Starlink in the Crosshairs: How Nations Are Utilizing the Constellation for War and National Security
Starlink’s low‑Earth‑orbit network has become a tactical lifeline for Ukraine, enabling encrypted communications, real‑time reconnaissance and artillery coordination since Russia’s 2022 invasion. The U.S. Department of Defense funds the service for Kyiv, while reports suggest Russian forces have captured and repurposed smuggled terminals in occupied territories. In parallel, the Pentagon has commissioned a hardened variant, Starshield, for classified missions and has covertly distributed terminals to Iranian dissidents, creating cost and policy frictions with SpaceX. Israel is also leveraging clandestine Starlink nodes inside Iran for drone‑guided strikes, prompting a harsh crackdown by Tehran.
“Dual-Use” Is the Funding Word. It’s Also the Label Operators Want Off.
European Commission and EUSPA have built EU space procurement around a "dual‑use" label, forcing companies to claim both civilian and defence value to access funding. Operators at SmallSat Europe 2026 warned that this label now creates legal friction, turning their...
Sovereignty Got an Answer on Day 3. Two Answers, Actually, and a Commercial Veto.
Day 3 of SmallSat Europe 2026 delivered three practical definitions of space sovereignty: Spain’s model of full‑stack capability ownership backed by 85% public funding and the upcoming Miura 5 launch; Poland’s portfolio‑diversification approach that leverages its 4.8%‑of‑GDP defence budget to avoid single‑source dependence;...
NewSpace Systems Announces European Expansion with New Netherlands Subsidiary
NewSpace Systems announced the creation of a European subsidiary in the Netherlands during the SmallSat Europe conference, marking a key step in its continental growth strategy. The new entity will initially focus on business development, customer engagement, and technical support...
The Orbital Data Center Thesis Just Became an Economics Question.
At SmallSat Europe 2026, experts shifted the orbital data‑center debate from hype to hard economics. Dr. Paul Struhsaker argued that a megawatt‑class space data centre can only succeed with custom silicon, a plug‑in modular architecture, and launch costs under $300 per...
The Pixel War Is Over. The Integration War Is What Comes Next.
At SmallSat Europe 2026, industry leaders announced that Earth‑observation is entering an integration era, where fused multi‑physics data replaces the historic pixel‑by‑pixel model. ESA is issuing an invitation‑to‑tender to fund small‑sat missions that feed a common tasking and integration layer,...
AI Just Reached Production in European Space. The Trust Problem Is What Comes Next.
European space AI moved from demos to deployed products at SmallSat Europe 2026. Dublin‑based Ubotica demonstrated onboard hyperspectral processing that cut decision cycles from hours to ten minutes. Defence panel highlighted automation boundaries, stressing that sub‑second decisions must be automated...
Revolv Space Signs Deal to Provide Solar Assemblies for Infinite Orbits Geostationary Servicers
Revolv Space, a European maker of space mechanisms, has signed a contract to supply its SARA Pro solar array drive assemblies to Infinite Orbits for upcoming geostationary in‑orbit servicing satellites. The deal marks Revolv's first entry into the GEO market after...
Archangel Lightworks Completes Successful Trials for Miniature Deployable Optical Ground Station
Oxford‑based Archangel Lightworks has completed multi‑day field trials of its TERRA‑M system, the world’s smallest deployable operational optical ground station. The miniature unit, only 1.1 m tall and 0.7 m in diameter, successfully exchanged data with a low‑Earth‑orbit satellite using the U.S....
Procurement Is the Choke Point. Everything Else on Day 1 Is Downstream of That.
Day 1 of SmallSat Europe 2026 highlighted that Europe’s space boom is hamstrung by an outdated procurement system. Current defense‑space contracts are classified by default, letting cleared primes win without competition. The panel pointed to the UK MOD’s 13‑startup contract program and...
€131 Billion Is In. Now Europe Has to Build the Supply Chain that Can Absorb It.
European policymakers have locked in roughly €131 billion ($143 billion) for space‑defence in the EU Multi‑annual Financial Framework, complemented by Germany’s €35 billion ($38 billion) commitment, the €6.5 billion ($7.1 billion) Project Bromo merger, and Poland’s €730 million ($795 million) ESA boost. The funding surge aims to field a...
Viasat’s Next-Gen Cockpit Service Reaches Milestone as Airlines Modernize Communications to Save Fuel
Viasat announced that its SwiftBroadband‑Safety service has been installed on 1,000 aircraft worldwide, marking a key milestone for its commercial aviation portfolio. Since its 2018 launch, the certified safety communications platform has grown at an average 42% annual rate and...
L3Harris Strengthens Global Solid Rocket Motor Supply Chain With New PAC-3 Propulsion Supplier
L3Harris Technologies has awarded a purchase order to Poland’s Wojskowe Zaklady Elektroniczne (WZE) to become a certified producer of solid‑rocket attitude control motors for the PAC‑3 interceptor of the U.S. Army’s Patriot missile system. The move expands L3Harris’s international manufacturing...
Pioneering High-Pressure Cold Spray Transforms Manufacturing of Complex Copper Rocket Nozzles
Engineers at Scotland's National Manufacturing Institute have demonstrated a high‑pressure cold spray process that builds large copper rocket nozzles layer by layer. The solid‑state method deposits up to 10 kg of copper per hour, eliminating melting‑related distortion and cutting lead times...
SmallSat Europe Speaker Focus: Jordi Barrera Ars, Open Cosmos
Open Cosmos closed more than €170 million (≈$185 million) in contracts last year, spanning Earth‑observation, defense and rideshare missions for the European Commission. The company secured the Spanish Atlantic Constellation, the £5.15 million (≈$6.5 million) Orpheus SSA contract, and completed the MANTIS EO program....