SmallSat Europe Speaker Focus: Carissa Christensen, BryceTech
Nearly 2,800 smallsats—97% of all 2024 launches—highlight the sector’s explosive growth. BryceTech’s latest report shows $1.4 billion poured into Series A rounds for 69 startups, the strongest first‑round funding since 2021. Founder Carissa Christensen, a veteran entrepreneur and space policy adviser, will share these insights at SmallSat Europe’s panel on the 2026 European market outlook. The discussion will compare Europe’s modest launch share and venture backing with the U.S. and China, probing whether the continent can accelerate its smallsat maturation.
Astroscale Plans World-First Multi-Orbit Satellite Inspection Mission
Astroscale Japan announced the ISSA‑J1 mission, the first multi‑orbit satellite inspection to demonstrate a single servicer spacecraft navigating between distinct orbits and approaching non‑cooperative targets. The mission will inspect Japan’s retired ALOS satellite and the failed ADEOS‑II, capturing high‑resolution imagery...
ParaZero Technologies Expands Israeli Defense Contract with New Order for Anti-Drone Systems
ParaZero Technologies announced a follow‑on purchase order from an Israeli defense entity for its DefendAir Counter‑Unmanned Aerial Systems. The order expands an existing contract and underscores the growing demand for soft‑kill anti‑drone solutions that use a patented net‑launch mechanism. ParaZero...
Azercosmos and Viasat Sign Partnership Agreement for In-Flight Connectivity
Azercosmos and Viasat have signed a partnership to bring Azerbaijan into the European Aviation Network (EAN), combining S‑band satellite coverage with a complementary ground component. The agreement includes precise frequency coordination of the 1980‑2010 MHz uplink and 2170‑2200 MHz downlink bands to...
Satellite Deployers to Be Used on JAXA Small Satellite Mission by Exolaunch
JAXA has chosen Exolaunch to provide its EXOpod NOVA deployers for the Kakushin Rising small‑satellite mission, slated for launch no earlier than April 23, 2026 on a Rocket Lab Electron from New Zealand. The mission will release eight university‑ and industry‑built spacecraft into a...
SmallSat Europe Speaker Focus: Dr. Ane Aanesland, ThrustMe
ThrustMe celebrated its 100th iodine electric propulsion system in orbit in June 2025, marking a shift from prototype to industrial scale. The solid‑iodine thrusters eliminate bulky xenon tanks, cutting mass and cost for small‑sat manufacturers. The company has surged past 200...
Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Officer for the United States Space Force, Chandra Donelson, Steps Away
Chandra Donelson, the first permanent Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Officer for the United States Space Force, announced her resignation on April 3, 2026, ending a tenure that reshaped the service’s data strategy. She led the shift toward a data‑centric architecture that...
Planet Labs Imposes Indefinite Blackout on Iran Satellite Imagery at U.S. Request
On April 5, 2026 Planet Labs announced an indefinite suspension of satellite imagery covering Iran and surrounding Middle East conflict zones, following a direct request from the U.S. national‑security team. The blackout, retroactive to March 9, replaces the previous 14‑day delay...
PMGC Holdings Launches NorthStrive Defense Tech to Capture Drone and Autonomous Systems Market
On April 2, 2026, PMGC Holdings Inc. announced the formation of NorthStrive Defense Tech LLC, a wholly‑owned subsidiary aimed at the fast‑growing UAV and autonomous systems market. The new unit will serve as a platform to identify, acquire, and license...
Space42 and Viasat: Contract Close for 2800 Satellites
Space42 and California‑based Viasat are on the verge of signing a contract to build a 2,800‑satellite low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) mega‑constellation under the Equatys joint venture. The fleet, slated for launch between 2029 and 2030, will operate at three altitude bands and...
The Downlink Deficit: The Pentagon’s Optical Mesh Network and the Terrestrial Bottleneck
The Pentagon’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture relies on an optical inter‑satellite mesh, but only about 10 % of the required optical ground stations exist today. Roughly 200‑500 diverse stations will be needed by 2030 to achieve the 99.9 % availability demanded for...
L3Harris Taps Mercury Systems for High-Capacity Data Storage on SDA Tranche 3 Satellites
On April 2, 2026, Mercury Systems won a contract from L3Harris Technologies to provide advanced solid‑state data recorders for the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 3 Tracking Layer. The SSDRs are the highest‑capacity, radiation‑tolerant units in a 3U VPX form factor, delivering...
Cinemo Reimagines the Vehicle as a Software-Defined Entertainment Hub
Cinemo is turning vehicles into software‑defined entertainment hubs by blending embedded performance with cloud‑native AI. Its Agentic AI platform powers hyper‑personalized media, multi‑device continuity, and immersive in‑car gaming for Mercedes‑Benz and Renault models slated for 2026. The system supports OTA‑delivered...
FCC Seeks Comment on Expanding Spectrum Access for “Weird Space Stuff”
On March 31, 2026 the FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to broaden spectrum access for emerging commercial space activities such as in‑space servicing, lunar missions, and private orbital labs. The proposal targets the 2320‑2345 MHz band and formalizes piggyback...
Duagon Computing Hardware Set for Deployment to the International Space Station
On March 31, 2026 duagon announced its high‑availability Conduction Cooled Assembly will launch to the International Space Station in April, integrating into the Columbus module. Developed with Space Applications Services, the system uses CompactPCI Serial modular cards—including a G028 CPU,...
SPARC AI Appoints On-Ground Referral Agent in Ukraine to Accelerate Defense Engagement
SPARC AI Inc. appointed an on‑ground referral agent in Ukraine to speed the deployment of its Overwatch platform, which provides AI‑driven navigation and targeting in GPS‑denied environments. The agent’s established relationships with active defense personnel give the company direct access...
GomSpace Secures 8.8 MSEK Authorization to Proceed From Unseenlabs for Next Constellation Tranche
GomSpace received an Authorization to Proceed from French RF‑maritime intelligence firm Unseenlabs, valued at €815,000 (about $890,000) or 8.8 MSEK (≈ $828,000). The ATP lets GomSpace start buying long‑lead components for Unseenlabs’ next microsatellite batch, keeping the 2026‑27 launch cadence on...
AAC Clyde Space Expands Orbital Presence with Transporter-16 Launch
On March 30, 2026 SpaceX’s Transporter‑16 rideshare launched 119 payloads, including seven satellites from Swedish‑based AAC Clyde Space. The flight introduced the first two VIREON‑1 and VIREON‑2 Earth‑observation cubesats, delivering 1.5‑meter multispectral imagery for agriculture and forestry. AAC also flew...
Indra Showcases Sovereign Space and Defense Technologies at FIDAE 2026
Indra will showcase its sovereign space and defense technologies at FIDAE 2026 in Santiago, Chile, from April 7‑12. The company will deploy its Crow counter‑drone system to protect the air base and attendees, and highlight the Vorax low‑Earth‑orbit satellite for independent...
WISeSat.Space Expands IoT Constellation with 21st Satellite Launch via SpaceX
On March 30, 2026, WISeSat.Space, the satellite arm of WISeKey International, placed its 21st picosatellite into low‑Earth orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare. The satellite extends the company’s secure IoT constellation, which embeds WISeKey’s proprietary Root‑of‑Trust cryptography to protect data...
York Space Systems Secures PExT Mission Extension Through 2027 Following BARD Success
York Space Systems announced that NASA and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory have extended the Polylingual Experimental Terminal (PExT) mission through 2027 after the BARD mission met all primary objectives. The PExT payload, hosted on a York S-CLASS bus, demonstrated...
Blackwave Expands COPV Production to the United States
Blackwave announced a U.S. expansion with a new hub in Lockhart, Texas, to serve the growing North American launch market. The Texas facility will initially focus on cleaning and final inspections, scaling to full‑scale composite overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV) production...
The FCC Must Choose: Enforce the Rules or Preserve LEO Competition
The FCC faces a pivotal choice between enforcing its LEO deployment milestones and preserving competition in low‑Earth‑orbit broadband. Amazon has asked for a two‑year extension to meet its 1,618‑satellite Leo deadline, citing launch bottlenecks despite a $10 billion investment and a...
Syntiant and Novi Space Successfully Demonstrate Low-Power AI Inference in Orbit
On March 26, 2026, Syntiant Corp. and Novi Space completed a successful in‑orbit demonstration of real‑time AI object detection on a commercial LEO satellite. Using Syntiant’s quantized neural network models deployed on Novi’s SP240 space‑edge computer, the system identified ground...
GomSpace Joins Danish LUNA Consortium to Advance Nanosatellite Antenna Performance
Denmark’s LUNA consortium—Aalborg University, Pri‑Dana Elektronik and GomSpace—has launched a three‑year effort to create low‑loss, multiband nanosatellite antennas with mechanical beam steering. Backed by Innovation Fund Denmark, the project receives roughly $3 million in funding, with GomSpace contributing about $1.1 million. The...
OrbitsIQ Global and Wrocław Tech Validate E-SSA Waveform for Space-Based IoT
OrbitsIQ Global announced the validation of its Enhanced Spread Spectrum Aloha (E‑SSA) waveform, co‑developed with Wrocław Tech and backed by ESA. The new protocol lets up to 500 devices share a single 4 MHz channel, processing roughly 30,000 frames per second...
Rocket Lab Emerging as Potential Bus Provider for 2,800-Satellite Equatys Constellation
Rocket Lab is being positioned as the primary candidate to supply the satellite bus for Equatys, a joint venture between Viasat and Space42 targeting a 2,800‑satellite LEO constellation that delivers direct‑to‑device connectivity. The venture, backed by a $600 million investment from...
Marlink Reports 50% Surge in GNSS Interference Impacting Global Shipping
Marlink’s March 25 technical bulletin reports a 50% jump in GNSS interference incidents across its maritime fleet, driven by jamming and spoofing in the Middle East and other high‑traffic corridors. The disruptions threaten vessel navigation, satellite antenna tracking, and broadband connectivity....
Laser Communications and the Rise of Orbital Data Centers
The space sector faces a data‑transport bottleneck as satellite constellations generate more information than RF links can downlink. Industry leaders are transitioning from isolated spacecraft to distributed orbital data centers, where satellites act as networked nodes processing and sharing data...
SFL Missions Selected to Build Eight Node Spacecraft for NASA HelioSwarm
SFL Missions Inc. won a competitive contract to build eight 150‑kg Node spacecraft for NASA’s HelioSwarm mission, a MIDEX‑class solar‑wind science observatory. The Nodes will be launched aboard a larger Hub spacecraft and deployed into a lunar‑resonant orbit to capture...
Optical Surfaces Ltd Targets Aerospace Surveillance with Ritchey-Chrétien Optics
On March 10, 2026 Optical Surfaces Ltd announced its Ritchey‑Chrétien (RC) telescope optics as a high‑precision solution for military and aerospace surveillance. The company manufactures hyperbolic mirrors up to 700 mm diameter with surface accuracy of λ/20 P‑V and sub‑nanometer microroughness,...
EnduroSat and MetaSensing Partner to Accelerate SAR Satellite Access
EnduroSat and MetaSensing have formed a partnership to deliver a fully European "constellation‑as‑a‑service" synthetic aperture radar (SAR) solution. The collaboration couples MetaSensing’s X‑band PhoeniX and StarSAR‑X radar payloads with EnduroSat’s FRAME‑15 and FRAME‑24 satellites, offering 0.125‑to‑0.5 m resolution. By standardizing integration...
CubeSpace Challenges Vertical Integration with Record ADCS Production Milestone
On March 23, 2026 CubeSpace announced a production surge, shipping 2,118 standalone ADCS units and 71 mission‑tailored systems in January‑February. The South African firm claims its modular ADCS can cut costs by 50% compared with in‑house solutions, while maintaining an 8‑12‑week lead...
ThinKom Showcases Modular MILSATCOM Architecture for Contested Environments
At the 2026 Satellite Show in Washington, D.C., ThinKom Solutions unveiled a modular, high‑mobility ground architecture designed to replace static satellite command centers. The system, built around the Variable Inclination Continuous Transverse Stub (VICTS) phased‑array antenna, can connect to GEO,...
OHB SE Exceeds Profitability Targets with Record €3.2 Billion Backlog
OHB SE reported FY 2025 results that beat its profitability guidance, with revenue climbing 21% to €1.25 bn (≈ $1.36 bn) and adjusted EBIT rising 17% to €84 m (≈ $92 m). The company’s order backlog reached a record €3.19 bn (≈ $3.48 bn), driven by a €248 m (≈ $270 m) ESA...
Thales Alenia Space Previews Sovereign Constellations and LEO-PNT Milestones for SATShow 2026
Thales Alenia Space (TAS) unveiled its 2026 roadmap at SATShow, emphasizing high‑revisit Earth observation and Europe’s sovereign satellite constellations. The company confirmed its lead‑engineering role in the IRIS² program and highlighted the upcoming launch of the Celeste IOD‑2 CubeSat, a...
Pentagon Report: Space Force ATLAS Program Falls Short of Decommissioning Targets
The Pentagon’s Director of Operational Test & Evaluation reported on March 16, 2026 that the Space Force’s Advanced Tracking and Launch Analysis System (ATLAS) is not yet mature enough to retire the 1979‑era Space Defense Operations Center (SPADOC). Although ATLAS achieved operational...
The Pentagon’s SmallSats Have An Amnesia Problem
The Pentagon’s SmallSat programs rely on commercial volatile memory, which loses data during power interruptions caused by radiation or EMP events. Such “amnesia” forces satellites to reboot, delaying hypersonic tracking and breaking the kill chain. Engineers mitigate the risk with...
U.S. Space Force Awards $446.8 Million Agreement to Kratos for MEO Missile Tracking Ground Segment
The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command awarded Kratos Technology & Training Solutions a $446.8 million Ground Management and Integration contract to build the command‑and‑control backbone for the Resilient Missile Warning and Tracking program in medium‑earth‑orbit. The agreement, structured as an...
NewSpace Systems Opens Africa’s Largest Commercial Space Hardware Manufacturing Facility
NewSpace Systems inaugurated a 5,200 m² manufacturing hub in Somerset West, South Africa, becoming the continent’s largest commercial space hardware facility. The plant features a 1,260 m² ISO‑14644‑1 cleanroom, six LEAN‑certified assembly lines, and dedicated labs for GNC components such as sun...
ReOrbit Secures €150 Million Contract with SLI for Next-Generation Small GEO Satellites
ReOrbit, a Helsinki‑based satellite maker, signed a €150 million contract with asset‑financing specialist SLI to deliver two next‑generation software‑defined Small GEO communication satellites. The deal uses SLI’s leasing platform to replace traditional outright purchases, lowering entry costs for sovereign and commercial...
GMV-Led Consortium Launches MYRIAD to Advance AI-Driven Satellite Intelligence for EU Defense
The European Defence Fund has launched the MYRIAD research project, a 48‑month, €5 million initiative coordinated by GMV to embed AI into satellite imagery analysis for EU defence. Nine European partners will develop multi‑sensor fusion, radiometric calibration and explainable AI to...
Market Analysis: The ISR Latency War and Who Wins When “Minutes” Decide Mission
Industry data released March 18, 2026 shows ISR is shifting from resolution‑focused satellites to latency‑first architectures. Commercial firms such as BlackSky and Planet Labs reported record revenues while emphasizing rapid data delivery, with BlackSky posting $107 million in 2025 revenue and a $345 million...
ALL.SPACE Achieves Industry-First Multi-Orbit Certification for SES O3b mPOWER
ALL.SPACE announced on March 18, 2026 that its electronically scanned antenna terminal received the industry’s first certification for simultaneous multi‑orbit connectivity on SES’s O3b mPOWER MEO constellation. The ESA can track GEO, MEO and LEO satellites concurrently without mechanical parts, offering...
BAE Systems Secures U.S. Air Force Contract to Modernize U-2 Advanced Defensive System
BAE Systems has secured a contract from the U.S. Air Force to sustain and modernize the AN/ALQ‑221 Advanced Defensive System on the U‑2 Dragon Lady fleet. The agreement covers field service support, repairs, and software upgrades to counter evolving electronic threats....
The Rise of the Orbital Data Center: Solving the Space Data Bottleneck
On March 16, 2026 Kepler Communications launched the first commercially operational Orbital Cloud, turning its satellite constellation into an in‑orbit data center. By embedding NVIDIA‑powered edge GPUs and optical inter‑satellite links, the Orbital Data Center (ODC) can run AI models...
Lynk Global Files for FCC Experimental License to Test Multi-Orbit D2D Relay
Lynk Global has filed an FCC experimental license to test a multi‑orbit relay that routes traffic from its low‑Earth‑orbit satellites through SES’s medium‑ and geostationary‑orbit assets. The architecture aims to replace dense terrestrial ground stations, enabling direct‑to‑device connectivity for standard...
L3Harris Honors Goddard Centennial with Advances in Nuclear and Electric Propulsion
L3Harris Technologies commemorated Robert Goddard’s 100‑year rocket milestone by accelerating next‑generation propulsion, including 3D‑printed RS‑25 engines, advanced electric thrusters, and nuclear thermal concepts. The company is hot‑fire testing new RS‑25 units that cut production costs by 30 percent while delivering...
Volatus Aerospace Finalizes 100% Acquisition of Synergy Aviation
Volatus Aerospace announced on March 13, 2026 that it has completed the purchase of the remaining 41.53% minority stake in Synergy Aviation, issuing 2,444,243 common voting shares as consideration. The deal gives Volatus 100% ownership, allowing full integration of Synergy’s...
Hanwha Re-Enters KAI Shareholder Registry to Accelerate ‘Korean SpaceX’ Strategy
Hanwha Systems has acquired a 0.58% stake in Korea Aerospace Industries for about 60 billion KRW, marking the group’s first equity investment in the aerospace champion since 2018. The purchase is viewed as the first step in a consolidation plan to build...