September 22, 2026

Space Force Starts to Craft Satellite Communications Integration Contract (Source: Washington Technology)
Space Force has begun to study the market landscape for informing its work on a new contract to hire a system integrator that can help the service branch operate an enterprise satellite communications management platform. That platform supports functions such as satellite mission planning, satellite resource management, electromagnetic interference tracking, terminal and service provider management, and operational status monitoring. (9/21)

Republicans Push $1.5 Trillion Defense Budget (Source: Breaking Defense)
Republican lawmakers continue their campaign for a historic $1.5 trillion defense budget, but the legislative path remains uncertain. With the House having adjourned until after the 2026 midterm elections, Pentagon leaders are left navigating an unpredictable timeline for securing future funding. Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg and Pentagon Comptroller Jay Hurst have met with the House Armed Services Committee to discuss future funding. (9/21

The Era of Cheap, Price-Per-Kilo Launch is Over, Launchers Say (Source: Via Satellite)
Space launch competitors think it’s time for a new model of pricing in the launch market. Against the backdrop of SpaceX winding down the Falcon 9 launch program, other launchers say the market is on the verge of a reset. “The customer got comfortable with a high reliability and a low price, that frankly did not support the launch market,” Firefly Aerospace Vice President of Strategy Michael Creech said. “You’re seeing launchers move away to developing solutions with better revenue. This tells you this subsidized cost-per-kilo model wasn’t supporting launch companies, which led to the current day crisis of a supply shortage.

Creech said the industry will “reset” over the next six months to two years. “Hopefully the new normal will be a growth environment for launch technologies and not another race to the bottom on price,” he added. “If and when our cadence aspirations come true, the players on this stage 10 years from now [we] won’t be talking about price-per-kilogram — they’ll be talking about a whole different orbital logistics model,” said Jordan Charles of Blue Origin. (9/17)

Judge Declines to Block Texas Starbase Land Swap to Benefit SpaceX (Source: New York Times)
A federal judge has declined to block a land swap between SpaceX and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service involving the company's Starbase, Texas, site. A district court judge ruled Monday that the swap can proceed, rejecting a request for a preliminary injunction filed by environmental groups. The transfer would give SpaceX 715 acres of land in the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge adjacent to Starbase, while SpaceX would hand over 683 acres of land elsewhere in south Texas, some of which would be added to a separate wildlife refuge. The judge concluded that the environmental groups would not suffer irreparable harm if the exchange goes forward. Those groups said they may appeal the ruling. (9/22)

Roscosmos Sees Record Interest in Cosmonaut Recruitment (Source: TASS)
The head of Roscosmos says the agency has seen record interest in its latest cosmonaut class. Dmitry Bakanov, CEO of Roscosmos, said Monday that the agency received 12,000 applications in its latest call for candidates to join the Roscosmos cosmonaut corps, of which 350 have passed through an initial screening. He did not disclose how many cosmonauts Roscosmos plans to eventually select but said the new cosmonauts would be announced later this year. (9/22)

ESA and ISRO Agree on Space Collaboration, Including Human Spaceflight (Source: ESA)
ESA is expanding its cooperation with the Indian space agency ISRO. ESA announced Monday it signed a new cooperative agreement with ISRO earlier this month during the International Space Summit. The latest agreement, which runs to the beginning of 2032, adds human space exploration and space weather studies as topics of collaboration, in addition to existing cooperation in Earth and space science, navigation and mission support. (9/22)

SDA Invites Industry Proposals for Ground Stations (Source: Space News)
The Space Development Agency is seeking industry proposals for a contract worth up to $369 million for ground stations. SDA issued a request for proposals last week for what it calls Resilient Missile Warning and Tracking LEO Ground Entry Points, or GEPs. The contractor would develop, install, integrate, test and maintain ground sites at multiple locations around the world, according to the solicitation. SDA envisions five to eight new GEP locations and upgrades to one to four existing sites to support its missile-warning and tracking satellite constellation. SDA already has a sizable ground systems contract with General Dynamics Mission Systems, which has served as the primary integrator of the ground architecture serving the constellation. (9/22)

Australia's HEO Raises $25 Million for Space Object Imaging (Source: Space News)
HEO, an Australian company that uses satellites to take images of other space objects, has raised $25 million. The company announced the Series B round Monday led by Beaten Zone Venture Partners, an Australian venture fund that supports defense and space companies. HEO leases capacity on Earth imaging satellites operated by other companies, using them for observing spacecraft and debris. HEO plans to use the funding to expand its system, currently focused on low Earth orbit, to geostationary orbit. HEO said it had booked its first two GEO launches, beginning later this year, that would provide "reliable, repeatable GEO imaging coverage" starting in 2027. (9/22)

Space Force Considers Short-Notice Satellites for In-Space Inspection Missions (Source: Space News)
The Space Force is studying satellites that could be launched on short notice to inspect other spacecraft. Space Systems Command's Space Safari office issued a request for information Friday seeking spacecraft that could be stored and called up for missions beginning in fiscal year 2029. The vehicles would need to maneuver extensively after launch and conduct rendezvous and proximity operations, including potentially docking with other objects in orbit. The market research follows Victus Haze, the Space Force's most ambitious test to date of what it calls tactically responsive space, with a spacecraft launched on less than 24 hours' notice to rendezvous with another spacecraft. The new request suggests the Space Force is looking beyond individual Victus demonstrations toward having maneuverable spacecraft available when an unexpected military need arises. (9/22)

European Teams Get ESA Study Contracts for Dual-Use Earth Observation (Source: Space News)
Two teams of European companies have received study contracts for a dual-use Earth observation satellite system. Iceye and Leonardo each signed contracts valued at 5 million euros ($5.7 million) last week for studies of the proposed Earth Observation Governmental Service, or EOGS, system. The companies are leading separate consortia of firms that will study the architecture of the proposed system. EOGS would include optical and radar imaging satellites designed for civil and security applications. The studies will be part of ESA's European Resilience from Space–Earth Observation, or ERS-EO, initiative approved by ESA member states at the agency's ministerial conference in November 2025. ERS-EO is intended to help prepare for EOGS, which will be led by the European Union. (9/22)

Albania Joins Artemis Accords (Source: Space News)
Albania is the latest country to sign the Artemis Accords. The country's minister for European and foreign affairs signed the accords Monday at NASA Headquarters. Albania is the 73rd country to sign the Artemis Accords and the 14th so far this year. Artemis Accords signatories will meet next month at the International Astronautical Congress to discuss implementing aspects of the accords as well as NASA's interest in using the accords to coordinate international cooperation in its lunar exploration plans. (9/22)

Louisiana Residents Worried About SpaceX Plans (Source: NPR)
Residents in the area of nearby Pecan Island are concerned. Kim Nehrbass, who has a hunting and fishing camp on Pecan Island, said the coastal marsh is a "paradise." ... "[Landry] is thanking everybody for making it happen. He didn't ask anybody if they wanted to do it, the people of the state," Nehrbass said. "He just ramrodded it through."

Outdoor educator Gabe Giffin said he's worried about the environmental impact of the rocket launches, especially on the millions of migratory birds on the Mississippi Flyway, the migration path south for the winter. "Where we're at, this is the last ledge before they leap off, if you will," Giffin said, looking out over the coastal wetlands. "They're going to feed up, power up on those beaches, and fly to Central or South America next." (9/20)

ESA Acknowledges Ariane 6 Delays Following Reports of Turbopump Issue (Source: European Spaceflight)
ESA has confirmed that it is aware of delays affecting the Ariane 6 launch schedule following reports of an engine turbopump anomaly. La Tribune first reported an issue with an unspecified Ariane 6 component on 17 September. According to the report, the additional checks were expected to disrupt Arianespace’s planned Ariane 6 launch cadence for the remainder of 2026. Reporting from Peter de Selding later identified the component as an engine turbopump, with the anomaly reportedly discovered during ground evaluations in August. (9/21)

Trump’s Questionable Social Media Posts on Space Deserve Context (Source: The Hill)
Two recent social media posts by Trump have been perplexing. The first was a graphic of proposed uniforms for members of the U.S. Space Force. The problem with the proposal is that the uniforms resembled something worn in “Star Wars” by the crew of the evil Galactic Empire’s Death Star — obviously not a good look for an American military service.

The post has sparked a lot of mockery on social media. It also suggests that science fiction may not be the appropriate model for fashioning a look for America’s space military service. Some may think that it detracts from the Space Force’s role as a serious military branch that operates in a realm increasingly important to the defense of the U.S. and the free world.

The other Trump space social media post that has caused consternation is a graphic of the moon with the Earth in the distance, bearing the caption, “The Moon is Ours” with an American flag. The post is being widely interpreted as Trump declaring the moon to be sovereign American territory, an act prohibited by the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. On the other hand, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) proposed making the moon a U.S. state during his 2012 campaign for the presidency. (9/20)

China Cultivates 14 Plant Species Aboard Space Station (Source: Xinhua)
China has now cultivated more than 20 varieties spanning 14 plant species in orbit -- a milestone that lays the groundwork for large-scale crop production aboard the space station, according to the Astronaut Center of China. The breakthrough was highlighted at an aerospace medical engineering conference in Tianjin Municipality in north China, where Zhang Hongzhang, an astronaut from the Shenzhou-21 crewed mission, shared photos and videos of a flourishing "space garden" aboard China's Tiangong space station, featuring crops such as lettuce, carrot, sunflower, potato and wheat. (9/20)

Traditional Chinese Medicine Supports China's Crewed Space Missions (Source: Xinhua)
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has played a significant role in supporting China's crewed space missions over the past decade and could offer comprehensive health protection for astronauts in the future, experts said at an aerospace medical engineering conference in Tianjin Municipality in north China. The conference brought together experts and scholars from fields including aerospace medicine, human factors engineering and life sciences to discuss the medical engineering challenges of future deep space exploration. (9/22)

India Wants to Launch 50 Rockets a Year to Space by 2030 (Source: India Today)
India has set itself an ambitious space target: 50 launches every year by 2030. But with just three Indian orbital launches so far in 2026, two by Isro and one by private company Skyroot, the scale of expansion required over the next four years is enormous. The target was set out by ISRO Chief Dr V Narayanan and supported by IN-SPACe Chairman Pawan Goenka, who said India would need government and private industry to build launch capacity together because the scale cannot be achieved by one organization alone. (9/21)

Explore Spaceport America During its Free Open House (Source: KTSM)
Spaceport America, the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport, will have an open house this coming weekend. The event will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sep. 26. Attendees can learn about the site, its tenants and its operations. Spaceport America is located about 20 miles southeast of Truth or Consequences. (9/20)

HEO Raises $25 Million to Expand Satellite Imaging Capabilities to GEO (Source: Via Satellite)
HEO has raised $25 million to expand its satellite imaging capabilities into geostationary orbit, increasing the company’s ability to collect and deliver imagery from a strategically important orbital regime. (9/21)

Katalyst to Demonstrate Orbital Power-Beaming System Under Pentagon’s ASGARD Program (Source: Via Satellite)
Katalyst will develop and launch a robotic spacecraft under the Pentagon’s Advanced Scalable Growth Architecture for Robotic Deployment program. The spacecraft is intended to assemble a large-format power-beaming system in orbit and transmit energy back to Earth, testing a defense-backed approach to space-based power delivery. (9/21)

Europe Pushes Faster Space-Defense Procurement as Ukraine Raises Institutional Urgency (Source: Via Satellite)
European space and defense leaders say Ukraine has accelerated efforts to strengthen the region’s space-defense capabilities, but consensus-building, procurement reform and integration of dual-use systems remain significant obstacles to moving from strategic urgency to deployable capability. (9/21)

Aerospacelab Reaches Profitability Ahead of $2.75 Billion Iris2 Contract (Source: Space Intel Report)
Belgian satellite manufacturer Aerospacelab returned to profitability early this year after reporting a €17.75 million loss on €14.6 million in 2025 sales. CEO Benoit Deper attributed the improvement to diverse component contracts and limited production of complete satellites, ahead of its potential role in the €2.5 billion Iris2 program. (9/21)

Deloitte Projects a $566 Billion Lunar Economy by 2050, but Infrastructure Must Come First (Source: Payload)
The return to the Moon could support a lunar economy worth $566 billion by 2050, according to Deloitte. Reaching that figure will require building the transportation, surface systems and other infrastructure needed to make sustained lunar activity commercially viable. (9/21)

Canada and France Task Agencies with Developing Shared Space-Launch Infrastructure (Source: Bloomberg)
Canada and France will ask their space agencies and defense departments to develop and share infrastructure, including space-launch systems, Prime Minister Mark Carney said during a visit to French territory near Newfoundland and Labrador. The initiative signals closer bilateral cooperation spanning civil space and defense capabilities. (9/20)

Cape Canaveral Study Shows Launches Feel Louder Than Decibel Readings Show (Source: Palm Beach Post)
Mere decibel readings don't tell the whole story about how loud — or rumbly — a rocket launch sounds to people living on Florida's Space Coast, said Whitney Coyle, who chairs the Rollins College physics department. Coyle and a team of student researchers from the Winter Park university set up sensors at five sites within the city of Cape Canaveral to collect sound-energy data from 34 launches and sonic booms from booster landings between October 2025 and May 2026.

The team produced an 85-page report packed with acoustical statistics and graphs detailing sound levels, rooftop-structural vibration, window and window-frame acceleration, and outdoor air quality. "The City is one of the first to independently commission a study of this type before any rule required it. Published launch-noise research is drawn mostly from instruments at the pad; measurements taken where people live are rare, and researchers studying Starship have called for exactly this kind of data," a community handout said.

On a decibel scale, the Rollins College researchers found launches are not especially “loud” within the city — a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is perceived like a conversation, while a bigger Blue Origin New Glenn rocket is like a busy road. But Coyle said that does not match what residents feel. (9/21)

Ohio Makes Pitch for New Space Force Academy (Source: Cincinnati Enquirer)
Ohio, the birthplace of aviation and astronauts, is making a bid to land the yet-to-be created United States Space Force Academy. Ohio is currently home to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and NASA's Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky. Ohio is expecting competition from other states with clout and experience in space exploration, such as Alabama, Florida and Texas. (9/21)