E-GEOS and VENG Strengthen Global Partnership for SAOCOM Satellite Data Distribution
e‑GEOS, the Italian‑Argentine joint venture, and Argentina’s VENG have signed a multi‑year agreement to market and distribute SAOCOM L‑band SAR data worldwide. The deal links SAOCOM’s 1A/1B satellites with Italy’s COSMO‑SkyMed X‑band constellation, creating the first integrated European‑American radar system for emergency management and environmental monitoring. The partnership leverages e‑GEOS’s global reach and VENG’s technical expertise to serve sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, and water‑resource management. It deepens industrial ties between Italy and Argentina while expanding commercial opportunities for both firms.
'Pinprick of Light': Artemis Crew Witnesses Meteorite Impacts on Moon
During NASA's Artemis II mission, astronauts witnessed six brief meteorite impact flashes on the Moon’s surface, a phenomenon captured during a seven‑hour observation window. The flashes, described as white to bluish‑white pinpricks of light lasting only milliseconds, were most visible during...
What Does the Dark Side of the Moon Sound Like? Nasa’s Sonifications Are Helping Us Imagine
NASA’s Artemis II crew heard no mysterious sounds on the Moon’s far side, but the agency is turning spacecraft electromagnetic data into audible sonifications. The infamous whistling recorded by Apollo 10 was later traced to interference between two VHF transmitters, debunking decades‑old...
The State of ISAM 2026
The 2026 State of ISAM report breaks the sector into three pillars— in‑space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing—each at a distinct maturity level. Servicing is moving beyond demos with early GEO refueling missions for the US Space Force, yet contracts remain...
Czech Radiation Chips on Artemis II Bring ISS Experience
Czech sensor firm ADVACAM is flying six Hybrid Electronic Radiation Assessor (HERA) chips on Artemis II to measure cosmic‑ray exposure for both astronauts and Orion’s electronics. The detectors build on ISS‑tested Timepix technology and will validate the spacecraft’s shielding during the...
New Artemis II Images Give Fresh Look at Our Lunar Neighbour
NASA released the first crewed images of the Moon’s far side captured by the Artemis II crew during their 10‑day lunar flyby on 6 April. The photos showcase the Orientale basin, Grimaldi crater, ancient lava flows, and a 54‑minute solar eclipse with...
NTT Targets GNSS Positioning Boost
NTT Docomo Business upgraded its Mobile GNSS positioning service with a new receiver that fuses RTK correction data and a nine‑axis sensor, delivering higher accuracy and availability in signal‑blocked areas. The device doubles battery life, adds an LTE module and...
Amazon Leo Heads to Thailand by Way of Thaicom
Amazon has partnered with Thai satellite operator Thaicom, whose subsidiary TC 142 will act as the authorized distributor and landing‑rights holder for Amazon Leo in Thailand. The deal gives Amazon Leo a regulatory edge over SpaceX, whose Starlink proposal was rejected...
India’s Space Ambition Set to Soar After Artemis II Moon Mission’s Success
NASA’s Artemis II mission looped the Moon, reaching 406,780 km and eclipsing Apollo 13’s record, marking the first crewed lunar flight in over 50 years. India, a signatory of the Artemis Accords, views the success as a catalyst for its own lunar ambitions...
'Screams of Delight': Artemis Crew Flying Home to Thrilled NASA Scientists
NASA’s Artemis II crew returned to Earth after a seven‑hour lunar flyby, delivering the first modern Earthset photograph that mirrors Apollo 8’s iconic image. The mission set a new distance‑from‑Earth record at 252,756 miles, surpassing Apollo 13 by over 4,000 miles. Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch,...
How the Artemis II Crew Trained to Observe and Photograph the Moon: A NASA Science Team Geologist Explains
Artemis II broke the Apollo 13 record, traveling farther from Earth than any human before and completing a far‑side lunar flyby. The crew operated at roughly 4,067 mi (6,545 km) altitude, capturing full‑disk images and detailed photographs of features like Vavilov Crater. NASA tested...
New SATCOM Tech Helps Downed Pilot Rescues
Israeli firm Commcrete unveiled palm‑sized low‑SWaP satellite‑communication devices for combat search and rescue. The units deliver continuous, on‑demand connectivity from ejection through ground movement, even under canopy, urban, maritime or parachute conditions. Featuring a 32 dB link budget, adaptive waveform and...
UK Eyes Deeper “Sovereign” Space Surveillance Capabilities
The United Kingdom is advancing its sovereign space agenda by initiating a procurement process for a new space‑surveillance radar system, with a possible deployment in Antarctica. The effort aims to bolster the nation’s ability to track low‑Earth‑orbit objects and protect...
Planet Labs Tests AI-Powered Object Detection On Satellite
Planet Labs successfully demonstrated artificial intelligence running directly on a satellite in orbit, using an NVIDIA Jetson Orin module to detect airplanes in an image of an airport captured at 500 km altitude. The onboard model processed the photo moments after...
Chinese Firm MizarVision Accused Of Providing Satellite Images To Iran
U.S. Defence Intelligence Agency officials allege Chinese firm MizarVision has supplied AI‑enhanced satellite imagery to Iran, enabling the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to pinpoint U.S. bases in the Middle East. The company, in which the Chinese government holds a minority...
Artemis II Astronauts Get a Break After Journey Around the Moon
NASA’s Artemis II mission, aboard the Orion capsule dubbed Integrity, has left lunar orbit and is now on the homeward leg, traveling at roughly 1,475 mph and currently 223,429 mi from Earth. The four‑person crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut...
Europe’s IRIS2 Responsibilities Revealed
European officials are set to approve the governance structure of the IRIS2 satellite communications programme, which will be run by the SpaceRise consortium of SES, Eutelsat and Hispasat. The consortium will receive a 12‑year operational concession and will invest roughly...
Artemis II Returns From Its Fly-By of the Moon
NASA’s Artemis II mission completed its historic crewed fly‑by of the Moon and safely returned the four‑astronaut crew to Earth on Thursday. The Orion capsule demonstrated critical deep‑space navigation, communication and life‑support performance during a 10‑day flight that took the crew...
Faith Has Always Gone to Space. Artemis II Shows How Much It Has Changed.
On April 6, NASA’s Artemis II crew began the first crewed lunar flyby in nearly six decades, venturing farther from Earth than any human before. As the Orion capsule entered radio silence behind the Moon, astronaut Victor Glover delivered a brief...
US-China Space Race Shifts Into a Higher Lunar Gear
China announced an accelerated timetable for its crewed lunar program, targeting a 2030 landing after NASA’s Artemis II crewed flyby. The Long March 10A heavy‑lift rocket will make its maiden flight in mid‑2026, serving as the core booster for lunar‑transfer missions. A dual‑launch...
MSI, T-Mobile Bring Satellite-Direct-to-Device Service to Devices
Motorola Solutions and T‑Mobile have integrated T‑Satellite, powered by Starlink, into the APX NEXT radios and SVX body‑worn devices, giving first responders direct‑to‑satellite connectivity. The service, branded T‑Priority, combines 5G, dual‑SIM, Wi‑Fi and traditional LMR to create a multi‑bearer network that...
NTIA Launches Portal to Speed Spectrum Coordination for Space Launches
On April 7, 2026, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) unveiled the Space Launch Frequency Coordination Portal, an online platform designed to accelerate federal spectrum coordination for commercial space launches. The portal replaces a manual, email‑based system, allowing providers...
It’s Unanimous: Space Already Functions as Critical Infrastructure
Space has become a de‑facto critical infrastructure, silently powering finance, navigation, agriculture, defense and emergency response. Experts argue its horizontal‑enabler role makes formal recognition inevitable as commercial constellations swell to an estimated 25,000 satellites by 2031. Growing cyber threats, ground‑node...
Cybersecurity in Space Is Hard; In Cislunar Space, It’s Really Hard
Securing cislunar assets is far more complex than protecting low‑Earth‑orbit satellites because the vast distances demand autonomous, software‑defined defenses. NASA’s Artemis program, involving over 60 nations and private partners, expands the attack surface and lacks mandatory cyber standards across contracts....
Space Is the Best Offset Strategy
The article argues that space has become the premier offset strategy for modern militaries, offering technological advantages that neutralize adversaries' numerical and geographic strengths. It highlights how space‑based synthetic aperture radar, LEO communication constellations, and orbital tracking provide real‑time transparency,...
Untitled
Artemis II, NASA’s first crewed deep‑space flight since Apollo, will loop around the Moon and return to Earth about ten days after launch. The mission is a test flight, not a landing, mirroring Apollo 8 and 10’s approach before Apollo 11’s historic touchdown. It...
The Seismic Shifts in the Satellite Communications Landscape Are Far From Over
The satellite communications market is undergoing rapid consolidation and capacity expansion, highlighted by SpaceX’s Starlink surpassing 10,000 LEO satellites and a series of high‑profile mergers among incumbents. New entrants such as Amazon Leo and Blue Origin’s TeraWave are committing substantial...
Space Economy Market Intelligence: The Complete Report Catalogue From BryceTech, Novaspace, and Analysys Mason
The article catalogs the most referenced space‑economy intelligence from BryceTech, Novaspace, and Analysys Mason, detailing each firm’s report offerings and access models. BryceTech provides a free public library spanning 2009‑2026, including quarterly briefings, small‑sat data, and the Start‑Up Space investment series....
New Boeing Satellite Spacecraft Delivered.
Boeing delivered a new satellite to its launch site on April 7, 2026, marking a key milestone in a production surge that aims for 26 spacecraft deliveries this year, up from 12 in 2025. The ramp‑up is driven by heightened...
Automation and Agility: How SSC Space Go Is Designed for the New Age of Ground
SSC Space has launched SSC Space Go, a new ground‑segment service tailored for commercial small‑sat operators in low‑Earth orbit. Building on 54 years of mission experience, the offering combines upgraded hardware and software to deliver higher automation and operational flexibility....
Directory of Organizations That Provide Space Economy Market Intelligence Reports
The article compiles an April 2026 directory of organizations that publish space‑economy market‑intelligence reports, segmenting them into dedicated intelligence firms, investment‑tracking providers, institutional publishers, macro‑analysis outlets, and general market‑research vendors. It lists key players such as Novaspace, Analysys Mason/NSR, Quilty Space,...
Artemis II Astronauts Head Home After Historic Journey Around the Moon
NASA’s Artemis II mission completed a historic lunar flyby, sending four astronauts 248,655 miles from Earth and behind the Moon’s far side for the first time since the 1972 Apollo program. The crew—NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Space...
In a First, Artemis II Moon Astronauts Make ‘Ship to Ship’ Call to ISS
NASA's Artemis II crew completed the first-ever ship-to-ship audio call with the International Space Station, marking the inaugural communication between a human lunar mission and an orbital habitat. The 15‑minute conversation occurred when Orion was over 200,000 nautical miles from Earth,...
LEO Satellite Networks: Supporting Maritime Safety, Efficiency and Innovation
Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations are expanding rapidly, with over 10,000 satellites in orbit today and roughly 70,000 more slated for launch by 2030. Their proximity to Earth delivers lower‑cost, high‑speed, low‑latency broadband that can reach vessels in the...
Canadian Navy to Trial All.Space Hydra 4 Terminal
The Royal Canadian Navy will trial All.Space’s Hydra 4 multi‑band, multi‑orbit satellite terminal at the Maritime Forces Pacific base in Victoria, British Columbia. Hydra 4 can connect simultaneously to military Ka‑band, commercial Ka, Ku and L‑band networks, as well as Starlink and...
Hungary Taps Northrop Grumman for First National Geostationary Communications Satellite
During Vice President JD Vance’s April 7 visit to Budapest, Hungary announced a partnership with Northrop Grumman to build its first national geostationary communications satellite, part of the HUSAT program slated for 2030 delivery. The satellite, based on Northrop’s GEOStar‑3...
Planet Details AI-Driven Object Detection Onboard Pelican-4 Satellite
Planet demonstrated AI-driven object detection onboard its Pelican‑4 satellite using an Nvidia Jetson Orin module. The satellite captured an image of Alice Springs airport on March 25 and identified airplanes directly in orbit, marking one of the first instances of...
Why You Can’t See Space Junk in Artemis II Photos
Artemis II completed its historic lunar flyby and released striking images of Earth and the Moon, yet none show the growing cloud of orbital debris. The NASA Orbital Debris Program Office notes that most junk resides 466‑621 miles above Earth and is...
Intel Gets Trapped in Elon’s Reality Distortion Field as It Joins in Megafab Delusions
Intel announced it is joining Elon Musk’s ambitious Terafab project, a proposed megafab intended to produce enough chips to power orbital data‑center AI and future Tesla hardware. The company says it will help "refactor silicon fab technology," but offered no...
The EU’s Space Coalition Doesn’t Look Like NATO — And That’s the Point
The European Union has earmarked €150 billion (about $162 billion) in low‑cost loans through its Security Action for Europe (SAFE) programme to fund defence procurement and infrastructure. By signing Security and Defense Partnerships (SDPs) with Japan, South Korea, India and Australia, the EU...
Earthset
On April 6, 2026, the Artemis II crew photographed Earth setting behind the Moon’s far side during their historic lunar flyby. The astronauts recorded detailed views of terraced craters, ancient lava flows, and surface ridges, noting variations in color, brightness, and texture that...
What the SpaceX IPO Changes for Every Satellite Operator
SpaceX’s pending IPO will shift the company from Musk‑driven, margin‑light pricing to earnings‑focused economics, forcing it to disclose launch versus Starlink revenues. With roughly 80% of global commercial launch mass and a $74 million list price for dedicated Falcon 9 missions, the...
Space Force Resets Modernization Plan for Its Aging Satellite Control Network
The U.S. Space Force has scrapped the $1.4 billion Satellite Communications Augmentation Resource (SCAR) contract that would have delivered 12 phased‑array antennas, and issued a new request for information to tap existing commercial antenna assets. The legacy Satellite Control Network, a...
Empowering the Next Generation at SmallSat Europe 2026
At SmallSat Europe 2026 in Amsterdam, the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) will host a dedicated engagement space to connect its 39,000‑member global talent network with industry employers. The three‑day event, scheduled for May 26‑28, expects thousands of engineers, startups,...
NASA’s Artemis II Astronauts Spread ‘Moon Joy’ to the Public
NASA’s Artemis II crew completed a historic lunar flyby, capturing high‑resolution images of the far side while expressing vivid wonder about the Moon’s landscape. Astronauts such as Christina Koch described an "overwhelming sense" of being moved, turning technical briefings into emotionally resonant...
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...
NASA Artemis II Photo Captures Moon Eclipse of Sun — 'Absolutely Stunning'
NASA’s Artemis II mission captured a striking image of the Moon eclipsing the Sun during its six‑hour lunar flyby, a moment NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman called “absolutely stunning.” The crew also broke Apollo 13’s 56‑year‑old record for the farthest distance traveled by...
The Guardian View on Artemis II: The Light and Dark Sides of the Moon | Editorial
NASA’s Artemis II mission successfully sent astronauts, including Christina Koch, around the Moon’s far side on April 6, 2026, marking the first crewed flight beyond low‑Earth orbit since Apollo. The flight rekindled public awe, echoing the Earthrise image’s cultural impact, while also highlighting...
Advocates Ready For NASA Science Funding Fight, Part II
NASA faces a proposed $18.8 billion FY26 budget that slashes its science portfolio to $3.89 billion, a $3.4 billion reduction that would eliminate more than 40 missions, including the Mars Sample Return. The cut leaves only modest funding for flagship projects such as...
GAO Details Why KBR Lost $1.8B NASA Spaceflight Contract
The Government Accountability Office upheld NASA’s decision to award the $1.8 billion COSMOS contract to the Ascend Aerospace‑Technology joint venture, ending KBR’s protests. GAO found Ascend’s small‑business status satisfied solicitation requirements and that NASA’s removal of the word “greatly” was a...
