September 30, 2026

Miller Could Command Space Command (Source: Space News)
Space Force Lt. Gen. David Miller Jr. is expected to be nominated to become the next commander of U.S. Space Command. President Donald Trump has officially nominated Miller for promotion to general, according to a congressional nomination notice posted Tuesday. The notice establishes that Miller has been nominated for the four-star rank required for the Space Command position but does not identify his next assignment.  Miller serves as the Space Force's deputy chief of space operations for strategy, plans, programs and requirements. (9/30)

Space Network Gains $150 Million in Pre-Orders for Broadband Constellation (Source: Space News)
Space Network has secured $150 million in pre-orders for its satellite broadband system. The company recently announced a $100 million deal with Vietnamese technology startup DETI Technology and a $50 million pre-order from HQ Company, a renewable energy infrastructure developer in the Philippines. In addition to leading wholesale sales in their respective countries, HQ and DETI plan to secure the local Ka-band spectrum rights that Space Network would use to provide broadband there from a global constellation of 230 satellites by 2029.

Space Network was set up as the neutral infrastructure layer for Spacecoin, a project using blockchain to facilitate payments between independently owned satellites and other parts of the network. The company operates four cubesats in LEO to demonstrate technology for the network, ordered from Bulgaria's EnduroSat and Near Space Launch of Indiana. (9/30)

Space Force Delays Plan for Maneuverable Satellite Comms (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force is pushing back a planned procurement of commercial communications services from maneuverable satellites in GEO. The Space Systems Command's Commercial Satellite Communications Office, or CSCO, now expects to seek proposals in October for the Maneuverable Geosynchronous Orbit satellite-services program, known as MGEO, and make an award in April 2027.

This is the latest delay for a program that once planned to make awards in July 2025. MGEO is intended to tap into the smaller geostationary satellite marketplace, using spacecraft with greater ability to reposition themselves in GEO. The Space Force also is tapping the small GEO market under the Protected Tactical Satcom-Global program, or PTS-G, program, with awards in June to Viasat and Intelsat. (9/30)

Avio Breaks Ground in Virginia for Rocket Motor Production (Source: Space News)
Avio's U.S. subsidiary broke ground on a factory that will produce solid rocket motors for missiles. Avio USA is building a 900,000-square-foot facility in Hurt, Virginia, that is expected to be capable of producing thousands of solid rocket motors annually for U.S. tactical missile program. The company wants the Virginia operation to function as a merchant supplier, selling motors to multiple defense contractors rather than dedicating the factory to a single missile program. The facility is scheduled for completion in late 2028 with the first motors produced there in early 2029. (9/30)

Parsons to Oversee Development of Space Command HQ in Huntsville (Source: Space News)
Parsons won an $85 million contract to oversee construction of U.S. Space Command's new headquarters building. The company said Tuesday it was selected to serve as the government's "owner's advisor" for the new Command and Control Facility at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. The 75-month agreement puts Parsons in a central management role as the government designs and builds what is expected to be a roughly $2 billion headquarters complex.

The Space Command headquarters is expected to encompass about 950,000 square feet and support as many as 1,800 personnel. The project is also an early test of a new Pentagon approach intended to speed up military construction, which can take a decade or longer for large and complicated facilities. (9/30)

China's CAS Space Plans Suborbital Lihong-2 Launch in 2027 (Source: Space News)
Chinese commercial launch firm CAS Space is targeting a first flight of the Lihong-2 suborbital rocket in early 2027. The launch would carry pharmaceutical payloads under an agreement with Guangzhou Laboratory. CAS Space had planned a late 2026 launch of the rocket earlier this year. Lihong-2 is designed to go above an altitude of 100 kilometers, providing a microgravity environment for more than 180 seconds and carry up to 3,000 kilograms of payload. The rocket's booster would make a powered vertical landing while a capsule carrying the payload lands under parachutes. (9/30)

Chinese Launchers Developing Electric Pumps for Rocket Engines (Source: Space News)
Several Chinese startups are working on rocket engines with electric pumps. At least four companies in China are working on engines with electric pumps, which eliminate complex turbomachinery. The engines are in various stages of development and testing, each producing several tons of thrust. Rocket Lab uses an electric-pump architecture for the Rutherford engine that powers its Electron rocket, although the company has moved to more traditional designs for the larger Archimedes engine powering Neutron. The apparent trend comes following clear signals from China's central government that commercial space is of strategic importance and a potential economic driver, even as the country's launch sector becomes crowded. (9/30)

Astro Digital Plans SPAC Merger with Proem (Source: Space News)
Astro Digital plans to go public through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) merger. The company said Monday it agreed to merge with Proem Acquisition Corp I in a transaction carrying a proposed enterprise value of about $587 million. The merger could provide up to $180 million in gross proceeds from Proem’s trust account and private financing led by Proem Asset Management and Leon Capital Group.

The companies expect to close in the first quarter of 2027, subject to shareholder approval and other conditions. Denver-based Astro Digital has delivered nearly 40 satellites to customers including NASA, the Defense Department, Boeing and Sony. The company expects the funding would help Astro Digital add production capacity and expand its sales operation. (9/30)

Lithuania's Blackswan Space Raises $2.9 Million for Rendezvous Satellite (Source: Space News)
Lithuania's Blackswan Space has raised around $2.9 million to develop a rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) payload. The company has created RPO Kit, a spacecraft subsystem comprising sensors and the software needed to guide maneuvers near another object in orbit, follows five years of vision-based navigation technology development. Orbit Fab plans to use the system for an in-space refueling demo mission in 2028. Blackswan plans to test a scaled-down version in space for the first time in late 2027, using an internally funded chaser and target spacecraft in low Earth orbit. (9/30)

Stoke Space to Launch AstroForge Autonomous Spacecraft in 2027 (Source: Space News)
Asteroid mining company AstroForge plans to test a fully autonomous spacecraft on a mission next year. The company's Autonomy-1 spacecraft will launch on the first flight of Stoke Space's Nova Pathfinder rocket early next year. Autonomy-1 will be equipped with Solo, an artificial intelligence model AstroForge has developed that will be able to handle all operations on the spacecraft, including detecting and resolving any anomalies, without any intervention from the ground.

AstroForge said it pursued Solo after challenges communicating with its first spacecraft, Odin, launched last year. Having the spacecraft be fully autonomous reduces operations cost and complexity. Solo will also run in a "shadow" mode on DeepSpace-2, an asteroid prospecting mission launching next year, but will not handle spacecraft operations. (9/30)

New Zealand Could Get Second Spaceport (Source: Radio New Zealand)
A study has concluded a second New Zealand spaceport is viable. The study, prepared by French spaceport developer SpacedreamS, examined a site south of Christchurch on the South Island of New Zealand that is home to the Tāwhaki National Aerospace Centre. The site currently has a runway for aircraft flight testing, but the study found it could also support launches. Tāwhaki and SpacedreamS said they are discussing spaceport development with government officials and investors, but did not disclose a cost for developing a launch site there or schedule, or who might be interested in using it. (9/30)

Collins to Grow Iowa Aerospace Component Facility (Source: Charlotte Observer)
Collins Aerospace will expand its aerospace engine parts facility in West Des Moines, Iowa, to increase manufacturing capacity. Construction is set to begin soon, with completion expected by mid-2027. This follows a previous expansion in 2023. (9/29)
 
GE Aerospace Commits $500K to Ohio Workforce Training (Source: Dayton Daily News)
GE Aerospace and the GE Aerospace Foundation are investing nearly $500,000 in workforce development in southwest Ohio, with Sinclair Community College receiving $300,000 to train welders and technicians, the Hobart Welding Institute receiving $130,000, and the Talent Collaborative of Greater Cincinnati receiving $30,000. The initiative, part of the Lifting Futures program, aims to train 10,000 workers. (9/30)

Some Barriers to Starship Rapid Reusability (Source: SPACErePORT)
SpaceX is far beyond its competitors in operating a high-cadence launch system, but some barriers remain for achieving the rapid turnaround promised for Starship Super-Heavy missions. After a qualified success for September's Flight 14 orbital Starship event, Flights 15 and 16 are both planned in October with an unprecedented 11-day gap between flights. But SpaceX is aiming for an hour between flights...potentially of the same vehicles.

One key capability seems already within reach: SpaceX reportedly loaded 12 million pounds of liquid oxygen and liquid methane in roughly 30 minutes, an impressive engineering milestone. Other barriers include: 1) Launch Pad Refurbishment - Today's missions require active post launch/landing inspection, structural cooling, and minor repairs between events.    The goal is zero-touch refurbishment with ultra-robust survivability. 2) Booster & Ship Catching - The current system is still in operational testing, but must mature to allow     immediate restacking.

3) Thermal Protection Maturation - The current system of heat-shield tiles requires inspection and time-consuming replacement between flights. The goal is to use a more robust material that can confidently survive multiple launches and reentries. 4) Regulatory & Range Capacity - Airspace closures and launch licensing traditionally take weeks per flight. Continuous "airline-like" range clearance is required to prevent grounding flights due to commercial air traffic. (9/30)

Star Catcher, Google and Blackwing Space Bring New Orbital Technologies to Transporter-18 Mission (Source: Spacewatch Global)
SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare mission will carry 130 payloads to orbit, including Star Catcher’s Protostar orbital power demonstrator, Google’s Project Suncatcher AI-computing test and Blackwing Space’s Baby Bird nanosatellite. The diverse manifest highlights how a single rideshare mission is becoming a platform for testing new approaches to power, computing, Earth observation and commercial space infrastructure. (9/29)

Blackswan Space Raises $2.9 Million for Satellite Rendezvous Payload Ahead of 2028 Refueling Demo (Source: Space News)
Lithuania’s Blackswan Space has raised approximately $2.9 million in seed funding to develop a rendezvous and proximity operations payload. Orbit Fab plans to use the technology in what it describes as Europe’s first in-space satellite refueling demonstration, targeted for 2028. (9/30)

Astranis Secures $468 Million EXIM Loan to Expand Satellite Production (Source: Axios)
Astranis has secured a $468 million loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank to expand satellite production, according to an exclusive report. EXIM Chairman John Jovanovic framed the financing as part of a broader effort to strengthen U.S. leadership in space. (9/30)

Varda Raises $251 Million at $1.6 Billion Valuation (Source: Space News)
Varda has raised $251 million in a Series D financing led by Lux Capital and Natural Capital, valuing the in-space manufacturing company at $1.6 billion. The funding reinforces investor backing for Varda’s commercial space business as it advances its growth strategy. (9/30)

Sophia Space and Redwire Partner to Develop Scalable Orbital Data Center Infrastructure (Source: Space News)
Sophia Space and Redwire have agreed to collaborate on the development and deployment of scalable, space-based computing infrastructure. The partnership targets orbital data centers, signaling continued commercial interest in moving data processing and related infrastructure into space. (9/30)

Space Force Mission Delta 2 Develops Advanced SDA Software to Prioritize Rapid Satellite Tracking (Source: SatNews)
On Sep. 29, 2026, details presented during the Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (AMOS) Conference revealed that the U.S. Space Force’s Mission Delta 2 is building software systems to accelerate satellite tracking across all orbital regimes. The initiative marks an operational pivot within Space Domain Awareness (SDA), prioritizing high decision velocity and rapid contact updates over waiting for fully refined, highly precise orbital telemetry. (9/29)

Australia's Orbit 2 Orbit Advances Plans for Cargo Service Network in Space (Source: Business News Australia)
Backed by a $1.4 million seed round earlier this year, a Gold Coast startup pioneering logistics services for the space industry is advancing plans to establish an international delivery standard similar to land-based shipping containers to move cargo between space stations and satellites. Orbit 2 Orbit, which has been dubbed the FedEx of space, says it aims to make it easier for regular freight movement between orbital platforms. (9/29)

Blue Origin CEO: 'We Have a Path to Launch This Year' Amid Pad Rebuilding Effort (Source: Bradenton Herald)
Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp still believes his company's massive, full-steam-ahead infrastructure rebuilding effort after the May 28 New Glenn rocket explosion may let Blue Origin return to flight by the end of 2026. "Space is hard. And our job is to make it look easy," Limp said Monday at Blue Origin's growing Rocket Park manufacturing campus at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. "And so, we have hundreds of people out at the pad rebuilding the pad, getting it ready to launch again," Limp said. "We still think we have a path to launch this year," he said. (9/28)

Astronauts Launching on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 Will Support Variety of ISS National Lab-Sponsored Research (Source: CASIS)
Four new crew members are preparing to launch to the ISS on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission. During their six-month expedition, NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov will support hundreds of scientific investigations, including numerous ISS National Lab-sponsored projects that seek to benefit life on Earth and enable a robust low Earth orbit (LEO) economy. (9/29)

Starship Has Finally Gone Orbital. Now Comes the Hard Part (Source: Gizmodo)
This test mission, Flight 14, was supposed to last 10 hours, with Starship completing roughly six trips around the planet. The vehicle did manage to deploy all 26 of the Starlink V3 satellites it carried to space, marking the first operational deployment of these larger, upgraded satellites. But “out of an abundance of caution given the engine issue experienced during ascent,” flight controllers decided to end the mission early. Starship splashed down in the northern Pacific after less than three hours in orbit.

Now, SpaceX has work to do. The company needs to prove it can do this repeatedly without any anomalies. Starship has flown with upgraded Raptor 3 engines three times now, and they have malfunctioned every time. Getting to the bottom of these issues will be critical if SpaceX hopes to deliver on its promises to NASA and to achieve commercial viability. NASA plans to launch Artemis 3 in 2027, sending test versions of NASA’s two commercial Moon landers—SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System (HLS) and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2 lander—to LEO. Only one lander will earn the chance to return NASA astronauts to the Moon.

Whether the engine failure that occurred during Flight 14 was “a one-off failure of a single part” or a symptom of a larger design problem will determine the pace of Starship’s continued development. “Any engine fix that holds up the next flights, including the planned attempt to catch the ship with the launch tower’s arms [after re-entry], eats into that schedule,” Dean Sladen said. (9/29)

Dawn Aerospace Expands into Germany to Support €35 Billion Sovereign Space Defense Initiatives (Source: Dawn Aerospace)
Dawn Aerospace announced its expansion into Germany with work underway to establish Dawn Aerospace Deutschland GmbH. This move will support  a localized supply of flight-proven space propulsion as well as the development of space transportation capabilities to support Germany’s rapidly growing defense and national security space sectors. This builds on top of Dawn’s current collaboration with German partners such as Zentrum für Telematik.

The expansion aligns with German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius’s recent commitment to invest €35 billion in space-related defence projects by 2030. Achieving this rapid orbital deployment requires a resilient, sovereign military space architecture backed by reliable, high-volume production of critical components like propulsion. (9/29)

ESA Awards Study Contracts for Space Station (Source: Douglas Messier)
The European Space Agency has selected consortia led by Airbus Defence and Space and OHB to conduct a pair of Pre-Phase A studies on the development of a European-led space station that would fly after the ISS is retired in 2030. The studies will examine the development of a modular space station in low Earth orbit (LEO) in cooperation with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and other partners. ESA did not disclose the value of the contracts or the other members of the consortia. (9/29)

Call for Proposals - Space Florida & UK Space Agency - Space Innovation Partnership (Source: Gov.UK)
The goal of the Space Florida – UK Space Agency Space Innovation Partnership is to promote joint R&D collaboration among companies in Florida and the UK. Proposals are welcome on any area of the space sector, but areas are of particular interest include: In-orbit servicing and manufacturing; Space transportation; Satellite systems; In-space research; and Advanced exploration technologies. The program aims to stimulate collaborative innovation between UK and Florida space organizations, accelerating the development and commercialization of cutting-edge space technologies.

The call will support projects that have strong market potential, strengthen bilateral relationships, and help organizations access opportunities within respective space ecosystems. UK companies will be funded by the UK Space Agency, and Florida companies will be funded by Space Florida. Funding available totals £150,000 from the UK Space Agency and $200,000 from Space Florida. Up to two projects are expected to be funded, each with a total value of £150,000/$200,000, including contributions of up to £75,000 (UKSA) and $100,000 (SF). Click here. (9/29)

NASA Says Satellite Battery-Passivation Practices Are Inconsistent and Insufficient To Prevent Orbital Debris (Source: Space Intel Report)
A NASA workshop with satellite manufacturers and operators found that commercial practices for passivating spacecraft batteries—intended to prevent explosions after mission end—often fall short of NASA recommendations. The findings raise concerns as commercial satellite buses become increasingly common across government and civil space programs. (9/29)

CNES Publishes Call for New Rocket Launch Tracking Turrets for French Guiana (Source: European Spaceflight)
France’s CNES has published a call for proposals to replace ageing launch-tracking equipment at the Guiana Space Centre with three automated optical tracking turrets. The upgrade is intended to modernize optical monitoring capabilities supporting rocket launches from Europe’s primary spaceport. (9/29)

Electric-Pump Propulsion Emerges as a New Front in China’s Commercial Launch Sector (Source: Space News)
A new group of Chinese commercial launch companies is pursuing electric-pump-fed liquid engines, signaling an emerging propulsion trend in the country’s private space sector. The effort could broaden the technology base available to Chinese launch providers as they develop competing commercial space transportation systems. (9/29)

Artemis Accords Principals to Discuss Lunar Debris and Emerging Space Assistance in Turkey (Source: Payload)
NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson and Peruvian Space Agency director Maj. Gen. Roberto Melgar Sheen will lead the Artemis Accords Principals’ Meeting in Turkey. The discussions will address lunar debris and emerging space assistance, highlighting practical coordination challenges as participating nations expand lunar activity. (9/29)