September 25, 2026

Command and Control Technologies Continues Support for the Northrop-Grumman Eclipse Launch Vehicle at Virginia Spaceport (Source: CCT)
Space Coast-based CCT continues to support pad control system and launch control system upgrades at the Mid-Atlantic Regional spaceport in support of the new Northrop-Grumman Eclipse launch vehicle. Explore our capabilities in the space launch and range domains. The Orbital Commodity Control System (OCCS) for the new Antares 330 (Eclipse) and Medium Lift Launch Vehicle runs on CCT's Command and Control Toolkit, which manages the entire pre-launch sequence. (9/25)

EU Projects Ariane 6 and Vega Launch Requirements Will Soon Exceed Capacity (Source: AA.com)
European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius stated that European institutional missions will require 14 Ariane 6 launches annually by 2031. The EU will need 62 launches by 2034 for programs including Galileo, Copernicus and IRIS², he said, adding that European launch demand is expected to increase nearly sixfold. “Ariane is set to launch 10 times a year, but we will need 14 launches in 2031 alone,” Kubilius said. “Vega will launch six times a year, but we will need eight Vega launches in 2030 alone.” (9/25)

Callisto Reusable Rocket Demonstrator Takes Shape Ahead of 2027 Hop Test (Source: European Spaceflight)
The German Aerospace Center (DLR) has completed final testing of the nose cone for the Callisto reusable rocket demonstrator, with the hardware now set to be transferred to France for final integration. DLR has also confirmed that the demonstrator’s initial hop test has slipped to 2027. (9/25)

SpaceX’s Starship Aces Rehearsal Ahead of 1st Orbital Test Flight (Source: Space.com)
Starship just cleared a major hurdle ahead of its first orbital flight. SpaceX announced this afternoon (Sept. 24) that it has completed a wet dress rehearsal (WDR) for the next flight of Starship, the huge, fully reusable rocket it's developing to help humanity settle the moon and Mars. (9/25)

Space Force Expands Commercial Satellite Monitoring of GPS Jamming to Global, Standing Operation (Source: Inside GNSS)
The Space Force is turning a prototype effort to detect GPS jamming and spoofing using commercial satellites into a permanent, worldwide monitoring operation, according to the official who leads the program. Barbara Golf said the cell has established a dedicated electromagnetic spectrum operations section that continuously monitors the GPS L1 frequency worldwide and is expanding into additional GPS bands. (9/24)

Space Force Seeks Industry Support for Satellite Expansion (Source: Air & Space Forces)
The US Space Force is considering multiyear procurement deals and production framework agreements to encourage companies to invest in infrastructure and production capacity for a possible fivefold increase in satellites over the next five years. "Space programs often lack the volume predictability and multiyear commitments required to support large capital investments, reinforcing a conservative approach among suppliers," according to a report by the Aerospace Industries Association. (9/23)

Space Development Agency Opens $369 Million Competition for Missile-Tracking Ground Network (Source: Space News)
The Space Development Agency is seeking industry proposals for a contract worth up to $369 million to expand the worldwide ground infrastructure supporting its constellation of low Earth orbit missile-warning and tracking satellites. (9/24)

Panel Tackles Space Past and Future at Orlando Science Center (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
As part of the Orlando Sentinel’s series of special events celebrating the paper’s 150th anniversary, the Orlando Science Center hosted a panel about space on Wednesday night. The event brought together representatives from Kennedy Space Center, the Space Force and UCF as well as current and former journalists to talk about Central Florida’s vital role in the nation’s space endeavors. One of the highlights of the panel was the displays of former Sentinel photographer Red Huber’s photo retrospective titled, “The Cape Chronicles.” (9/25)
 
America Must Restore its Space Power at War Speed (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Following Trump’s new space policies, the FAA stated that federal ranges are already strained and warned that launch-site availability could become a bottleneck. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Kennedy Space Center and Vandenberg Space Force Base account for 83% of U.S. launches, concentrating activity at just three locations. Furthermore, the FAA says efficiency improvements can accommodate higher cadence in the short term, but reaching the administration’s 1,000-launch goal will require additional spaceport capacity, launch sites, and support infrastructure.

Allies can expand our access. The strategic bargain is straightforward: allies give Washington more places to launch from, more satellites to draw on, and more pathways to keep missions running if U.S. systems are disrupted. The White House has rightly identified space as a driver of military power and rapid access to orbit as essential to national security. America will preserve its space superiority by creating enough launch capacity, commercial alternatives, and allied pathways that attacks become less consequential and system recovery becomes faster. (9/25)

China Launches Recon Satellites on Long March 6 (Source: Xinhua)
China launched a new set of reconnaissance satellites Thursday. A Long March 6 lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, placing into orbit the Yaogan-40 04 cluster of satellites. The satellites are thought to be used for signals intelligence. (9/25)

Starfish Space Prepares for Otter Satellite Servicing Mission (Source: Space News)
Another company is preparing to launch its own satellite servicing mission. Starfish Space said Thursday its first Otter spacecraft will launch on SpaceX's Transporter-18 mission next week. Otter is flying a NASA-funded mission called Small Spacecraft Propulsion and Inspection Capability, or SSPICY, where Otter will approach several objects in low Earth orbit. The mission has the option to attempt to dock with an object, and Starfish said that once the NASA mission is over it could use the spacecraft for other customers. SSPICY is the first in a series of Otter missions that Starfish Space is under contract to develop for both commercial and government customers. (9/25)

Space Force Clears Designs for Tranche 3 Tracking Satellites (Source: Space News)
Three missile-tracking satellite programs for the Space Force have cleared key design reviews. The Space Development Agency is moving ahead with its Tranche 3 Tracking Layer, a 72-satellite procurement for low Earth orbit worth about $3.5 billion. It completed reviews of separate groups of 18 satellites being built by L3Harris and Rocket Lab.

BAE Systems said this week it completed a critical design review for the 10-satellite Resilient Missile Warning and Tracking Medium Earth Orbit Epoch 2 program for Space Systems Command that will operate in MEO. The LEO and MEO programs are part of the Space Force's broader shift toward a multilayered missile-warning and tracking architecture, with different orbital layers providing overlapping coverage and greater resilience than an architecture centered largely on a small number of satellites in geostationary orbit. (9/25)

Rocket Lab Doesn't Rely on NASA Business (Source: Space News)
Even as it pursues a protest of a NASA Mars mission award, Rocket Lab is downplaying the importance of the agency as a customer. Rocket Lab announced earlier this month it filed a protest with the GAO for NASA's selection of Blue Origin for a $700 million Mars communications orbiter, claiming that the award was inconsistent with criteria for the program and that the agency performed a "punitive review" of Rocket Lab's own proposal.

Rocket Lab CFO Adam Spice said the company filed the protest because it felt it had not been treated fairly, but did not go into specifics about the protest. He added, though, that while NASA projects can be interesting for the company to pursue, NASA work "really doesn't move the needle financially" for the company compared to its business with national security and commercial customers. (9/25)

Côte d'Ivoire Signs Artemis Accords (Source: NASA)
For the third time this week, a country has signed the Artemis Accords. The African nation of Côte d'Ivoire signed the accords Thursday in a ceremony in the capital city of Abidjan. The country's minister of higher education and science signed the accords as part of the Africa Space Expo ASPEX 2026 conference. Côte d'Ivoire is the 75th country to sign the Artemis Accords since 2020 and third to do so this week, after Albania on Monday and Croatia on Wednesday. (9/25)

SpaceX Begins Hiring for Louisiana Spaceport (Source: Arcadia Advocate)
SpaceX has started the hiring process for the massive spaceport planned for Vermilion Parish near Pecan Island. On Aug. 25, Gov. Jeff Landry along with other officials and SpaceX representatives announced plans to build a $100 billion rocket launch and recovery facility along a stretch of the Gulf coast about 45 miles south/southwest of Lafayette. SpaceX acquired around 125,000 acres of land in Vermilion Parish as part of the recent settlement of lawsuit against ExxonMobil over the destruction of coastal wetlands.

Four weeks after the announcement, the company is seeking applicants for four positions: Senior construction project manager; Civil engineer, land development; Government affairs manager; and Senior counsel, real estate and infrastructure. The Vermilion Parish spaceport is expected to include five launch pads and create at least 3,000 jobs. (9/24)

China's Moon Plans: Beijing Moving Fast, Preps to Set Up Lunar Training Ground (Source: India Today)
China is moving into a new phase of its human spaceflight program as it prepares for one of its most ambitious goals of sending astronauts to the Moon by 2030. The country is setting up a lunar analog training ground in Xinjiang to help prepare a new generation of astronauts that will embark on a journey to the Moon by 2030. China recently added an unusual tool to that training: caves. In late 2025, 28 astronauts completed China's first dedicated astronaut cave training in Chongqing's Wulong district.

Divided into four groups, they spent six days and five nights inside a natural cave, where conditions included darkness, high humidity and restricted movement. The training involved cave exploration and mapping, scientific work, managing supplies, simulated communication with the outside world and psychological and teamwork exercises. Astronauts also had to move through narrow passages, climb and rappel and cope with prolonged cold and damp conditions. The idea was not to recreate the Moon itself, but to train astronauts to function when they are isolated, resources are limited and unexpected problems arise. (9/22)

Signaling Displeasure with DoD Policy, GOP Senators Hold Up Key Trump Pentagon Nominees (Source: FNN_
Senate Republicans are holding up President Donald Trump’s nominees for key Pentagon jobs to signal their continued displeasure with the Defense Department’s policy shop. Two of the White House’s picks have sat in limbo for more than a year: Alex Velez-Green, tapped to become deputy undersecretary of defense for policy; and Austin Dahmer, the nominee for assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans and capabilities.

Both nominations were announced in June 2025; the men appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee for confirmation hearings that November. Lawmakers chose not to vote them out of committee, forcing the White House to resubmit the picks when a new session of Congress began in January 2026. But the nominations haven’t budged. (9/23)

NASA Assigns Four Astronauts From Three Space Agencies to SpaceX Crew-14 ISS Mission in Spring 2027 (Source: NSF)
NASA has announced four crew members from three space agencies for SpaceX’s Crew-14 mission to the International Space Station, targeted for no earlier than spring 2027. The long-duration expedition will conduct scientific research and support ongoing station operations, following the current crew’s work and preparations for new arrivals. (9/24)

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin Is Fueled With $30 Billion of His Fortune (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Jeff Bezos has invested $30 billion in Blue Origin since founding it in 2000, including his latest infusion of $2 billion, as the Amazon.com founder tries to build a company to rival SpaceX. Documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal discuss his investments, which represent an extraordinary commitment that has helped Blue Origin become a large space company with around 15,000 employees and an ambitious growth plan. (9/24)

HawkEye 360 Secures About $18 million in Middle East Contracts (Source: Space News)
HawkEye 360 announced multiple contracts worth approximately $18 million with customers in the Middle East. The agreements expand the commercial satellite company’s regional business, underscoring continued demand for space-based capabilities among customers in the region. (9/24)

Belgian Space Applications Services Secures Blue Origin Lunar Mission Ride for LUVMI-M Rover (Source: European Spaceflight)
Belgian company Space Applications Services has secured a flight opportunity for its LUVMI-M lunar rover aboard an upcoming Blue Origin Blue Moon lander mission. The agreement advances European participation in commercial lunar exploration and adds another payload to Blue Origin’s developing lunar transportation offering. (9/24)

SaxaVord Dops Shared Suborbital Rail, Requiring HyImpulse to Provide its Own for Second SR75 Launch (Source: European Spaceflight)
SaxaVord has abandoned plans for a shared suborbital launch rail, leaving HyImpulse to bring and operate its own launch system for the second flight of its SR75 rocket. The change adds infrastructure responsibility to HyImpulse’s launch campaign and alters the planned operating model at the spaceport. (9/22)

Starfish Space Completes First Full-Size Otter Servicing Vehicle for NASA-Backed Orbital Debut (Source: Space News)
Starfish Space has completed its first full-scale Otter spacecraft and assigned it to a customer mission, slated for launch on Transporter-18. The Seattle-area company says the vehicle will demonstrate close inspection and docking technologies, marking its transition from scaled technology demonstrations toward operational satellite servicing. (9/24)

Google to Launch Project Suncatcher Satellites for First In-Orbit AI Computing Test (Source: Interesting Engineering)
Google plans to launch two experimental satellites with Planet by early 2027, including a prototype mission on SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare flight. Project Suncatcher will test the performance of Google’s AI tensor processing units in low Earth orbit, including their resilience to launch forces, radiation and extreme temperatures. (9/24)

Saab Seeks Broader Space Role Through Partnerships with SSC Space, OHB Sweden and Ericsson (Source: Reuters)
Saab is pursuing a larger role in the space sector by integrating technologies and services from multiple companies into complete systems. The Swedish defense group signed cooperation agreements with SSC Space, OHB Sweden and Ericsson, extending its aerospace ambitions beyond traditional defense activities. (9/24)

Stanford Engineers Teach Spacecraft to “Dream” Their Way to the ISS (Source: Universe Today)
Stanford engineers are developing a spacecraft guidance approach modeled on “dreaming” to help vehicles rendezvous and dock with the International Space Station. The work addresses the precision of matching velocity and trajectory with a laboratory traveling at roughly 28,000 km/h. (9/24)

Black Hole 'Burps' are the Same, No Matter How Supermassive the Source is (Source: Space.com)
Black holes come in a vast array of sizes. There are the stellar-mass black holes with a few times the mass of the sun — and then there are the supermassive black holes with billions of times the mass of our star that dominate the hearts of all large galaxies. However, new research suggests the "burps" that black holes emit when feeding on unfortunate stars seem to be remarkably similar — no matter their size. (9/24)

Northrop Grumman Says Solid Rocket Motor Output Will Reach 25,000 a Year by 2029 (Source: Defense Industry Europe)
Northrop Grumman plans to raise annual solid rocket motor production from more than 13,000 units to 25,000 by 2029. The expansion is aimed at meeting higher demand for U.S. and allied missile systems while adding capacity to a strained defense supply chain. The company said it has invested more than $2 billion in solid rocket motor and munition technologies over the past several years. That spending has funded modernized facilities and manufacturing capacity that Northrop Grumman says is available to support production growth. (9/24)

NASA to Develop Next Billion-Dollar Space Telescope (Source: Space News)
NASA announced Wednesday it will pursue development of a billion-dollar far-infrared space telescope. NASA said it selected the Probe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics, or PRIMA, as its first Probe Explorer mission for launch in 2033. PRIMA will fly a 1.8-meter telescope with instruments sensitive to far-infrared light, enabling studies of black holes and exoplanets.

The mission has a cost cap of $1.2 billion, excluding launch. PRIMA was one of two finalists to be the first probe-class mission, although NASA earlier this year said it had disqualified the other finalist, an X-ray telescope called AXIS, for not meeting cost and schedule requirements. A NASA official said earlier this week that current budget profiles could mean delaying calls for future smaller astrophysics missions in order to fund a probe-class mission. (9/24)

After Critical Workforce Cuts, Can Goddard Still Build Multi-Billion Dollar Space Telescopes (Source: Scientific American)
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center officially maintains that it can still build flagship telescopes, but recent workforce cuts, layoffs, and facility reorganizations have left many employees and experts doubting that capability. Goddard successfully led the construction and assembly of the $4.3-billion Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which recently launched from Florida.

NASA officials state that conceiving, developing, and operating large flagship missions remains a core, unchanged capability of the Maryland-based NASA center. But internal cuts, rapid reorganizations, and sudden facility relocations displaced scientists from specialized labs—costing millions in equipment and delaying projects. Current and former workers have warned that the loss of experienced personnel and specialized clean-room space means Goddard may struggle or lack the capacity to repeat a multi-billion-dollar build today. (9/24)

Former NASA Chief Sounds Alarm on China’s Lunar “Exploration” Plans (Source: Ars Technica)
In a forthcoming memoir, former US politician and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson offers a blistering assessment of China, saying the United States must do all it can to retain its leadership in space exploration. “Beijing’s intended strategy is to dominate the high ground of the twenty-first century,” writes Nelson. (9/23)

Current NASA Chief Says NASA ‘Dodged a Bullet’ with Chinese Lunar Mission Delay (Source: Space News)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency "dodged a bullet" when a Chinese lunar mission was unexpectedly postponed. He said that both NASA and China are interested in south polar regions of the moon thought to have water ice, including Shackleton Crater. That crater is the destination of China's Chang'e-7 robotic mission, which was supposed to launch last month but was abruptly postponed until sometime next year.

Isaacman said that a Chang'e-7 landing there "would have potentially denied access to some of the most interesting spots" at the lunar south pole. Isaacman has increasingly emphasized the national security implications of Artemis, warning that a Chinese crewed landing before NASA's return could call into question American leadership more generally. He said NASA will provide an update on efforts to accelerate Artemis in early October. (9/24)

Moog Expands in New York to Grow Thruster Production (Source: Space News)
Moog Inc. announced the completion and commissioning of a new ISO Class 8 certified clean room at its Niagara Falls facility. This advanced manufacturing environment is now fully operational and will accelerate Moog’s assembly, integration, and testing of thrusters to support a growing portfolio of defense and commercial spaceflight programs.

Completed on schedule, the expansion increases dedicated clean room capacity by more than 80% and is specifically designed for continuous, multi-shift operations for thrusters and propulsion systems. (9/23)

Astrolab, Interstellar Mapping Hunt Lunar Water (Source: Payload)
A new partnership between Astrolab and Interstellar Mapping is one giant leap for mapkind. Interstellar Mapping will support Astrolab’s mission to hunt for water on the lunar surface later this year as part of NASA’s mission to build the Moon Base, the companies exclusively told Payload. It’s Interstellar Mapping’s first time working on a US commercial rover mission. (9/23)

ESA Awards RFA €2.7 Million in New Funding for SaxaVord Operations (Source: European Spaceflight)
The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) a contract amendment that will provide the company with €2.7 million in additional co-funding to support the build-out of the company’s launch and testing infrastructure at SaxaVord in Scotland. According to the agency, RFA is expected to resume preparations for static fire tests of its first RFA ONE rocket “soon.”

Announced on 23 September, the contract extension will fund the development of testing facilities at SaxaVord that will allow for hot-fire tests of individual Helix 1.0 rocket engines and fully integrated RFA ONE second stages. ESA added that the funding would also support additional ground infrastructure at the spaceport, although it did not specify what infrastructure this would include. (9/24)

NASA Wants to Revive X-Plane Program for Faster, Higher Experimental Flights (Source: Air Data News)
NASA wants to rebuild its X-plane portfolio with experimental aircraft designed to explore higher speeds, altitudes and new propulsion technologies, according to agency Administrator Jared Isaacman. He outlined the plans during a presentation that attracted attention for another reason: a slide titled “Rebuilding our X-plane portfolio” showed a dark, unidentified aircraft with a configuration reminiscent of the SR-71 Blackbird .

NASA has not identified the aircraft or confirmed that the image represents an actual program under development. The agency instead says it intends to expand experimental aviation beyond the X-59, its current piloted X-plane. He pointed to NASA’s intention to pursue aircraft capable of flying higher and faster than its recent experimental designs. (9/24)

Viasat Awarded $42M Task Order Under Marine Corp Managed Services Contract (Source: Via Satellite)
Viasat has received a $42 million task order under its contract to provide managed satcom services to the U.S. Marine Corps. Viasat has a background in providing managed satcom to the Marines and was awarded a contract worth up to $307 million in May for global communication connectivity on the USMC Enterprise Commercial Satellite Services (MECS2) Contract. Viasat will deliver satcom services across L-, Ku-, and Ka-bands through terminal solutions and satellites across orbits from the company and multiple partner providers. (9/23)

Where Will the European Crew Vehicle Go? (Source: Douglas Messier)
During the recent International Space Summit in Paris, all 23 member nations of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) and associate member Canada endorsed a proposal for an independent European human spaceflight program. The declaration tasked ESA with developing a proposal in time for the Intermediate Ministerial Meeting in December. French President Emmanuel Macron said he wants to see a crewed vehicle launch from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana by 2036.

Since we don’t know exactly what the space agency will propose, we have to make a few assumptions for this analysis. Let’s assume the spacecraft will be initially designed for trips to low Earth orbit (LEO). Voyages to Moon might follow later. And let’s go with 2036 as a reasonable date for the first crewed launch. It might fly soon, it might fly later. There is only so much astronauts in a single spacecraft can accomplish during an orbital flight that might last a couple of weeks at most. (9/24)

How ULA’s 2.4 million-square-foot Alabama plant builds the Vulcan Centaur (Source: Washington Times)
United Launch Alliance is ramping up production of its Vulcan Centaur rocket at a 2.4-million-square-foot factory in Decatur, Alabama, aiming to build 20 to 25 vehicles annually to meet growing demand from the Space Force and commercial clients like Amazon. Click here for a rare look at how the Vulcan Centaur rocket comes together. (9/15)

NSF Funds ISS National Lab-Sponsored Projects to Advance Applications in Electronics Cooling and Drug Delivery (Source: CASIS)
The ISS National Laboratory and the National Science Foundation announced the selection of two new research projects that will leverage the unique microgravity. The investigations will build on more than 10 years of collaboration between the ISS National Lab and NSF to support fundamental science that can deliver tangible benefits for life on Earth.

Since the partnership began, NSF has funded nearly 100 projects seeking to leverage the ISS National Lab in research areas spanning biotechnology, fluid dynamics, combustion related to safety and wildfires, and other transport phenomena. These projects have advanced scientific knowledge and led to more than 350 peer-reviewed publications.

The two newly selected projects will investigate fundamental processes that influence advanced manufacturing, energy systems, healthcare technologies, and other critical fields. The include: "The Role of Non-Gravitational Transport Phenomena on the Melting Dynamics of Small Particles," and "An Experimental Study of Slip Ratio in Microgravity Two-Phase Flows." (9/24)

Space Force Plans Two Commercial Satellite Servicing Missions (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force is preparing two commercial satellite servicing missions for 2027 to test how to give military satellites more ability to maneuver after launch. Col. Scott Carstetter, director of servicing, mobility and logistics at Space Systems Command, said during a webinar Wednesday that one mission, led by Astroscale U.S., will attempt to refuel a military satellite in geosynchronous orbit and then replenish the servicing spacecraft from an orbiting fuel depot.

The second, by Starfish Space, will use a commercial space tug to dock with and move multiple national security satellites. Space Systems Command also wants to learn how the military can buy servicing from commercial operators, how much infrastructure would be needed to make those services routinely available and whether refueling or life extension could in some cases be more economical than replacing satellites. (9/24)

China Launches Broadband Satellites on Long March 8A (Source: Xinhua)
China launched a set of broadband constellation satellites Wednesday. A Long March 8A lifted off from the Wenchang spaceport at 9:32 a.m. Eastern and placed into orbit the 26th group of SatNet LEO, or Guowang, satellites. Reports did not disclose how many satellites were on board but similar launches previously carried nine satellites each. (9/24)

Croatia Signs Artemis Accords (Source: NASA)
Croatia has signed the Artemis Accords. Croatia's science minister signed the accords Wednesday in Zagreb with NASA and State Department officials in attendance. Croatia is the 74th country to sign the accords and the second to do so this week, after Albania did so on Monday at NASA Headquarters. The Artemis Accords outline best practices for space exploration, and NASA plans to use them to coordinate cooperation on the Artemis program. (9/24)

Poland Investigating Starlink Gateway (Source: TVP World)
Polish officials are investigating a fire at a Starlink gateway in the country. The fire at the gateway station near Warsaw damaged power units at the facility, which supports communications for the Starlink constellation in the region. Polish government officials said they cannot rule out arson as the cause for the fire, suggesting it may have been part of "hybrid warfare" intended to impede Ukraine's use of Starlink during its war with Russia. (9/24)