Iridium Unveils Core Role in Artemis II and Next-Gen PNT at Space Symposium 2026
Iridium Communications supplied the L‑band voice and data link that kept NASA’s Artemis II crew connected to mission control throughout the 10‑day lunar flyby, complementing the high‑bandwidth optical system. The company showcased its new Iridium NTN Direct service, embedding satellite, cellular and GNSS capabilities into a 16 mm × 26 mm 9604 module with quantum‑safe positioning and timing. Iridium highlighted a growing partner ecosystem—about 40 new partners in 2025—and announced commercial availability of the 9604 in June 2026. The firm positions its PNT signal as a foundation for secure identity verification and future lunar‑surface communications.
Boeing and Millennium Unveil Resolute Mid-Class Satellite Platform
Boeing and its subsidiary Millennium Space Systems unveiled the Resolute mid‑class satellite platform at the 41st Space Symposium. The bus fills the performance gap between SmallSats and traditional large satellites, offering higher power and payload capacity with faster development cycles....
The Rise of Grey Zone Satellites: Ambiguity as a Tactical Advantage
The article outlines a new “Grey Zone” in space where states favor non‑kinetic, deniable tactics over traditional kinetic anti‑satellite strikes. By exploiting gaps in the Outer Space Treaty, actors use directed‑energy lasers, electronic jamming, and cyber‑infiltration to soft‑kill satellites while...
SmallSat Europe Speaker Focus: Col. Marcin Mazur, Polish Space Agency
Poland’s nascent space sector recorded its first profitable year in 2026, buoyed by a surge in defense procurement and a ten‑fold rise in ESA contributions. The growth is overseen by Col. Marcin Mazur, POLSA’s Vice‑President, who brings a military‑intelligence background to...
NASA Shifts Focus to Permanent Lunar Base and Nuclear Propulsion
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced the "Ignition" initiative, redirecting resources from the Gateway station to build a permanent lunar south‑pole outpost by 2030. The plan also includes launching the SR‑1 Freedom, the first nuclear‑powered interplanetary spacecraft, slated for 2028 with...
Oklahoma Positions as Commercial Space Manufacturing Hub at Space Symposium
At the 41st Space Symposium, Oklahoma’s Department of Commerce pitched the state as the next manufacturing hub for the commercial space sector. Leveraging an existing aerospace base that sustains 120,000 jobs and generates roughly $44 billion annually, officials highlighted recent contributions...
Ensign-Bickford Hardware Supports Successful Artemis II Lunar Mission
On April 13, 2026 Ensign‑Bickford Aerospace & Defense confirmed its separation and initiation hardware performed flawlessly during NASA’s Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit in five decades. The company’s pyrotechnic and mechanical systems managed every critical staging event...
SmallSat Europe Speaker Focus: Daniel Metzler, Isar Aerospace
Isar Aerospace’s 28‑meter Spectrum rocket completed a 30‑second sub‑orbital flight on March 30, 2025, making the company the first private firm to launch an orbital‑class vehicle from continental Europe. Since that brief flight, CEO Daniel Metzler has secured roughly $432 million in lifetime funding...
General Atomics Completes Pre-Ship Review for Space Force Weather Payload
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems announced on April 14, 2026 that its advanced EO/IR payload passed the pre‑ship review, clearing it for integration into the U.S. Space Force’s Weather System (EWS) satellite bus. The payload expands spectral coverage to 16 bands,...
Dawn Aerospace Unveils “Loop” Refueling Network to Combat Orbital Obsolescence
Dawn Aerospace announced the Loop, an on‑orbit refueling network that standardizes a Docking and Fluid Transfer (DFT) port on SatDrive satellites larger than 10 kN. The system pairs a reusable Space Utility Vehicle with expendable Orbital Propellant Depots, turning propellant from...
Global Defense Leaders Convene as Space Symposium 41 Addresses Orbital Security
The 41st Space Symposium in Colorado Springs shifted from exploration to orbital security, spotlighting the Pentagon’s $175 billion “Golden Dome” missile‑defense architecture. Defense leaders highlighted the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, aiming to field resilient low‑Earth‑orbit sensor layers and space‑based interceptors funded...
Cloudcomputing Targets 1.5M Identities in Spain and Finalizes Innovate IT Acquisition
Cloudcomputing, the Portuguese IAM specialist owned by Allurity, announced a push to manage over 1.5 million digital identities in Spain by 2027, backed by a 10% revenue jump in Q1 2026 versus the prior full year. At the same time, it completed...
SmallSat Europe Speaker Focus: Chris Quilty, Quilty Space
Chris Quilty, co‑CEO of Quilty Space, has become a pivotal voice in satellite market intelligence, most notably after his September 2025 projection that Starlink would generate $15.9 billion in revenue and $11 billion in EBITDA for 2026. His forecasts have been baked into...
Archangel Lightworks Secures £10M Series A to Scale Optical Ground Infrastructure
Archangel Lightworks announced the closure of an oversubscribed £10 million (≈ $12.7 million) Series A round, led by Santander Alternative Investments and backed by the National Security Strategic Investment Fund and other investors. The capital will accelerate commercialization of TERRA‑M, a miniaturized optical ground...
China Accelerates Orbital Internet Deployment with Successful Smart Dragon-3 Sea Launch
China’s Smart Dragon‑3 carrier rocket lifted off from a sea‑based platform off Guangdong on April 11, delivering a test payload for its sovereign low‑Earth‑orbit internet network. The four‑stage solid‑propellant vehicle, now on its 11th successful flight, can place up to 1,500 kg...
