Impulse Space Expands Colorado Presence
Impulse Space has opened a 20,000‑square‑foot manufacturing facility near Boulder, Colorado, dedicated to developing guidance, navigation and control (GNC) systems and precision‑machined components for its Mira and Helios transfer vehicles. The plant will scale in‑house production of valves, pumps, and other hardware for the Helios tug and its Deneb main engine, extending the company’s Colorado presence that began three years ago. Impulse recently secured a $300 million Series C round to accelerate Mira and Helios production, citing strong demand from government and commercial customers, including space‑defense missions. The facility also supports work on a lunar lander concept that pairs a Helios tug with a new cargo module.
Lux Aeterna Raises $10 Million Ahead of 2027 Reusable Satellite Demo
Lux Aeterna, a Denver startup founded by former SpaceX engineer Brian Taylor, announced a $10 million seed round led by Konvoy, bringing its total capital to $14 million. The funding will support development of Delphi‑1, a 200 kg reusable satellite with a 30 kg...
Starliner and Artemis: Commercial Label Vs. Commercial Discipline
NASA classified Boeing's 2024 Starliner crewed test flight as a Type A mishap, pinpointing decision‑making and leadership failures rather than hardware flaws. The investigation revealed a pattern of closing anomalies without full root‑cause analysis, exposing a gap between the program’s commercial...
Landspace Tests 220-Ton Methane Engine for Future Heavy-Lift Launchers
Chinese launch startup Landspace announced a successful long‑duration hot‑fire test of its BF methane‑liquid oxygen engine, which generates roughly 220 metric tons of thrust. The full‑flow staged combustion (FFSC) cycle engine is intended as the core propulsion unit for the company’s...
Commercial Space Federation (CSF) Welcomes New Members
The Commercial Space Federation (CSF) announced that LeoLabs, the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research (ASGSR), and SurgeStreams have joined as new members. Their inclusion expands CSF’s reach into orbital intelligence, gravitational biology research, and commercial‑space digital infrastructure. Each...
Hyperscalers Are Coming to an Orbit Near You. Power Will Decide the Winners.
The article warns that power availability will become the decisive bottleneck in the emerging orbital economy of megaconstellations and space‑based data centers. SpaceX has already mitigated this by deploying massive solar arrays, achieving 28 kW peak power and demonstrating the advantage...
Rocket Lab Launches Satellite for Undisclosed Customer
Rocket Lab launched an Electron rocket from New Zealand on March 5, delivering a single satellite for an undisclosed customer, most likely BlackSky’s Gen‑3 Earth‑observation spacecraft. The mission, announced only five hours before liftoff, placed the payload into a 470‑km mid‑inclination orbit....
Poland-Based Liftero Will Provide Chemical Propulsion for Indian Firm OrbitAID’s In-Orbit Servicing Mission
Polish startup Liftero has signed a contract with India’s OrbitAID to provide two multi‑thruster BOOSTER configurations for an in‑orbit servicing mission slated for the fourth quarter of 2026. The boosters use nitrous‑oxide (N₂O) chemical propulsion to deliver six‑degree‑of‑freedom (6‑DOF) maneuvering,...
Terran Orbital Appoints Kwon Park as Senior Director of Manufacturing Operations
Terran Orbital, a Lockheed Martin company, announced Kwon Park as senior director of manufacturing operations. Park brings more than 20 years of aerospace and defense manufacturing experience, including leadership of a $300 million aerospace site. He will oversee manufacturing execution, production...
Unlocking AI in Space: The Case for Greater Industry and Space Agency Collaboration
Artificial intelligence is poised to reshape space exploration, offering real‑time data analysis, autonomous navigation, and predictive health monitoring for spacecraft. To realize these gains, AI hardware must survive radiation, extreme temperatures, and power constraints while delivering sufficient compute throughput. The...
UK Announces £500 Million Package for Industrial Growth and National Security
The United Kingdom unveiled a £500 million space funding package aimed at accelerating economic growth and national security. The money targets seven sub‑sectors, with priority given to satellite communications, assured access, in‑orbit servicing, assembly, manufacturing and space domain awareness. The package...
Mutable Tactics Raises $2.1 Million for AI Drone Coordination in Satellite-Denied Environments
Mutable Tactics, a British AI startup, secured $2.1 million in pre‑seed funding to build software that lets swarms of military drones operate autonomously when satellite navigation and communications are unavailable. The round was led by Seraphim Space, with participation from the...
Return of the (Space) SPAC
Former investment banker Raphael Roettgen revived a space‑focused SPAC in early 2026 after a four‑year hiatus, raising about $230 million in trust to seek a merger with a space‑related company. The new vehicle, Space Asset Acquisition Corp., reflects a broader revival...
Reliable Space Rescue Is a Prerequisite for Continued Economic Opportunity in Space and We Have a Long Way to Go
SpaceX Crew 11’s emergency return in January 2026 marked the first crew rescue from orbit, proving that a rapid LEO evacuation is possible. The rescue highlighted a stark gap: no reliable, on‑demand capability exists for commercial missions beyond low Earth orbit. As...
Blue Origin’s Surprise TeraWave Constellation Jolts LEO Broadband Race
Blue Origin filed an FCC application for a hybrid LEO‑MEO broadband system called TeraWave, proposing 5,280 low‑Earth orbit satellites operating in Q‑ and V‑bands and 128 medium‑Earth orbit satellites linked by lasers. The architecture promises point‑to‑point links delivering up to...
PLD Space Raises $209 Million to Shift Into Serial Rocket Production
PLD Space announced a €180 million Series C round, the largest European space funding this year, to accelerate serial production of its Miura 5 launch vehicle. The round was led by Japan’s Mitsubishi Electric, which will receive priority launch access for its satellite...
Space Force Modernization Push Runs Into Acquisition Workforce Shortfall
The Space Force’s push to modernize its space capabilities is being hampered by a critical shortage of contracting officers and financial managers. As the service moves from buying discrete hardware to fielding integrated warfighting systems, it needs acquisition professionals with...
When Space Is Hot, Washington Holds a Match
Private equity is pouring capital into space and defense, reviving investor enthusiasm, but firms still depend on steady government funding to realize long‑term value. AE Industrial Partners, which backs Redwire, Firefly Aerospace and York Space Systems, highlighted that government contracts...
Spectrum Showdown
Satellite communications constellations are crowding the microwave bands used for weather monitoring, raising concerns about radio‑frequency interference (RFI). NOAA scientists warn that emissions from broadband satellites could corrupt data from instruments like the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) on JPSS...
Kelli Kedis Ogborn Joining Commercial Space Federation as Strategic Advisor for Global Markets and Industry Engagement
The Commercial Space Federation announced that Kelli Kedis Ogborn will serve as Strategic Advisor for Global Markets and Industry Engagement. Ogborn will spearhead efforts to broaden CSF’s international presence, forge strategic partnerships, and launch initiatives that accelerate commercial space growth....
Stargazing Into the Future of SSA
SpaceX unveiled Stargaze, a space situational awareness service that taps the star‑tracker cameras on its roughly 10,000 Starlink satellites to monitor LEO objects. The company claims the constellation can generate up to 30 million observations per day, delivering hundreds of detections...
World Space Week 2025 Set Record With 50,000 Events in 102 Countries
World Space Week 2025 set a participation record with nearly 50,000 activities in 102 countries. The surge reflects a shift from a niche sector to a global priority, as educators, governments and industry rally to prepare the next generation for...
Space Force Rethinks Satellite Ground Station Strategy
The U.S. Space Force has halted the $1.4 billion Satellite Communications Augmentation Resource (SCAR) program and is drafting a new acquisition strategy that moves away from a cost‑plus, single‑source contract. The original BADGER phased‑array ground terminals, awarded to BlueHalo/AeroVironment, were placed...
Open Cosmos Unveils Vision for Imagery-Linked Sovereign Satellite Connectivity
Open Cosmos announced ConnectedCosmos, a Ka‑band LEO network that merges broadband, IoT and Earth‑observation services. The constellation will use optical inter‑satellite links to deliver near‑real‑time data without relying on ground stations. The company faces ITU‑mandated milestones for a 576‑satellite filing,...
Space Force Opens Secretive Space Tracking to Commercial Firms
The U.S. Space Force is increasingly relying on commercial data and artificial intelligence to track foreign satellites and assess threats to American spacecraft. The effort is coordinated through the Space Domain Awareness Tools, Applications and Processing (SDA TAP) Lab, which runs...
CAS Space to Launch Kinetica-2 in Late March Carrying Prototype Cargo Spacecraft
Chinese commercial launch provider CAS Space is set to fly its reusable Kinetica‑2 rocket in late March from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, carrying a prototype of the Qingzhou‑1 cargo spacecraft. The 53‑metre, three‑stage vehicle uses three YF‑102 kerosene‑LOX engines per...
NASA on ‘Aggressive’ Schedule to Complete SLS Repairs for April Launch
NASA is racing to finish repairs on the Space Launch System’s upper stage within roughly three weeks to meet the Artemis 2 early‑April launch window. The work follows a rollback to the Vehicle Assembly Building after a helium‑flow interruption in the...
China Set for Its First One-Year Human Spaceflight Mission, Confirms Pakistani Astronaut Flight
China announced its first one‑year human spaceflight mission aboard the Tiangong space station, selecting an astronaut from the Shenzhou‑23 crew to remain in orbit for twelve months. The Shenzhou‑23 launch is slated for April‑May 2026, following an early delivery of...
Airbus and Leonardo Report Increased Space Revenues for 2025
Airbus Defence and Space reported €13.4 billion in space revenues for 2025, an 11 % increase from the prior year, while Leonardo’s Space division posted just over €1 billion, also up 11 %. Both companies improved profitability through restructuring, cutting over 2,000 jobs and...
CesiumAstro Acquires Vidrovr to Embed AI in Communications Systems
CesiumAstro announced the acquisition of AI‑focused startup Vidrovr to embed artificial intelligence into its space‑based communications payloads. The deal, closed in late 2025, adds multimodal signal‑analysis and edge‑computing capabilities to CesiumAstro’s software‑defined phased‑array systems, including the Element satellite. By integrating...
Sierra Space Names Dan Jablonsky CEO
Sierra Space announced that longtime defense executive Dan Jablonsky will assume the role of chief executive officer on March 2, succeeding interim CEO and founder Fatih Ozmen, who will remain board chair. Jablonsky previously led Ursa Major Technologies and Maxar Technologies, bringing deep aerospace...
Phantom Space Reclaims Former Vector Launch Technology
Phantom Space has acquired launch assets from the defunct Vector Launch, including flight‑proven design elements and engineering data. The assets will be integrated into Phantom’s Daytona two‑stage rocket to cut development risk and accelerate its schedule. Phantom, which has raised...
China’s Tianwen-2 Probe Operating Normally on Approach to Asteroid
China’s Tianwen‑2 probe is operating normally on its heliocentric transfer toward the near‑Earth asteroid 469219 Kamoʻoalewa, with a sample‑return window set for the end of November 2027. The spacecraft, launched in May 2023, will conduct multi‑altitude investigations before employing three redundant sampling techniques...
Bowersox to Retire From NASA
Ken Bowersox, a former astronaut and four‑time shuttle veteran, announced his retirement from NASA effective March 6, ending a brief stint as associate administrator for space operations. He will be succeeded on an acting basis by deputy Joel Montalbano. The announcement...
Valve Malfunction Blamed for Failure of Indian Satellite to Raise Its Orbit
India’s ISRO confirmed that a pyrotechnic valve malfunction prevented the NVS‑02 navigation satellite from igniting its orbit‑raising engine, leaving it stranded in a geostationary transfer orbit. The valve failed to open because the command signal did not reach it, likely...
The Future of Astronomy Is Both on Earth and in Space
The American Astronomical Society’s presidents rebut a recent call to move astronomy entirely off Earth, arguing that ground‑based observatories remain indispensable. They note that space telescopes, while transformative, are expensive, mission‑specific and unserviceable after launch. In contrast, terrestrial facilities can...
In Space Traffic Coordination, the Biggest Challenge May Be Coordination
Satellite operators are increasingly unable to reach each other to avoid collisions, prompting the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs to intervene in two recent incidents involving U.S., Chinese, Malaysian, and North Korean assets. The lack of reliable contact...
OQ Technology Secures $30 Million From Europe for Satellite-to-Smartphone Expansion
Europe’s Investment Bank is providing €25 million (≈$30 million) to Luxembourg‑based OQ Technology to expand its direct‑to‑device satellite constellation. The debt will fund the launch of more than 20 small satellites, including OQ’s first C‑band satellite aimed at smartphone connectivity slated for...
A Banner Year for Military Space Funding— with an Unclear Path Beyond
Funding for the U.S. Space Force in fiscal 2026 climbs to roughly $42 billion, while total Department of Defense space spending is estimated at $57.7 billion after the One Big Beautiful Bill Act injected $13.8 billion of mandatory reconciliation money. The bulk of the new dollars support...
The Commercial Space Federation Releases New White Paper “Perfecting Public-Private Partnerships”
The Commercial Space Federation (CSF) released a new white paper titled “Perfecting Public‑Private Partnerships: The Future of Government Space Contracts.” Authored by Rational Futures, the report offers a playbook for government buyers to maximize outcomes on space PPPs, stressing that...
At Colorado Space Firms, Hegseth Casts Pentagon Bureaucracy as the Enemy
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth used a Colorado stop at True Anomaly and Sierra Space to denounce the Pentagon’s acquisition bureaucracy as a "giant swamp" that favors entrenched prime contractors. He framed commercially driven space firms as essential antidotes that...
Sophia Space Claims $10 Million in Seed Round
San Francisco‑based startup Sophia Space announced a $10 million seed round led by Alpha Funds, KDDI Green Partners Fund and Unlock Venture Partners. The capital will fund development of its proprietary orbital computing module, called Tile, and associated thermal‑control technology. Tile...
Boeing Demonstrates Large Language Model for Space-Grade Hardware
Boeing Space Mission Systems engineers have proven that a large language model can run on commercial off‑the‑shelf hardware and interpret satellite telemetry in natural language. The lab‑based test showed the model can generate human‑readable health reports, reducing latency compared with...
Meink, Saltzman Make Case for Space Force Expansion
U.S. Space Force Secretary Troy Meink announced a push for sustained expansion as mission sets broaden, citing the need for more personnel and specialized skills. A key immediate step is enlarging the Space Warfighting Analysis Center to guide force design...
AST SpaceMobile Wins $30 Million Contract for Military Broadband Demo
The Space Development Agency awarded AST SpaceMobile a $30 million firm‑fixed‑price contract to demonstrate its BlueBird satellite constellation can deliver resilient, low‑latency broadband directly to military radios. The "Europa" phase of the HALO program requires AST to complete a series of...
Israeli Startup Targets the Economics of High-Resolution Earth Observation
Israeli startup Remondo announced its Partial Aperture Imaging System (PAIS), a technology that promises sub‑30 cm resolution from small 12U‑16U cubesats. The company has secured $20 million in private and government funding and targets a first orbital demonstration in 2027. PAIS replaces...
German Defense Firm Said to Be Weighing Bid for Mynaric
Rheinmetall, Germany's largest defence contractor, is weighing a bid for Munich‑based laser‑communications maker Mynaric, potentially derailing Rocket Lab's announced $150 million acquisition. The move reflects Europe’s push to keep critical aerospace and optical‑link technology under domestic control amid heightened scrutiny of...
Bruno Says He Joined Blue Origin to Work on ‘Urgent’ National Security Projects
Tory Bruno, former ULA chief, left the company to become president of Blue Origin’s new national‑security group, citing an urgent need for dynamic space operations and missile‑defense capabilities. He believes ULA’s Vulcan rocket is now mature, allowing him to focus...
Boeing to Boost Production of Missile-Tracking Sensors for Military Satellites
Boeing has opened a 9,000‑square‑foot production facility at its El Segundo campus to manufacture electro‑optical infrared (EO/IR) sensors for U.S. military satellites. The plant will support Millennium Space Systems’ near‑$1 billion contract portfolio, including 12 missile‑warning satellites and a $414 million award...
Why GPS III, and What Comes After It, Still Falls Short in Modern War
The United States is completing its GPS III constellation, the most extensive PNT upgrade in a decade, delivering higher accuracy, stronger signals and improved anti‑jam features. Analysts argue that while GPS III and the upcoming GPS IIIF add incremental resilience, they do not...