September 10, 2026

Preparing Spaceports for Nuclear Missions (Source:  SpaceCom)
Months before a rocket rolls to the pad, engineers define mission requirements, payloads undergo testing, facilities prepare for integration, and teams rehearse every operation. When the payload includes a nuclear power system, that preparation becomes even more deliberate. As NASA and commercial companies prepare for sustained lunar operations, nuclear technologies are expected to become increasingly common. Radioisotope systems will support scientific instruments and missions through the lunar night, while larger fission reactors are being developed to provide continuous power for future lunar infrastructure. Those systems require more than advanced engineering. They require spaceports prepared to receive, process, integrate, and launch them safely. Click here. (9/10)

SpaceWERX Establishes East Coast Innovation Gateway at UCF (Source: UCF)
This new partnership strengthens the connection between government, academia, industry, and entrepreneurs, creating new opportunities to accelerate innovation in support of our nation's security and economic competitiveness. As a university founded to support America's space mission, UCF is proud to partner with SpaceWERX to help advance emerging technologies, develop talent, and expand the innovation ecosystem that makes Central Florida a leader in space, defense, and advanced technology. (9/10)

Aeon Industrial Triples Austin Space in Midst of Large Expansion (Source: The Real Deal)
Defense tech company Aeon Industrial Incorporated is tripling its square footage in Cedar Park after selecting the city as its new headquarters. The company is expanding its square footage at 2305 Scottsdale Drive from 48,000 square feet to 138,000 square feet. The expansion is set to be made with a splash of public cash: Aeon Industrial received $2 million in incentives from the city to move its headquarters from Austin to suburban Cedar Park. They expect to hire at least 135 new employees for their Cedar Park headquarters by 2030. (9/9)

Aerospace/Defense Suppliers Could Create 240 Austin TX Area Jobs (Source: BizJournals)
Two suppliers critical to the aerospace and defense supply chain are seeking incentives from City of Cedar Park to move into 96,000 square feet of Holt Lunsford Commercial's Cedar Tech I. Elite Metal Finishing, llc and Machine Sciences could create 240 jobs and invest more than $40 million between the two. The city has particularly emphasized the aerospace and defense industries, buoyed by the success of Firefly Aerospace Inc. and the Central Texas Spaceport Development Corp. (9/2)

Space Summit Planned in Miami for Feb. 17-18 (Source: Smallsat Alliance)
The Miami Space Summit is coming back for its third year, February 17–18 in Miami, and it will be bigger and better than ever! We are bringing together senior leaders who are actively shaping where government policy, national security, technology, and private capital intersect. If you were in the room last year, you know. If you weren't, 2027 is your year. This year's agenda centers on three themes: Autonomous Future, Data Dominance, and Layered Deterrence, along with a frank midterm assessment of the Trump administration's space agenda, from executive order to orbit. (9/8)

Arianespace Signs For 10 Ariane 6 Launches, Including Six for Amazon Leo (Source: Space News)
Arianespace has signed contracts for 10 more Ariane 6 launches, including six for Amazon Leo. Arianespace announced Wednesday it won a contract from Amazon for six launches between 2029 and 2031, adding to its original 18-launch contract. Other contracts include two launches of OneWeb replacement satellites for Eutelsat, a launch of a GEO communications satellite for KT SAT, and one for an undisclosed customer. Arianespace said the Amazon Leo contract will help the company plan for future demand for the rocket as the company, along with ESA, study a potential increase in the rocket's current maximum launch cadence of 10 per year. ESA said in June it was looking at scenarios of up to 20 Ariane 6 launches a year to determine what infrastructure and launch site upgrades are needed. An ESA official said earlier this week that the Kourou launch site can support up to 15 Ariane 6 launches a year with its current facilities. (9/8)

UK's NewOrbit Developing VLEO Satellite (Source: Space News)
A British startup plans to launch its first very low Earth orbit (VLEO) satellite in 2028.  NewOrbit announced Thursday it will launch NEO-1 on a rideshare mission arranged by French company RIDE! Space in the third quarter of 2028. NewOrbit aims to be the first European commercial firm to operate VLEO satellites and the first anywhere to offer payload developers a way to reach VLEO without designing and building their own spacecraft.  The company has brought on as advisers several engineers who worked on ESA's GOCE Earth science mission that operated in VLEO. (9/8)

Loft and Marlan to Lead Imaging Satellite Constellation Effort (Source: Space News)
A group of companies announced plans Wednesday for an AI-enabled satellite imaging constellation that may cost $1 billion. Loft Orbital and Marlan Space will lead the effort that proposes to place 50 satellites into orbit with optical, radar and other payloads. The satellites will have AI systems to enable onboard processing of images. Other companies participating in the system include French AI developer Mistral and American Earth observation company BlackSky. The satellites will be built by Orbitworks in the UAE. The companies did not disclose how the system will be financed or a schedule for deploying the constellation beyond stating the first 10 satellites are under construction for launches beginning as soon as October. (9/8)

Greek Astronaut to Visit ISS on Private Mission (Source: Space News)
The first Greek astronaut will go to the ISS on a private astronaut mission in 2027. Adrianos Golemis, an ESA flight surgeon undergoing astronaut training, will fly on a Vast private mission in mid-2027, the French and Greek governments announced Wednesday at the International Space Summit. That mission will be commanded by French astronaut Thomas Pesquet with Czech astronaut Aleš Svoboda as pilot. The fourth member of the crew will be announced in the coming weeks. ESA has flown several astronauts on private missions led by American companies, but the agency is pushing its member states to support an independent human spaceflight program. ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher asked ministers from member states to back proposals for human spaceflight and other exploration capabilities, estimating it would cost Europe 1 billion euros a year over a decade to develop. (9/8)

Space Force Picks Texas Site for Deep-Space Radar Network Expansion (Source: Space News)
The Space Force has selected Texas as the site for a third deep-space radar. The Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability, or DARC, is designed to provide continuous tracking of objects, particularly in geostationary orbit. The radar planned for Lake Kickapoo, Texas, would join radars already operational in Australia and under development in Wales. The three-site network would provide continuous monitoring of the entire GEO belt. The Texas DARC radar is slated to enter service in 2029. Editor's Note: I think this is missing another Deep Space Radar now operating at Eglin Air Force Base in Northwest Florida. (9/10)

Space Force Shifts $4B Infrastructure Portfolio To Colorado Base (Source: Business Facilities)
The U.S. Space Force’s Infrastructure Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) is relocating the Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, bringing an office responsible for a $4 billion infrastructure portfolio to a region with an established concentration of military and space-related operations. Also the long-time headquarters of the Space Force Combat Forces Command, the base is now one of nine PAEs under the Pentagon.

The impetus for the new Colorado Springs PAE was the 2026 overhaul of Space Force’s acquisition system, designed to significantly reduce layers of review that have historically slowed down the process. Now, each PAE is empowered with broad authority over its mission portfolio, including responsibility for the vast majority of contracting decisions – approximately 90% to 92% of contracting authority – within its area. The Space Force’s Infrastructure PAE assumed leadership of the portfolio earlier in August 2026.

The office’s relocation from Los Angeles puts those acquisition functions closer to several Space Force installations in the Colorado Springs area, including Peterson and Schriever Space Force Bases and Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station. The relocation is occurring as the Space Force expands its presence in the Colorado Springs area. In June, the Defense Department announced plans for a $250 million Space Force Operations Facility at Schriever Space Force Base. The facility is expected to support about 2,500 civilian jobs, although a construction schedule has not been announced. (8/20)

Russia Approves Agreement on Peaceful Cooperation in Space with Serbia (Source: TASS)
The Russian government has signed a draft agreement between Russia and Serbia in research and the peaceful use of outer space, according to a resolution released on the official website of legal information. Among other fields, potential cooperation includes outer space exploration, space medicine, remote Earth sensing, satellite systems, space meteorology, and manned space flights. (9/7)

Louisiana Offered SpaceX $27.5B Incentives Package (Source: Douglas Messier)
The state of Louisiana estimates that the incentives package it offered SpaceX to build the world’s largest spaceport on the Gulf Coast is worth more than $27.5 billion. The figure was included in a non-binding letter of intent from Louisiana Economic Development (LED) Secretary Susan Bonnett Bourgeois to Ben Lancaster, who is senior manager of governmental affairs at SpaceX. Click here. (9/9)

Inside the F-104 ‘Wind Tunnel in the sky’ Accelerating Hypersonic Testing (Source: Aerospace Global News)
Starfighters Space is turning its fleet of Cold War-era F-104s into flying laboratories capable of giving hypersonic hardware minutes rather than seconds in a real-world supersonic airflow. The company has developed a modular underwing test platform that can carry full-size components at speeds of up to Mach 2.2, offering aerospace and defense developers an alternative to heavily booked ground facilities.

It has already attracted potential work from Florida-based propulsion specialist Vaya Defense & Space. Under an agreement announced on September 9, the companies will evaluate flying Vaya hypersonic test articles and other payloads aboard the “Wind Tunnel in the Sky”. The alternative developed by Starfighters resembles a missile carried beneath an F-104’s wing.

Its four modular sections allow customers to install different types of experimental hardware without modifying the aircraft itself. A radio-transparent nose can house avionics, telemetry, communications equipment and cameras. Further sections can accommodate air inlets, control surfaces, wings, flaps and advanced materials, while the rear can be used to evaluate tail fins or ignition systems. (9/9)

NASA KSC Transitions 560 Contractors to Civil Service Workforce (Source: NASA)
In its move to increase civil service workforce skills and reduce contractor outlays, NASA has been recruiting contractors to join the NASA ranks. On Sep. 8 at KSC, the agency held the largest onboarding event in NASA history, swearing in 560 new employees to restore it's core competencies. (9/8)

GE Aerospace To Buy Consolidated Precision Products In $12B Deal (Source: Aviation Week)
GE Aerospace will buy key castings supplier Consolidated Precision Products for almost $12 billion in a deal that GE Aerospace CEO Larry Culp said will provide both greater supply stability and allow for new airfoil developments. (9/8)

Boom Supersonic Nears Tests for In-House Engine Core (Source: Aviation Week)
Boom Supersonic has nearly completed a prototype of an in-house engine core for its supersonic aircraft and expects to start ground tests at the Watkins, Colo., facility within two months. The tests will help development of two more engine prototypes. (9/8)

Federal Waivers Cast Doubt on Starbase LA Environmental Promises (Source: Douglas Messier)
As SpaceX’s prepares to build the world’s largest spaceport on 125,000 acres of Louisiana land and marshes, Elon Musk’s company and state officials are saying all the right things about protecting the fragile coastal environment and the wildlife that live there. Louisiana’s coast is disappearing at one of the fastest rates in the country.

According to the state: “The project will go through all applicable environmental, wetlands, natural resource and launch-related reviews…From regulated activities related to site development to voluntary restoration plans across the entire property, the company has sought the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority’s (CPRA) input and guidance at every stage.”

That all sounds great. However, the phrase “all applicable environmental, wetlands, natural resource and launch-related reviews” is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that statement. The fact is, there are about to be a lot fewer reviews. The Trump Administration plans to waive all or parts of 13 federal laws “applicable to licenses to operate a launch site, licenses to operate a reentry site, experimental permits, and licenses to operate launch and reentry vehicles.” (9/9)

Blue Origin Pursues Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator (SB-AMTI) Opportunity (Source: Aviation Week)
To compliment traditional airborne sensing, the requirement for a layered, highly resilient tracking architecture is evident. SB-AMTI aims to enhance the Space Force’s capabilities to the Joint Force through the establishment of a persistent, global capability to sense and track airborne targets from space. Previously, SpaceX won a $4.16B contract. RocketLab, STR LLC, and an unnamed company won a combined $615M contract. (9/7)

The Missing Piece of America’s Supersonic Comeback Could Also Enable Inland Spaceports (Source: Space News)
Two recent FAA actions could reshape how the United States approaches high-speed aviation and spaceflight. In July, the FAA announced a rulemaking effort to allow supersonic overland flight, implementing Executive Order 14304. Then, in August, the FAA issued a request for information toward implementing Executive Order 14369, which calls for the development of new U.S. spaceports, including “priority airspace” for launch and reentry operations.

When the FAA opened low-altitude airspace to routine drone operations, it didn't do so by rule alone — it built a network of UAS test sites where operators, regulators, and controllers spent years building the operational data and procedures that later rules could be written around. A well-placed supersonic/hypersonic flight test corridor, straddling multiple Air Route Traffic Control Centers and extending in altitude to above the Karman Line, would provide the same environment: a place to convert a paper compliance framework into an operating environment that regulators, operators, flight controllers, and the public can observe.

The corridor could serve civilian and military requirements for supersonic, hypersonic, launch, and reentry operations, and would give the multiple planned inland spaceports a usable path to orbit that doesn’t depend on a coastline. Supersonic advocates have proposed versions of this corridor before, and inland spaceport proponents have long sought FAA approval for access to orbit. What these efforts have thus far lacked the kind of momentum that these new FAA projects can provide. Click here. (9/9)

Out of Stealth Mode, Lunar Forge Progresses on Regolith Construction Opportunities (Source: Lunar Forge)
Two months out of stealth. Five signed LOIs. Estimated infrastructure value: $800M–$1.65B. Two cover fission reactor shielding. One covers a 60-meter structures that cannot be launched from Earth. One covers protective infrastructure around sensor nodes and power systems. One covers lunar habitats. These LOIs exist because the economics of lunar infrastructure point to one unavoidable conclusion: if you cannot launch it, you have to build it there.

We also prepared two proposals covering berms and landing pads. Both reached NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson, who “visited the site recently and is supportive of your work happening there.” (9/8)

Eutelsat Taps Infinite Orbits for GEO Life Extension Mission (Source: Payload)
Eutelsat and Infinite Orbits announced an agreement today—on the sidelines of the International Space Summit in Paris—paving a pathway for the French satellite-servicing company to increase the life span of at least one of Eutelsat’s GEO satellites. The mission is yet another example of the increasing demand from satellite-servicing missions from GEO operators. It is the third order for a life-extension mission for Infinite Orbits, following last year’s agreement with SES, and a similar agreement with Hispasat in 2024. (9/9)

Russia Undocks Cargo Craft From ISS (Source: NASA)
A Progress cargo spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station amid rumored delays about the launch of its replacement. The Progress MS-33 spacecraft undocked from the station Monday and destructively reentered several hours later. A new cargo spacecraft, Progress MS-35, was scheduled for launch Wednesday, but there were reports the launch would be delayed because of an issue with the Soyuz rocket's third stage. A NASA website says only that the launch is "under review." (9/9)

India Approves Spectrum Plan to Allow Broadband Constellation Service (Source: India Today)
India is a step closer to allowing services like Starlink to operate in the country. The country's Digital Communications Commission has approved recommendations on allocation of satellite spectrum, allowing regulators to proceed with spectrum assignments to companies. Starlink and other foreign services seeking permission to operate in India will still need security clearances from the government. (9/9)

Pentagon Doubles NatSec Launch Plans (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon has more than doubled the number of national security launch services it expects to procure. A new Pentagon assessment of the National Security Space Launch, or NSSL, program revealed that the Space Force expects to procure 337 launches over the course of the contract, up from 151 in its 2022 baseline estimate. The numbers highlight a challenge for the Space Force as demand for launches is expanding faster than the pool of rocket companies currently able to compete for much of that business. While seven companies are in Lane 1 of the current NSSL Phase 3 contract, 38 of the 39 missions awarded to date have gone to SpaceX. (9/9)

Paris Space Summit Attracts 2,000 From 120 Nations (Source: Space News)
A two-day space summit kicks off today in Paris featuring global and European space issues. The International Space Summit, organized by the French government, is expected to attract 2,000 delegates from as many as 120 nations. The French government plans to release several declarations at the summit on topics such as space sustainability, frequency coordination and sharing of space data, but the contents of the declarations remain under wraps.

While billed as an international event, the summit will have a strong European focus as countries discuss what Europe should do to enhance its space capabilities. ESA plans to use the summit to gain support from member states for proposals to be debated at a December meeting that could include starting work on a future reusable launch vehicle and a European human spaceflight program. (9/9)

Missile Interceptor Constellation Could Cost Hundreds of Billions (Source: Space News)
A proposed constellation of U.S. space-based missile interceptors could cost tens to hundreds of billions of dollars. A study released Tuesday by the Foreign Policy Research Institute raised doubts about the effectiveness of space-based interceptors for Golden Dome, arguing that even relatively limited missile threats could require thousands of interceptors in orbit. The system could also be vulnerable to relatively inexpensive countermeasures.

Their conclusions add to a longstanding debate over whether weapons stationed in orbit can provide an affordable and strategically stable defense against long-range missiles. Pentagon officials say advances in commercial launch, satellite manufacturing, automation and other technologies have changed the economics that doomed earlier efforts. (9/9)

Space Command Completes Satellite Maneuvers Exercise (Source: Space News)
U.S. Space Command says it has completed its first live exercise focused on how military satellites could move more dynamically in orbit. The exercise was part of a program called Apollo Maneuvers 2026 and was conducted during the first week of September, Space Command said Tuesday. The "live-fly" space exercise involved real spacecraft conducting operations in orbit, with spacecraft in low, medium and geosynchronous orbit coordinating maneuvers. Space Command said data from Apollo Maneuvers will be used to inform doctrine, operational plans and future logistics and servicing requirements. (9/9)

The 1962 Iowa Summer Study (Source: Space Review)
In the summer of 1962, scientists gathered at the University of Iowa to discuss the future of space research. Danny Robb examines the far-reaching impacts of that little-known event. Click here. (9/9)
 
Mission Impossible: How Star Trek Used the Aerospace Community to Try and Win an Emmy (Source: Space Review)
Like many TV producers, Gene Roddenberry lobbied 60 years to win awards for his new series, Star Trek. Glen Swanson examines the unusual approach he took to seek television’s highest honor. Click here. (9/9)
 
Space Academy (No, the Other One) (Source: Space Review)
The success of Star Wars triggered the development of imitators, including a short-lived TV series aimed at children. Dwayne Day discusses the good premise of Space Academy, albeit one undercut by low budgets. Click here. (9/9)
 
Backfire to Space: The Backfire Bomber and Skif Rocket System (Source: Space Review)
In the early 2000s, Russian engineers proposed converting the Backfire bomber into an air-launch platform. Dwayne Day examines the details of that concept. Click here. (9/9)
 
ISRO’s Comeback with the Successful Launch of EOS-05 (Source: Space Review)
What was a small building in a forgotten corner of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station used for decades ago? James Behling uncovers the mystery of facility number 49941 at the Cape. Click here. (9/9)

Starfighters Space and Vaya to Collaborate on Air-Launch and Hypersonic Projects (Source: Starfighters Space)
Starfighters Space and Vaya Defense & Space will collaborate on supersonic captive-carry flight testing and air-launch propulsion. The MOU includes two collaboration tracks: 1) evaluate flying Vaya hypersonic test articles and other payloads on Starfighters’ F-104-based Wind Tunnel in the Sky service; and 2) assess Vaya’s hybrid propulsion technology for STARLAUNCH air-launch capability, beginning with suborbital missions. (9/9)

NASA Prepares Demo of Dual-Mode Satellite Propulsion with Green Propellant (Source: Aerospace America)
Among the payloads scheduled for the next SpaceX rideshare mission is a shoebox-sized spacecraft for NASA’s latest flight demonstration of a low-toxicity propellant the agency has been studying for at least a decade. This spacecraft, dubbed GPDM for Green Propulsion Dual Mode, is to spend nine months in low-Earth orbit testing a new dual-mode propulsion system with ASCENT propellant. (9/9)

Space City™ Makes Its Case: Inside the IAC 2029 Houston Bid Site Visit (Source: AIAA)
There are many reasons Houston is known around the world as Space City™. During the official site visit for AIAA’s bid to host the 80th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Houston in 2029, we had the opportunity to demonstrate exactly why. IAF Executive Director Christian Feichtinger visited Houston before providing his assessment to the IAF Congress and Symposia Advisory Committee. IAF members will decide the host city at the General Assembly during IAC 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye, on 9 October. (9/9)

Space Force Expects to Spend $17B More on Launch as Demand Soars (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The Space Force expects the scope of its main launch program to grow by 91 missions and nearly $17 billion by fiscal 2032 as demand for national security space capabilities soars. Those increases are revealed in the latest version of the National Security Space Launch program’s selected acquisition report, drafted in April and published in September. The update brings NSSL’s total expected procurement to $76 billion for 337 launches between fiscal 2004 and 2032. (9/8)

Eutelsat Taps Infinite Orbits for GEO Life Extension Mission (Source: Payload)
Eutelsat and Infinite Orbits announced an agreement today—on the sidelines of the International Space Summit in Paris—paving a pathway for the French satellite-servicing company to increase the life span of at least one of Eutelsat’s GEO satellites. (9/9)

Stoke's New Nova Block-2 Rocket Would Expand LC-14 for 2027 Debut Launch (Source: Space.com)
Stoke is expanding its operations at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. The company was selected by the U.S. Space Force in 2023 to manage Launch Complex-14, where it’s now building a new payload processing facility sized to accommodate both Nova Pathfinder and Block-2 vehicles. And to complete its full reusability system, the company is also developing an offshore recovery platform.

Pathfinder has a much shorter timeline to the launch pad. Stoke is targeting early 2027 for Pathfinder’s debut launch, which the company plans to send to orbit with a customer payload. If that’s successful, Stoke hopes to fly multiple Pathfinder missions throughout 2027 and 2028 while Block 2 development and testing continue in parallel. (9/9)

BESXAR Completes First Suborbital Semiconductor-Manufacturing Demonstration (Source: Space News)
BESXAR has flown its first mission, demonstrating that its semiconductor-manufacturing technology can operate above the Kármán line. The suborbital flight marks an initial in-space validation of a manufacturing concept aimed at using the space environment for semiconductor production. (9/9)

AvL Technologies Awarded $31 Million Contract for WGS-Certified Satellite Terminals to Support Polish Armed Forces (Source: SatNews)
On Tuesday, September 8, 2026, satellite communications terminal manufacturer AvL Technologies, Inc. announced the signing of a $31 million contract with Polish defense supplier GISS Sp. z o.o. Under the terms of the agreement, Asheville-based AvL will deliver 2.4-meter trailer-mounted driveaway satellite terminals to support tactical communications for Poland’s Ministry of National Defense. (9/8)

Eclipse Space Unveils Three Satellite Platforms and Gama Power Partnership (Source: Space News)
Manufacturing startup Eclipse Space has unveiled its CitraSat, SliceSat, and SurgeSat product lines. These flat-panel and high-power satellite architectures provide sovereign and commercial buyers with turnkey infrastructure to own and operate their own customized orbital constellations. (9/9)

Hermeus Unveils Air-Launched Ramjet-X Test Vehicle (Source: Aviation Week)
High-speed aircraft maker Hermeus has revealed a ramjet-powered test vehicle that can be launched from under the wing of its supersonic Quarterhorse aircraft. The unveiling of the Ramjet-X concept reveals a low-cost, expendable vehicle capable of high-speed flight to complement the reusable, Pratt & Whitney F100-229-powered Quarterhorse.

Hermeus launched operations in 2018 with the goal of delivering a hypersonic aircraft powered by the Chimera, a turbine-based, combined-cycle (TBCC) propulsion system featuring a high-mach turbine engine that transitions to a ramjet. The turbine-powered Quarterhorse and the ramjet-powered Ramjet-X repackages that TBCC into separately powered aircraft, while still building the company’s experience with both forms of propulsion. (9/9)

ICEYE, Arianespace Explore Ariane 6 Launches for European Missions (Source: AeroTime)
Finnish synthetic aperture radar (SAR) operator ICEYE and launch services provider Arianespace have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the use of Ariane 6 for future missions carrying ICEYE satellites. The arrangement targets European governmental and institutional missions. ICEYE said the two companies are discussing booking launch services in the coming years.

The MoU could address a gap in ICEYE’s sovereignty proposition. The company sells constellations that governments own and operate, and says its systems carry no ITAR restrictions, but its satellites have reached orbit almost entirely on US vehicles. (9/9)

Loft and Marlan Plan 50-Satellite Constellation for Earth Observation with $1 Billion From Abu Dhabi (Source: LeMonde)
Loft Orbital and Marlan Space will develop a 50-satellite constellation combining optical and radar imaging with AI-enabled Earth observation products for Europe and the United Arab Emirates. The investment comes from Abu Dhabi’s Royal Group, while International Holding Company is preparing to acquire 80% of Marlan Space. (9/9)

BepiColombo Separates From Propulsion Stage Ahead of Mercury Orbital Insertion (Source: Universe Today)
After an eight-year journey to the innermost planet, the BepiColombo spacecraft has separated from its propulsion stage and entered the final phase of its mission. The European-Japanese probe will now prepare for orbital insertion at Mercury, a critical milestone in its long-delayed arrival sequence. (9/9)

National Security Launch Forecast Surges as New Rockets Struggle to Break SpaceX's Grip (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon now expects to procure 337 national-security launch services, up from 151 in its 2022 baseline, as the U.S. military and intelligence community expand satellite deployments. The increase underscores rising demand for launch capacity while newer providers struggle to displace SpaceX’s dominant position. (9/8)

AFRL Seeks Payload-Agnostic, Affordable Hypersonic Cruise Missile (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The Air Force Research Laboratory has signaled to industry it wants to develop a low-cost hypersonic cruise missile to deliver a wide range of payloads at a range up to 500 nautical miles. In a brief one-page notice released Sep. 1, posted on Sam.gov, AFRL gave the broad outlines of its new project, which falls under the broader Pioneering Aerospace Capabilities, Engineering & Research program. (9/2)

Hypersonix and Gilmour Team Up on Hypersonic Flight-Test Options (Source: Australian Aviation)
Queensland-based aerospace companies Gilmour Space Technologies and Hypersonix have signed an agreement to develop hypersonic flight-test options for defence and commercial programs in Australia and overseas. The partnership brings together Gilmour Space’s rocket propulsion, launch, mission integration and flight-test capabilities with Hypersonix’s scramjet propulsion and hypersonic vehicle technology.

Hypersonic flight generally refers to speeds of Mach 5 and above, or at least five times the speed of sound. Growing demand for hypersonic testing is being driven by the development of systems and enabling technologies including advanced sensors, communications, guidance systems and high-temperature materials.
(9/8)

Trump Administration’s 1,000-Launches-a-Year Ambition Faces Infrastructure and Funding Constraints (Source: Breaking Defense)
The space industry welcomed a new Trump administration policy targeting 1,000 launches annually, but experts questioned whether current launch infrastructure can support that pace. Expanding capacity would require substantial investment, with unresolved questions over who would pay for the facilities and systems needed to reach the goal.

“Show me the money,” quipped Clayton Swope, deputy director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ (CSIS) Aerospace Security Project, echoing seven other expert, industry, and government sources. The FAA asks for input on criteria, including investment requirements and safety considerations, for new sites. It also asks for insights on three specific potential locations in Florida, Georgia and Puerto Rico that previously were proposed by outside organizations, as well as the option of using either repurposed oil rigs or new offshore platforms as is being considered by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Oceans Management. (9/8)

Satellogic Names Former NGA Director Frank Whitworth as President (Source: Space News)
Earth observation company Satellogic appointed Frank “Trey” Whitworth, the former director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, as its president on Sept. 8. The leadership change brings a former senior U.S. geospatial-intelligence official into a top executive role at the satellite operator. (9/8)