October 21, 2026

Space Force Plans Dispersed Systems for Satellite Jamming (Source: Space News)
The Space Force is planning a global deployment of systems to jam satellite communications. The Space Systems Command issued a sources-sought notice last week for companies capable of supporting its Counter Communications System Meadowlands fleet for roughly six years. The document says the future fleet will include at least 32 systems, while contractors should be prepared to sustain as many as 56 systems dispersed around the world. Meadowlands, built by L3Harris Technologies, uses ground-based radio-frequency equipment to temporarily interfere with an adversary's satellite communications. It became operational this year after extensive testing. The Space Force said in the notice that Meadowlands systems will be deployed in the U.S. Central Command and Indo-Pacific Command regions and contractors must also be able to support systems in the European, Southern and Northern Command areas. (10/19)

GAO Sees Weather Satellite Gap (Source: Space News)
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report says there is a risk of a gap in geostationary weather satellites in the early 2030s. The report said that the first of a new generation of GEO weather satellites, called GeoXO, is scheduled to enter service in 2033, several months after the last spare satellite from the current generation reaches the end of life. That creates a risk of a data gap if one of the two operational satellites malfunctions during that time. The warning comes as NOAA scales back the GeoXO program, reducing the number of satellites and canceling instruments, to reduce its lifecycle cost from nearly $20 billion to $12 billion. That cost has since increased to $13 billion with "risk and uncertainty" about the program's schedule, the GAO report noted. (10/19)

Iran's Space Launch Sites Damaged in US War (Source: IISS)
Two Iranian launch sites suffered significant damage during the ongoing conflict with the United States. Analysis of commercial satellite imagery shows that the Imam Khomeini Space Centre, operated by Iran's space agency, and the Shahroud Space Centre, run by Iran's Revolutionary Guard, both were hit by air strikes in the early weeks of the conflict, damaging launch pads and other facilities. Iran has not attempted a space launch since the start of the conflict, although some of its smaller vehicles use mobile launch systems that could allow them to operate even if spaceport infrastructure is damaged. (10/19)

European Mobile Operators Team to Bid on D2D Spectrum (Source: Bloomberg)
Several European mobile phone operators say they will join forces to bid on spectrum for direct-to-device satellite services. Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Vodafone and Telefonica said they are exploring a joint bid for spectrum the European Union wants to reserve for a European operator of D2D services. That EU effort has been criticized by companies like SpaceX, who are seeking access to that spectrum for their own services. In an interview, Andrew Puzder, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, appeared to threaten retaliation should the EU go forward with those plans, saying it would be "very devastating for those companies." (10/19)

Space Force Planning Spaceport Overhaul to Allow Concurrent Operations (Source: Space News)
The Space Force is planning an overhaul of its launch sites to be able to support up to eight operations a day. The plan, released Tuesday, sets targets extending into the 2030s for the Eastern Range at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and the Western Range at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The Space Force wants to move away from a model in which major range activities are largely conducted sequentially. Each spaceport would eventually be able to support as many as three major operations simultaneously, including launches, tests and vehicle recoveries. That number could grow to five to eight operations per day. The Space Force is also considering changes to how its spaceports are financed and how launch providers pay for their use. (10/21)

SpaceX Plans to Recover Both Starship Stages on Flight 15 (Source: Space News)
SpaceX says it plans to attempt to recover both Starship stages on the vehicle's next launch. The company said in an earnings call Tuesday that, pending approval from the FAA, it will attempt to bring the Starship upper stage, or ship, on the Flight 15 mission back to Starbase to be caught by the launch tower there. That would be a major milestone in the company's efforts to recover and reuse both Starship stages. Flight 15 is scheduled for November. During the earnings call, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said that special board committees at both SpaceX and Tesla are exploring a possible merger of the two firms. Musk said that such a merger would be "a good idea" but noted he is excluded from the committees' discussions because of his roles at both companies. (10/21)

ClearSpace and Eutelsat Work to Extend Life of GEO Satellite (Source: Space News)
ClearSpace signed an agreement with Eutelsat to extend the life of a GEO satellite. The companies agreed Tuesday to jointly define the mission for Phoenix, a European Space Agency-backed program projected to cost $114 million and targeting a demonstration in 2030. The companies are discussing what Eutelsat satellite would be used for the mission, extending that spacecraft's life by up to 10 years. Eutelsat has a separate life-extension agreement with Infinite Orbits, a French in-orbit servicing startup. (10/21)

Xona Launches Six Satellites for LEO Navigation on Bandwagon Mission (Source: Space News)
Xona Space Systems launched a set of satellites that will enable it to demonstrate its low Earth orbit navigation services. Six Xona satellites were deployed on the SpaceX Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission Tuesday. Four of the spacecraft, built by Aerospacelab, are intended to operate as Xona's first service cluster, giving the company its first opportunity to demonstrate an independent navigation solution using its Pulsar system. The other two are the first satellites designed and manufactured in-house by Xona. The company is developing Pulsar, a commercial PNT service that would eventually use 258 satellites in low Earth orbit to complement or back up GPS. (10/21)

SES and Planet Test Orbital Data Relay (Source: Space News)
SES Space & Defense and Planet will test data relay services using another satellite launched on Bandwagon-5. For the demonstration, Planet developed and integrated a communications terminal aboard its Pelican-12 Earth observation satellite, including a software-defined radio and a tracking antenna designed to communicate with SES's satellite network. The terminal will allow Pelican-12, launched into low Earth orbit on Bandwagon-5, to transmit imagery to SES's O3b mPOWER satellites in medium Earth orbit. The test is part of a NASA-funded program to develop commercial alternatives to its aging Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system. SES is also positioning the technology as a commercial service for satellite operators seeking faster access to data collected in orbit. (10/21)

China's Sinxbot Raises Funds for Robotic Arms for Servicing Spacecraft (Source: Space News)
Chinese startup Sinxbot has raised tens of millions of dollars to develop robotic arms for servicing satellites. The company announced last week it raised funding in several rounds between May and September from investors that included Alibaba and China Mobile. Sinxbot develops cable-driven flexible robotic arms where motors sit at the base of the arm and drive it through cables. This makes the end of the arm lighter and more compliant, and the company says that improves safety when working close to client spacecraft. Sinxbot is targeting three services: refueling spacecraft, assisting the deorbiting of defunct or retired spacecraft and on-orbit inspection and maintenance. It plans an orbital demonstration mission in 2027. (10/21)

Chinas Space Robot Raises $14.9 Million for Servicing Spacecraft Constellation (Source: Space News)
Space Robot, another Chinese satellite servicing company, has raised funds for a constellation of servicing spacecraft. The company announced Monday that it had closed a nearly 100 million yuan ($14.9 million) Series A round. The company said the funds will be used for building a "space robot cluster" and commercial expansion. It plans a constellation of 16 servicing spacecraft, and launched a technology demonstration satellite last year to test maneuvering and space situational awareness work. (10/21)

China Launches Ceres-1 Ricket with Remote Sensing Satellite (Source: Space News)
A Chinese rocket launched the first satellite of a remote-sensing constellation. A Ceres-1 lifted off at 11:39 p.m. Eastern Tuesday from a ship off the coast of Shandong province. The rocket carried the Xiguang-4 (01) satellite, also called Guangda-1, into a 541-kilometer orbit inclined by 39 degrees. The 300-kilogram satellite is the first of three pathfinders for the planned Wuyang constellation for low-latitude remote sensing coverage, and carries high-resolution, multispectral and infrared cameras. The full constellation, targeting observations between 35 degrees north and south latitudes, will include the three pathfinders and 25 operational satellites. (10/21)

Spain's PLD Space Pushes First Miura 5 Launch to 2027 (Source: Space News)
PLD Space has pushed back the first flight of its Miura 5 rocket to 2027. The company said in an update this week it has produced three vehicles, two of which will be used for qualification testing along with the first flight model of the small launcher. The company said earlier this year it was planning a first launch before the end of the year but now says that launch will take place in the first half of 2027. PLD Space did not disclose what issues with the rocket or its launch site under construction in French Guiana caused the schedule slip. (10/21)

Solstar Space Demos Space Wifi (Source: Space News)
Solstar Space demonstrated wifi communications in space between two spacecraft. The company's Deke Space Communicator enabled high-speed communications between NASA's R5-S10 cubesat and the Vigoride-7 orbital transfer vehicle from Momentus during recent tests in orbit. The data transferred between the spacecraft were then sent to the ground using an Iridium link. (10/21)

Samara Aerospace to Demo Attitude Control Tech for NASA (Source: Space News)
Samara Aerospace received a NASA contract to demonstrate hardware and software for the company's attitude-control technology in a laboratory setting. The $1.3 million award, through NASA's SBIR program, will enable lab testing of small piezoelectric actuators in the hinges of deployable solar panels to stabilize spacecraft for precision pointing. The NASA program has a 24-month period of performance. But Samara plans to move rapidly to complete the work ahead of the 2027 launch of Hummingbird-1, the company's small satellite based on that technology. (10/21)

Canada's Telesat Looking to Refinance Debt by December Deadline (Source: Globe and Mail)
Lenders are offering to refinance debt held by Canadian satellite operator Telesat ahead of a December deadline. The lenders put forward a second proposal to refinance $1.7 billion in debt that comes due on Dec. 6 after making an initial proposal in August. The new proposal would refinance the debt with an equity offering and new loan. Telesat has acknowledged that it does not have sufficient cash flow to meet all its debt obligations. Canadian law may keep Telesat from filing for bankruptcy reorganization, but some observers note the company could instead file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States if it is unable to refinance its debt. (10/21)

Starfighters Space to be Featured at Next Month's MAX POWER Exposition at KSC (Source: Starfighters Space)
Starfighters Space will be showcased at the inaugural NASA sponsored MAX POWER aerospace expo and airshow on Nov. 7-8 at Kennedy Space Center. Starfighters' F-104 supersonic jets will be featured in both flight demonstrations and static aircraft displays at the event. “The F-104 is the original 'right stuff' supersonic jet, used by NASA and the Air Force to train Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronauts, including Neil Armstrong. Beyond Apollo, it was later used by NASA to test heat shield tiles for the Space Shuttle, and it performed an array of aeronautical missions, including testing reaction-control thrusters at altitudes above 100,000 feet,” said Tim Franta, CEO of Starfighters Space.

“Today, we are continuing the F-104’s legacy at Kennedy Space Center by using the aircraft as a real-world platform to test and advance next-generation aerospace technologies,” said Franta. Throughout its history, the F-104 has set numerous world records, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s. These included records for speed (1,404.9 mph), altitude (103,395 feet), and time-to-climb (ground to 25,000 meters in 266.03 seconds). More than 2,500 F-104s were built beginning in 1954 for U.S. agencies and more than a dozen allied air forces worldwide. (10/21)

Europe's Mobile Operators Need Satellite Partner (Source: Space News)
The European mobile phone operators seeking to join forces for direct-to-device services need to find a satellite partner. Germany's Deutsche Telekom, France's Orange, Spain's Telefónica and Vodafone of the United Kingdom plan to contribute ground infrastructure and other resources the European D2D network would require, without directly investing in a satellite constellation. The operators said that their proposed D2D joint venture would not replace existing satellite partnerships; several of them are using or plan to use Starlink. The consortium also paints a complicated picture for U.S.-based D2D challenger AST SpaceMobile, which announced a joint venture with Vodafone last year to bid for European S-band spectrum. (10/20)

EraDrive to Develop Satellite Autonomy Systems for Space Force (Source: Space News)
EraDrive won a Space Force contract to develop hardware for satellite autonomy applications. The $13 million award was made through the Pentagon's Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) program, an initiative to speed up adoption of technologies with military utility. EraDrive, a spinoff of the Stanford University Space Rendezvous Laboratory, is developing hardware to enable spacecraft to navigate on their own. The contract covers work on Era-Node, a hosted payload that helps satellites determine position, navigation and timing without relying on global navigation satellite systems and also handles autonomous maneuver planning. (10/20)

Uzbekistan Joins Artemis Accords (Source: Space News)
Uzbekistan is the latest country to sign the Artemis Accords. The Central Asian country's foreign minister signed the accords Monday during a visit to the country by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Uzbekistan, the 77th country to sign the accords, said it did so to create new opportunities to cooperate with NASA and gain access to space expertise and technology. NASA has offered Artemis Accords signatories the opportunity to contribute to the agency's planned lunar base. (10/20)

SpaceX Launches Tuesday Rideshare Mission From Florida (Source: Space News)
SpaceX launched a rideshare mission this morning that included the company's second Starfall reentry vehicle. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 7:04 a.m. Eastern on the Bandwagon-5 mission. The mid-inclination rideshare mission included 32 payloads, many from companies that have flown satellites on previous rideshare missions.  The launch also carried Starfall, SpaceX's own reentry vehicle. The company first flew Starfall in June and is offering it to customers interested in microgravity research and manufacturing. (10/20)

Spain's UARX Lost Contact with OSSIE-D OTV After October Launch (Source: Space News)
An orbital transfer vehicle (OTV) launched on another SpaceX rideshare mission is recovering from problems. Spanish company UARX Space launched its first OTV, called OSSIE-D, on the Transporter-18 rideshare mission early this month. UARX said it lost communications with OSSIE-D immediately after launch, making it unclear if some payloads had been deployed. The company blamed the communications outage on a ground station issue that has since been corrected, restoring contact with the OTV. Telemetry shows the OTV did receive commands to deploy some payloads, and customers said they have made contact with their satellites. Other spacecraft were planned to be released later but UARX did not provide details on those payloads. (10/20)

Poland's Creotech Plans Factory Expansion for Satellite Production (Source: Reuters)
Polish satellite manufacturer Creotech Instruments wants to increase production by a factor of 10. The company plans to open a new factory by 2029 that will be able to produce up to 100 satellites a year versus the 10 per year it can currently manufacture. While Creotech sees strong demand for its satellites, it warned that it and other European manufacturers remain dependent on American companies for launching those satellites. (10/20)

Abbot: No Plans to Sell State Park to SpaceX (Source: Texas Tribune)
The governor of Texas says there are no current plans to sell a state park adjacent to SpaceX's Starbase facility to the company. Reports last week noted that a potential sale of Boca Chica State Park to SpaceX was being considered by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, with a meeting to discuss the proposed sale planned for early November. Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday that any sale of the park to SpaceX is "not coming up for a vote anytime soon."  He said he knew little about the potential sale or what SpaceX would do with the land if the deal went through. (10/20)

Israel Plans Military Space Unit (Source: Ynet)
The Israeli military plans to add a dedicated space unit. The Israel Defense Forces will establish a Space Brigade responsible for space systems including spacecraft and related technologies, and also prepare for any future space conflict. The new unit will consolidate space-related work in the Israeli military, although officials disclosed few details about plans for the brigade or funding. (10/20)

Chinese Rocket Part Falls on Minnesota Farm (Source: Ars Technica)
Part of a Chinese rocket fell on a Minnesota farm. A farmer in west-central Minnesota discovered a circular metallic object 3.35 meters across in a corn field. Local law enforcement officials said the item was "presumably a space object" and that they were working with state and federal officials to remove it. The object appears to be part of an upper stage of a Chinese Zhuque-2E rocket that launched in mid-September and reentered over the upper Midwest. The rocket's upper stage has a diameter that matches that of the object found in Minnesota. (10/20)

Pakistani Astronaut to Visit TSS in November (Source: Geo News)
Pakistan's first astronaut will go to China's space station next month. A Pakistani government minister said Sunday that the astronaut will launch Nov. 25, spending a week on the Tiangong space station before returning. Two Pakistani pilots, Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, have been training for the mission, but neither Chinese nor Pakistani officials said which of the two will fly or even when the selection will be announced. (10/19)

The Commercial Space Station Competition Finally Begins (Source: Space Review)
After some contracting twists and turns, NASA released the final request for proposals earlier this month for commercial space stations. Jeff Foust reports on the leading contenders and the challenges they face. Click here. (10/20)
 
RAMs and Blackjacks and Shuttles: the Soviet Ramenskoye Flight Test Center (Source: Space Review)
An airbase outside Moscow was the Soviet equivalent of Edwards Air Force Base, hosting experimental aircraft and even spacecraft. Dwayne Day and Harry Stranger explore how US satellite imagery kept track of the activities at Ramenskoye. Click here. (10/20)
 
The Ghost Beneath the Shuttle Columbia: Kosmos 398, STS-73, and the Last Echo of the US/Soviet Moon Race (Source: Space Review)
More than 30 years ago, a shuttle orbiter had a fleeting encounter with a relic of the original Moon race. Robert Kelso describes the experience as witnessed from Mission Control. Click here. (10/20)
 
A Riddle, Wrapped in a Mystery, Inside a Payload Container: the Curious Case of Defense Support Program Satellite F-11 (Source: Space Review)
The last of the Defense Support Program satellites were recently retired by the Space Force, but the program still has many unanswered questions. Dwayne Day examines some of those mysteries created by newly discovered photos of one DSP satellite. Click here. (10/20)
 
The Surprising Case for Space Mining (Source: Space Review)
There is renewed interest in mining asteroids or the Moon for resources ranging from water ice to precious metals. Alex Wood-Osterwald offers nine reasons why resource extraction is becoming more feasible. Click here. (10/20)

SNC Invests $100M in Dayton Facility (Source: Dayton Daily News)
War Secretary Pete Hegseth is visiting Sierra Nevada's Aviation Innovation and Technology Center in Dayton, Ohio, as part of his "Arsenal of Freedom" tour. SNC has invested $100 million in the Dayton campus, building four hangars after winning a $13 billion US Air Force contract to renew E-4B Nightwatch planes. (10/20)
 
Space Forces Central Expects 5X Growth (Source: Air & Space Forces)
Brig. Gen. Todd Benson, commander of Space Forces Central, expects the unit to quintuple in size within three years to meet the growing demand for capabilities. Space Forces Central, currently staffed by about 30 personnel, has had a significant impact in operations against Iran, but needs more personnel, Benson said. (10/19)

US Army Support for Golden Dome Missile Shield Takes Shape (Source: Military Times)
As the U.S. Army’s support to the joint force space mission takes shape with its newly populated Space Operations Branch, the service is also poised to support what’s expected to be a critical year for testing and development of the Golden Dome for America (GDA) missile shield project. Lt. Gen. John L. Rafferty confirmed that an Army air defense unit had been “earmarked” for GDA support. (10/20)

ESA Loses Full-Scale Space Rider Test Model After Parafoil Deployment Anomaly During Drop Test (Source: European Spaceflight)
The European Space Agency said a full-scale test model of its Space Rider reusable space vehicle was lost earlier this month after an anomaly during parafoil deployment in a drop test. The loss underscores a setback in testing the recovery system, though the available report provides no further detail on the anomaly or program schedule. (10/20)

Iridium Q3 Revenue Rises 8%, with Aireon Acquisition Contributing to Results (Source: Space Intel Report)
Iridium Communications reported an 8% increase in total revenue and a 13% rise in service revenue for the three months ended Sep. 30. The acquisition of Aireon, which provides aircraft tracking and flight data services, figured heavily in the results. (10/20)

Space Robot, Reaction Dynamics and Reliable Robotics Disclose Funding and Expansion Plans (Source: Space News)
Chinese on-orbit servicing startup Space Robot raised nearly $15 million after launching a technology demonstrator in 2025, while Canada’s Reaction Dynamics plans to raise C$350 million and hire nearly 300 people as it targets a 2031 debut for its Borealis medium-lift rocket. Reliable Robotics also extended its Series D with $115 million in equity and $25 million in debt. (10/20)