawk, Not a Falcon 9: the Case for Sovereign Microlaunch as Deterrence (Source: Space Review)
Very small launch vehicles are at an economic disadvantage to larger vehicles. However, Evangelos Dimitriou describes how they could provide a strategic capability for some spacefaring nations. Click here. (8/3)
 
Government Funding Before VC: the Inverted Capital Stack for Space Startups (Source: Space Review)
Many space startups seek, and often struggle to raise, venture capital to scale their businesses. Samson Williams argues companies are better off first working with the government to develop technologies and secure funding before going to VCs. Click here. (8/3)

Grieving Pet Dad Launches Dog’s Ashes (Source: New York Post)
A dog’s ashes were launched 119,000 feet and scattered in space. Oscar, a six-year-old French bulldog who died suddenly from a brain tumor earlier this year, has been given one final adventure after his ashes were sent to the edge of the atmosphere in a weather balloon. His favorite Toy Story alien plush and a pet GPS tracker traveled to the edge of Earth’s atmosphere in a weather balloon tribute on May 7, 2026. His owner, Jacob Battersby, 26, from Stockport, and friend Callum King, 26, from Rugby, launched the balloon from Rugby, Warwickshire. (8/2)

NASA Boss Balks at Billion-Dollar Estimate for Recycled Moon Rover (Source: The Register)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has stated "we simply will not fly it" if claims about the costs of the repurposed Mars rover engineering model prove anywhere near accurate. Isaacman was responding to the Planetary Society's chief of space policy, Casey Dreier, who had run the numbers on his plan to send a robot to the Moon, built from parts of engineering models of the successful Mars rovers Perseverance and Curiosity. (8/3)

Federal Workers Sour on Government Work, Decrying Eroding Job Security (Source: CBS)
Nearly two-thirds of U.S. federal workers said they wouldn't enter public service again, citing eroding job security and benefits, according to a recent poll of active and retired government employees. Respondents' views overwhelmingly reflected concerns about the current federal climate, rather than regret over having chosen careers in government, the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) found in a July survey. (8/3)

Canada Rocket Company Plans to Fill a Void Left by SpaceX (Source: Financial Post)
A Toronto-based space-launch startup is racing to show that it can make rockets that could one day rival those of SpaceX as businesses around the world scramble to hitch a ride to orbit amid a crunch in space launch access. Canada Rocket Company is developing a medium-lift launch vehicle powered by methane and liquid oxygen — also known as methalox — capable of taking a 12,000 kilogram payload into low-Earth orbit, a strategy that it hopes will make it the Canadian alternative to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. The Falcon 9 has long been the primary carrier of medium-lift payloads, but has stopped taking launch bookings past 2028 as SpaceX focuses on its next-generation Starship rocket. (8/3)

AI is Ready to Run Spacecraft. Is the Space Industry Ready for It? (Source: Space.com)
As satellite constellations grow, it will become increasingly difficult for human operators to run them. A network of a few satellites can be managed from the ground; a network of hundreds, or even thousands, cannot be managed in the same way. These satellites must share data, avoid interfering with one another, meet changes in customer demand, and deal with technical problems. Some decisions must be made in seconds, without waiting for instructions from Earth. This is why onboard processing, automation and artificial intelligence are becoming all-important. Satellites will need to sift through and analyze more information in orbit, then act within clear limits set by human operators.

Most laws, contracts, insurance policies and operating rules were written for systems controlled by people. They assume that a named person makes each important decision. AI makes responsibility less clear. If an AI system points a beam at the wrong place, disrupts another service or causes damage, it may be difficult to decide who is at fault: the satellite operator, the manufacturer or the software company. Operators must also decide how much control they are willing to give to AI. Many are happy for AI to offer advice. Fewer are ready to let it change a network or move capacity without human approval. (8/3)

Xona Wins Federal Approval to Broadcast Signals From Planned 250-Plus-Satellite Navigation Constellation (Source: Via Satellite)
Xona Space Systems has received federal approval to broadcast commercial navigation signals from a planned constellation of more than 250 satellites, removing a key regulatory hurdle as the startup prepares to begin deployment. The authorization advances Xona’s effort to develop a commercial space-based navigation network. (8/3)

ArianeGroup Keeps MaiaSpace Operating Despite Negative Equity (Source: European Spaceflight)
ArianeGroup has decided against dissolving MaiaSpace after the company posted a €37.5 million loss for 2025, pushing its shareholders’ equity below zero. According to the company’s 2025 annual accounts, filed on 22 July 2026, MaiaSpace ended the year with €114.2 million in cash. Despite that seemingly healthy cash position, its shareholders’ equity fell from a positive €35.82 million at the end of 2024 to negative €823,375. Shareholders’ equity is what remains after the company has paid all its liabilities. A negative figure means it owes more than it owns. (8/3)

The Exploration Company Picks Siemens Software for Nyx Spacecraft (Source: AeroTime)
Siemens announced that The Exploration Company has adopted software from its Xcelerator portfolio to support development of Nyx, the reusable cargo capsule the Franco-German startup is building for low Earth orbit and, eventually, lunar destinations. The Exploration Company is using Siemens Designcenter for mechanical design, Simcenter for engineering simulation, Capital for electrical systems design, and Teamcenter for product lifecycle management. 

Siemens said the combination gives the company a single environment in which a change made in one discipline propagates across the others, with Teamcenter serving as a consistent data layer across the vehicle lifecycle. (7/30)

$800K ‘Boom Prize’ Challenges Amateurs to Build Supersonic Airplanes (Source: Flying)
Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl last week announced the “Boom Prize,” challenging armchair engineers to build a radio-controlled airplane that exceeds Mach 1. The winner will receive $750,000 in prize money and $50,000 in the company’s stock. Judges include NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and popular science YouTuber Scott Manley. (7/17)

Karman Space & Defense to Acquire UKs Walker Precision Engineering (Source: Karman Space & Defense)
Karman Space & Defense has agreed to acquire Glasgow-based Walker Precision Engineering for approximately $94 million (£70 million), expanding the company's presence in the European defense and space market. Walker specializes in precision manufacturing, advanced materials, electroplating, electromechanical assemblies, and engineering services that support more than 25 European tactical missile, guidance, and defense programs. Its capabilities serve major aerospace and defense prime contractors across Europe.

Karman said the acquisition will establish its first European manufacturing footprint, complementing its existing network of 17 facilities across eight U.S. states. The company expects the transaction to expand its addressable market, strengthen relationships with European defense customers, and create opportunities for technology collaboration and cross-selling. (8/3)

Spain to Purchase GEO Replacement Satellite From Airbus (Source: Space News)
Spain is also buying a replacement GEO military communications satellite. Airbus Defence and Space announced Friday it won a contract to be the prime contractor for SpainSat NG 3, scheduled to enter service by early 2031. The satellite will provide services over the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Thales Alenia Space will provide part of the spacecraft's communications payload. SpainSat NG 3 is a replacement for SpainSat NG 2, which was disabled by a "space particle" strike early this year while still in its transfer orbit. Airbus and Thales are two of the three partners on the Project Bromo space joint venture, along with Leonardo. In recent earnings calls only Leonardo executives discussed Bromo in detail, stating that the companies were working on an antitrust filing with the EU. (8/3)

Space Force Association Aims to Improve Congressional Outreach (Source: Space News)
The Space Force Association is working to better demonstrate military space activities to members of Congress. The group led the development of the National Spacepower Center, an industry-backed education and simulation center. Its developers are building an unclassified digital environment that combines orbital tracking data, spacecraft engineering models, command-and-control software and immersive displays to illustrate how satellites operate and how they affect military operations on land, sea and air. The center is intended to allow officials to experience simulated military space scenarios in a setting that presents orbital activity alongside its effects on terrestrial operations. (8/3)

Converting Mars Rover Into Lunar Rover Could Cost $1 Billion (Source: Space News)
Converting an engineering model of a Mars rover into an actual lunar rover could cost NASA more than $1 billion. NASA announced at the end of June it was studying turning an engineering model of the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers into PROMISE, or Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping and In-Situ Exploration, to be sent to the south polar region of the moon. NASA billed it as a potentially low-cost way to reuse existing hardware to support its lunar base effort.

However, an analysis published last week by The Planetary Society estimated that turning that engineering rover into PROMISE could cost between $723 million and $1.33 billion. The engineering rover would need modifications to operate on the moon as well as new instruments and a RTG nuclear power source. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman pushed back against the cost estimate on social media, stating that "if PROMISE costs even 20% of your low-end estimate, we simply will not fly it." (8/3)

Hughes Files for Bankruptcy After GEO Business Loses Ground to Starlink (Source: Space News)
EchoStar’s Hughes geostationary satellite broadband business has filed for bankruptcy in the United States after years of mounting competition from SpaceX’s Starlink constellation. The company said Aug. 3 that Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection will enable Hughes to restructure debt as it refocuses on enterprise, government and defense customers following heavy losses in its legacy consumer internet market. (8/3)