October 9, 2026

The Exploration Company to Test Lunar Hopper Demonstrator in 2027 (Source: European Spaceflight)
The Exploration Company has announced it will test a lunar hopper demonstrator called ONEIROS in the United Arab Emirates in 2027. ONEIROS is a privately funded initiative focused on validating technologies that could eventually support lower-cost access to the lunar surface. The company plans to build a one-tonne demonstrator that will use a throttleable methane-fueled rocket engine, autonomous navigation, and hazard-avoidance systems to demonstrate the capabilities needed for controlled landings on the Moon. (10/8)

Amazon Hits 1,000 Sat Milestone; Blue Origin Bolsters Sat Manufacturing (Source: Via Satellite)
Amazon and Blue Origin — two companies owned by Jeff Bezos with separate satellite constellation plans — reached new manufacturing milestones. Amazon reached the milestone of manufacturing 1,000 Amazon Leo satellites. Separately, Blue Origin is building a new manufacturing facility in Texas to support its TeraWave satellite constellation.

The two companies issued separate releases on Thursday. Amazon has passed the 1,000-satellite mark at its satellite factory in Kirkland, Washington. The operator has deployed 396 satellites in the constellation, reporting that only four of those satellites have been deorbited.

Separately, Blue Origin is building a manufacturing hub in Texas to support its TeraWave satellite constellation and Quartz ground communications network. The facility announced Thursday will encompass 1.3 million square feet. Named “Constellation Park,” it is located in Hutto, Texas, north of Austin. (10/8)

SpaceX Acquires More Spectrum Under $8 Billion Deal (Source: Wall Street Journal)
SpaceX has acquired spectrum that could allow the company to augment its direct-to-device services. The company said Thursday it is paying $8 billion to acquire up to 14 megahertz of spectrum in the 800-megahertz band from Grain Management LLC, an investment company. SpaceX said that will allow the company to provide services indoors, where its current satellite spectrum does not work. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk called the deal "the last critical piece of the spectrum puzzle needed for SpaceX to provide complete phone coverage in America." (10/9)

AIA Flags R&D Impacts From Spectrum Bid (Source: LA Times)
SpaceX is lobbying the Federal Communications Commission for easier access to wireless spectrum to boost rocket launches, raising concerns from the Aerospace Industries Association, Boeing, GE Healthcare and others. AIA cites the disruption to flight tests and other critical operations that would happen should SpaceX's plan move forward. "That would be a pretty significant impact for research and development," said AIA Vice President of Engineering and Technology Tim White. "To not be able to do flight testing at the time you need it in the program, it really shuts us down." (10/7)

Aerospace, Defense Key Drivers of Oklahoma Economy (Source: The Journal Record)
Oklahoma's aerospace and defense industry generate $52.5 billion in economic impact annually and support 250,000 jobs, according to a report from the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics. The state's five major military installations contribute $21.8 billion to the total. (10/8)

Astrolight Delivers Its First Space-to-Ground Laser Communication Links for Customers (Source: Astrolight)
Astrolight, a Lithuanian space and defence company developing laser communication solutions across space, ground and maritime domains, the Department of Aerospace of the University of Athens, and the Department of Physics of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki have announced today the successful commissioning of a space-to-ground laser communication link. The commissioning marks ATLAS-1’s first in-orbit operation and the first link between the two Astrolight systems. (10/8)

A Lack of Transparency for Space-Based Weapons (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
The 2026 Global Counterspace Capabilities Report and other resources help provide an overview of potential space weapons. The report lists five categories of counterspace capabilities. It examines systems being developed by 13 countries, among them the U.S., Russia, China, India, Australia, France, Iran, and Israel. These include satellites designed to maneuver near, inspect, disable, or destroy spacecraft. The report also examines ground, air, or sea-launched missile interceptors designed to destroy satellites kinetically.

Furthermore, the report highlights electronic warfare, such as jamming, in addition to lasers or high-power microwaves meant to blind or damage satellite sensors. The report also lists cyber operations targeting space networks. The U.N. Office for Outer Space Affairs supports transparency in space by maintaining a register which links each object to its responsible country. States who signed on to a 1976 agreement are required to provide information on launches by governments and private companies as well as the general function of the space object, but are not required to provide details on their purpose.

As an example of something that could be used for both military and non-military purposes, it became known in 2021 that China had tested a satellite with a robotic arm that can maneuver to a system, grab it, and move it out of orbit. In 2022, China used such a system for the first time to tow one of its dead satellites out of orbit. (10/5)

Iceye Moves into Satcom With Nokia Partnership (Source: Via Satellite)
Iceye, the Finnish space company known for building synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites is venturing into communication satellites — planning to build sovereign satcom satellites for governments through a new partnership with Nokia. Iceye announced the move Thursday and said the first communications satellites are expected to be launched in 2028. An Iceye spokesperson said the existing Iceye satellite platform is “flexible” and now being used for satcom. (10/1)

Space Station Developers Have Mixed Degrees of Optimism for Crew Access (Source: Space News)
Commercial space station developers have varying degrees of optimism that crew access to their stations will be possible once SpaceX retires Crew Dragon. During a panel discussion at the International Astronautical Congress this week, executives from companies working on commercial space stations, such as Starlab Space and Vast, said they expect NASA to ensure there is crewed access through vehicles like Starliner, noting the importance of human spaceflight to low Earth orbit extends beyond their stations.

However, Axiom Space expressed concern, noting their planning has focused on Crew Dragon with no alternative options. Blue Origin has been working on designs for its own crewed vehicle, but a company executive said on the panel it does not plan to fund work on it internally, noting the need to work with NASA to ensure it meets agency certification requirements. (10/9)

Space Force and SpaceWERX Support USAX Development of Provenance Engine (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force is looking for new ways to track emerging technologies and the flow of private capital. The service's innovation arm, SpaceWERX, selected startup USAX for a $1.49 million Direct-to-Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research contract to develop its Provenance Engine, aimed at giving decision makers a clearer picture of technology development, investment activity and opportunities for government and private-sector collaboration. The platform combines information from multiple sources into a common analytical framework, then applies weighting and scoring to help decision makers assess financial relationships and investment exposure. (10/9)

Planet's Berlin Satellite Plant to Support Sovereign Markets (Source: Space News)
Earth observation company Planet is moving to address growing sovereign demand. The company recently opened a satellite production line in Berlin to support European customers and announced a series of deals with European and Japanese customers. As Planet addresses increasing defense and intelligence demands, company leaders are developing tools to pair the extensive Earth observation data provided by their fleet of 150 to 200 satellites in low Earth orbit with the analytical power of artificial intelligence for commercial and civil applications. (10/9)

Trump Bought SpaceX Debt While Approving New Space Policy (Source: Washington Post)
President Trump bought at least $1 million in SpaceX debt around the time he approved a new national space transportation policy. According to financial disclosures, Trump bought between $1 million and $5 million of SpaceX bonds in August that the company sold this summer to finance its artificial intelligence data centers. Two days later, Trump signed the new space transportation policy that features measures designed to support increased launch rates, with a goal of 1,000 launches and landings a year by 2030. A White House spokesperson said that Trump's portfolio is managed independently by third parties but did not say who decided to buy the SpaceX bonds. (10/9)

South Korea Plans Space Command (Source: Seoul Economic Daily)
South Korea is preparing to establish a space command in its military. The chairman of South Korea's joint chiefs of staff said the military was planning to create a space command. The military first plans to create a dedicated electromagnetic warfare unit next year whose activities would include space. (10/9)

Jared Has the Receipts to Counter Apollo Skeptics (Source: WCVB)
Drake Maye committed another turnover by suggesting NASA didn't land on the moon more than 50 years ago. In a sports talk radio interview this week, the New England Patriots quarterback said he was "a little bit skeptical" about the Apollo landings when asked about conspiracy theories, adding "I'm not really sure 200% if we went there or not." His comments prompted a response from NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman on social media: "I quite literally have the receipts." (10/9)

Airbus to Build ESA's Sentinel-3 (Source: Aviation Week)
Airbus secured a $619 million contract from the European Space Agency to build the Sentinel-3 Next-Generation Topography satellite. The agreement, announced at an event in Antalya, Turkey, outlines plans for a satellite launch in 2034, with the possibility of adding a second spacecraft. (10/6)
 
Congress Debates Pentagon's $53.7B Unfunded List (Source: Legis1)
The Department of War has submitted a $53.7 billion unfunded priorities list for fiscal year 2026, reigniting a debate in Congress over the value and impact of such lists. The Congressional Research Service notes that while some lawmakers see the lists as essential for identifying military risks, others view them as undermining budget discipline. The Government Accountability Office reports that the value of these lists has increased by 73% since 2020.

Editor’s Note: Earmark-seekers try hard to be included on the Unfunded Priorities list, as it’s the easiest path toward getting projects funded if they aren’t included in the original appropriation. (10/7)

GE Aerospace Foundation Invests $1M in Alabama Workforce (Source: Alabama Political Reporter)
The GE Aerospace Foundation will invest $1 million in workforce training in Alabama's Auburn-Montgomery region, benefiting more than 400 people in the first year. The funding will support Southern Union State Community College, the Industrial Development Board of Auburn and the Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce, focusing on aerospace and advanced manufacturing careers. (10/7)

Amazon Builds its 1,000th Satellite, with Project Kuiper Internet Rollout Weeks Away (Source: Ars Technica)
Amazon says it has built its 1,000th satellite and is weeks from beginning its space-based internet rollout. The milestone puts the focus on the manufacturing scale and deployment cadence behind Project Kuiper as the company moves from satellite production toward service launch. (10/8)

Astrolight Commissions its First Space-to-Ground Laser Communications Link for a Client (Source: Space News)
Lithuanian space startup Astrolight says it has successfully commissioned a space-to-ground laser communication link for a client. The announcement marks the company’s delivery of its first such link, though the available report does not identify the client or provide technical details, operating parameters or the system’s intended use. (10/8)

BlackSky Claims Six-Figure Pilot Contract to Supply Imagery to International Intelligence Agency (Source: Space News)
BlackSky Technology said it has secured a six-figure pilot contract with an international intelligence agency for global, on-demand, high-resolution imagery. The announcement signals a trial engagement for the company’s satellite-imagery services, but the agency and the contract’s duration were not identified. (10/8)

Starlink Says Satellite Operators’ Maneuver-Data Nondisclosure is LEO’s Biggest Collision Risk (Source: Space Intel Report)
SpaceX’s Starlink says the greatest safety risk to its constellation and other low Earth orbit operators is satellite owners’ refusal to share ephemeris data, including satellite positions and planned maneuvers. The company has updated its debris and collision-risk mitigation measures, according to the report. (10/8)

Study Suggests Earth and Mars Formed Through Different Processes (Source: Universe Today)
A new study finds that Earth and Mars may have formed through different processes. The discovery could help scientists assess whether exoplanets are habitable, linking evidence from the formation of neighboring planets to broader efforts to understand which worlds beyond our solar system might support life. (10/8)

Bezos Says Blue Origin IPO Could Come Within the Next Few Years (Source: Bloomberg)
Blue Origin is likely to pursue an initial public offering within the next several years, founder Jeff Bezos said, following the company’s first outside funding round, which raised billions of dollars. The comments signal a potential future shift in the ownership and financing of the space company. (10/8)

NASA Selects GIMLI Proposal to Investigate Whether Marius Lunar Pit Opens Into a Larger Cave (Source: Universe Today)
NASA has selected a Planetary Science Institute-led proposal to examine whether an underground cave extends beyond the opening of the Marius lunar pit. The investigation will assess a feature that could be relevant to identifying future lunar base sites; the available report does not specify the mission’s timeline or methods. (10/8)

South Korean Spaceport Evolves to Space City (Source: SBS)
Naro Space Center is the outpost of South Korea's space development, completed in 2009. With three Naro rocket launches and five Nuri rocket launches over the past 17 years, Goheung's role is expanding beyond a mere launch site to the broader space industry. Around 50 space companies, including Hanwha Aerospace, plan to move into the Goheung Space National Industrial Complex by 2030. (10/8)

Second New Zealand Spaceport: Big Rockets Could Launch a Dozen Times a Year in Initial Canterbury Plan (Source: RNZ)
Large rockets weighing up to 100 tonnes each could be launched a dozen times a year from a planned national aerospace center near Christchurch. Tāwhaki and a French company are now working on getting capital, consents and customers from Europe to build the spaceport. The few details of the attempt to tap the burgeoning world of the space launch market have been released to RNZ. "Launch facility to cater for up to 100-tonne launch vehicles, with an initial consent for up to 12 launches per year," said an executive summary. (10/8)

Tenerife Submits Bid to Host a Spaceport for the European Iris II Satellite Constellation (Source: Tenerife Weekly)
Tenerife has officially announced its bid to host a ground station for the European Iris II satellite constellation, a project designed to enhance secure satellite communications within the EU. The public authorities on the island revealed the proposal during a council meeting in early October. A territory of Spain, Tenerife is among the Canary Islands. (10/7)

NASA Says Russia, China Could Join Artemis Accords if They Align with Principles (Source: AA.com)
Russia and China could one day join the US-led Artemis Accords on space exploration if they come to share its principles, but they do not today, NASA's deputy administrator said. "If one day, Russia and China were like-minded in those principles, which we don't see them as that right now, then there would be a possibility to join the Artemis Accords," Matt Anderson told reporters at the International Astronautical Congress in Antalya. (10/7)