Inside SatEnlight’s Spiral Staircase of Lasers: Interview with Startup Space Winner Matteo Vismara
SatEnlight, an Italian optical‑communications startup, unveiled a laser terminal that stacks multiple beams in a multi‑layered spiral‑staircase configuration. Co‑founder Matteo Vismara, a former CERN researcher, left a secure academic path to commercialize the technology. The company captured the top prize at SATShow’s 10th Annual Startup Space pitch contest, highlighting a pivotal slide‑deck tip that helped seal the win. Vismara believes the terminal could redefine standards for space‑based optical data transmission.
New Open-Source Python-Based Software Boosts Space Weather Modeling
A research team at the University of Birmingham has released an open‑source Python‑based platform that dramatically improves space‑weather modeling. The software integrates real‑time measurements from NOAA and ESA satellites and cuts simulation runtimes by roughly 50% compared with legacy tools....
Volunteers Discover Rare Space Weather Events Using Their Ears
Volunteers in NASA’s citizen‑science program have detected rare space‑weather events by listening to audio recordings of solar radio emissions. Using a web‑based platform, participants flagged unusual bursts linked to high‑energy solar flares and coronal mass ejections. The effort has already...
France, Poland Combine on Telco Satellite Defence Project
France’s Thales Alenia Space, Poland’s Radmor and Airbus Defence and Space have signed an agreement to build a geostationary telecommunications defence satellite for the Polish Ministry of Defence. The satellite will deliver secure, cyber‑hardened communications and anti‑jamming capabilities, enhancing Poland’s...
Rogers Communications (RCI) Expands Satellite Roaming Coverage in the U.S.
Rogers Communications announced that its Rogers Satellite and T‑Satellite constellations now provide roaming coverage across the United States, letting customers stay connected where traditional cell towers are absent. Analyst firms trimmed price targets – Canaccord to C$55.50 (≈US$41) from C$57...
Space Force’s 15-Year Vision Calls for More Personnel, Simulators and Survivability
The U.S. Space Force unveiled its Objective Force plan, a 100‑page roadmap that projects a 30% increase in personnel to support expanding Space Domain Awareness and a shift toward more sophisticated offensive and defensive space warfare. The plan anticipates the...
SmallSat Europe Speaker Focus: Gen. Michel Friedling, Look Up Space
Former French Space Command chief Maj. Gen. Michel Friedling, now co‑founder of Look Up, warned that Europe’s space domain awareness must rely on commercial radar infrastructure. Look Up has built a global ground‑based radar network and offers a SaaS platform for real‑time object...
Latvia To Join Artemis Accords Today
Latvia signed the Artemis Accords at NASA headquarters, becoming the 62nd nation to join the non‑binding framework for lunar cooperation. The signing fulfills a pledge made in October and brings all three Baltic states—Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia—under the agreement. The...
In the Wake of Artemis 2, America Needs to Consider the ‘Why’ of Its Government Space Program
The Artemis 2 mission, backed by the $10.08 billion One Big Beautiful Bill Act, reignited debate over the value of government‑funded space programs. While SpaceX dominates low‑Earth‑orbit launches, the article argues that commercial firms still depend on government‑led missions to de‑risk cislunar...
New Artemis II Astronaut iPhone Video Reveals New Earthset View
Commander Reid Wiseman posted an uncut, 8×‑zoom Earthset video captured on an iPhone 17 Pro during Artemis II’s lunar flyby. The four‑person crew completed a historic hour‑long flyby, setting a new distance record—4,111 miles farther than Apollo 13—and observed a solar eclipse from...
Big Little Rocket: The N1 Moon Rocket and the Cognitive Dissonance of Spy Satellite Photography
During the Cold War, U.S. reconnaissance satellites first spotted the Soviet Union’s massive N1 lunar rocket program at Baikonur, designating the site “Complex J” and the vehicle “J vehicle.” The CIA relied almost exclusively on these overhead images to infer the...
Commercial Space Station Developers Make Their Business Case to NASA
Commercial space‑station firms Starlab, Axiom and Vast used the Space Symposium to respond to NASA’s request for information on low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) destinations, presenting detailed market evidence. They highlighted fully booked payload capacity, upcoming private‑astronaut missions, and sovereign‑astronaut demand as proof...
When the Orbital Layer Is the Kill Chain
Operation Epic Fury demonstrated that modern kill chains rely on a tightly integrated space architecture topped with AI, not merely on drones or software. The three‑click targeting process depended on imaging, communications, signals‑intelligence and GPS satellites to feed Maven’s AI,...
Sun Watching Worries – Predicting Troublesome Solar Events
The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) is intensifying its forecasting capabilities to better predict solar outbursts that threaten satellite communications, GPS, and power grids. NASA’s Artemis II mission relied on continuous solar monitoring to assess radiation risks for its crew during...
The Maryland County Leveraging Space Tech to Widen Its Horizons
Montgomery County, Maryland, has become a thriving hub for the space economy, housing 121 satellite and advanced‑communication firms that employ roughly 4,500 people. The county’s legacy dates back to the 1960s Comsat Laboratories, which seeded today’s ecosystem that includes Hughes...
Satellite Launch Failure Hits AST SpaceMobile Hard
AST SpaceMobile’s second‑generation satellite BlueBird 7 failed to reach its intended orbit after launch on Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, rendering the payload inoperable. The company says the loss will be covered by insurance, but the setback trims its 2026 deployment goal...
China Ramps up Satellite Production Capacity Amid Constellation Ambitions
China is constructing a massive satellite manufacturing ecosystem capable of producing up to 7,360 spacecraft annually, according to a recent industry assessment. Dozens of factories—36 operational, 16 under construction, and three planned—already contribute a theoretical capacity of 4,050 satellites, with...
Boeing Develops Medium-Sized Satellite Amid Growing Demand
Boeing and its subsidiary Millennium Space Systems have unveiled the Resolute, a medium‑sized “micro‑GEO” satellite platform designed to bridge the gap between small‑sat and large, custom GEO satellites. The platform combines Millennium’s rapid production methods with Boeing’s advanced payload technology,...
Es’hailSat and Media City Qatar Partner to Advance Satellite Capabilities
Es’hailSat has signed a strategic memorandum of understanding with Media City Qatar to broaden satellite broadcasting and digital media services for more than 500 licensed companies in the Qatari media hub. The partnership leverages Es’hailSat’s satellite capacity, playout solutions, and...
Airbus to Expand Footprint in Malaysia Through New Deals at DSA, NatSec Asia 2026
Airbus announced a series of memoranda of understanding with Malaysia's Boustead Holdings, Airod and Global Turbine Asia at the Defence Services Asia and NatSec Asia 2026 exhibitions. The deals focus on building local aerospace skills, engineering and digital capabilities, aligning...
Earth Observation Data Downstream Market Segments Analysis 2026
By April 2026 the Earth‑observation downstream market has transformed from selling raw satellite pictures to providing repeatable analytics and workflow‑embedded services. Global revenues grew from roughly $3.7 billion in 2023 (€3.4 bn) to an expected $6.6 billion by 2033 (≈€6 bn). The market now centers...
India’s Space Sector: 300+ Commercial Organizations Shape a New Industry in 2026
India’s commercial space ecosystem has exploded from 54 firms in 2020 to over 300 active companies in 2026, driven by the 2020 deregulation, the 2023 Indian Space Policy and a Rs 1,000 crore (≈$120 million) venture‑capital fund. IN‑SPACe projects the sector’s revenue to...
The Global Network of Space Associations, Institutions, and Organizations
The article maps the expansive global network that underpins modern space activities, from the 1958 National Aeronautics and Space Act that birthed NASA’s civilian model to today’s myriad intergovernmental, scientific, educational, and trade bodies. It highlights how agencies such as...
NASA’s Moon Base: Architecture, Phasing, and the Engineering Gaps Behind a Permanent Lunar Outpost
On March 24, 2026 NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman unveiled a $20 billion Moon Base program that will establish a permanent crewed presence at the lunar South Pole by 2033. The architecture is organized into three phases, scaling surface payload from roughly...
A Skeptical Analysis of the Space Economy Outlook 2026
A new skeptical analysis challenges the soaring space‑economy forecasts, showing that Novaspace’s $626.4 billion 2025 total masks a core market of only about $236 billion. Starlink accounts for $11.4 billion, roughly 61 % of SpaceX’s revenue, and dominates most forecast assumptions. NASA’s March 2026 Ignition...
USSF Objective Force 2040 And What It Means For Europe: SDA
The United States Space Force released its Objective Force 2040 vision, outlining a shift from safety‑of‑flight to a warfighting‑focused Space Domain Awareness (SDA) architecture. By 2040 the service aims for a fully transparent battlespace, leveraging space‑ and ground‑based sensors, AI‑driven...
SpaceX Won A Mars Mission That Might Get Cancelled
NASA announced that SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy has been selected to launch ESA’s Rosalind Franklin rover to Mars, with a contract worth about $175.7 million and a target launch window in late 2028. The award provides a rare deep‑space mission for Falcon Heavy after...
KASA And The Canadian Space Agency Sign MOU On Space Cooperation
At the Space Symposium 2026 in Colorado Springs, the Korean Aerospace Agency (KASA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen bilateral space cooperation. The agreement covers Earth observation, low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) satellite communications, positioning, navigation...
The New Space Race for Connectivity: Satellite Internet and Critical Infrastructure
Satellite internet is moving from a niche backup solution to a core component of the global connectivity architecture. Low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) and medium‑Earth‑orbit constellations, together with 5G‑compatible non‑terrestrial networks (NTN), are delivering fiber‑like latency and throughput. Direct‑to‑device services now let ordinary...
New Glenn Launches for 3rd Time, Reuses First Stage and Lands It, but Fails to Put Satellite in Correct Orbit
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral for its third flight, reusing a first stage that successfully landed on its Atlantic recovery barge. The mission carried AST SpaceMobile’s Bluebird‑7 cellphone satellite, but the payload was released into an...
Blue Origin's Rocket Reuse Achievement Marred by Upper Stage Failure
Blue Origin achieved its first successful reflight of the New Glenn orbital booster, landing the first stage on a drone ship in the Atlantic. However, the rocket's upper stage failed to insert AST SpaceMobile’s broadband satellite into the planned 285‑mile orbit, leaving...
Blue Origin CEO on Growing Satellite Launch Demands
Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp announced plans to increase New Glenn launch cadence to eight‑12 flights in 2026, driven by soaring demand from satellite internet mega‑constellations. The company highlighted the reuse of a previously flown booster and minor upgrades, underscoring its...
Blue Origin Successfully Re-Uses a New Glenn Rocket for the First Time Ever
Blue Origin successfully reflown a New Glenn booster on its third launch, achieving the system’s first reuse. The mission, carrying AST SpaceMobile’s communications satellite, suffered an upper‑stage anomaly that placed the payload in an off‑nominal orbit. The company confirmed payload separation...
Update: New Glenn Puts BlueBird 7 Into “Off-Nominal Orbit”?
Blue Origin’s New Glenn NG‑3 mission successfully separated the 6,000‑kg BlueBird‑7 satellite, but the payload entered an off‑nominal orbit. The company confirmed the satellite’s power system is operational while investigators assess the orbital deviation. NG‑3 also marks the first reuse of...
Rhea Space Activity Raises $6 Million to Develop GPS-Free Spacecraft Navigation
Rhea Space Activity, a Washington, D.C. startup, secured $6 million Series A to develop AutoNav, a GPS‑free visual navigation system. AutoNav uses onboard optical sensors to locate spacecraft by imaging celestial bodies, a technology originated at NASA JPL. The funding will accelerate...
Space Services and Wildfires Market Analysis 2026
In 2026, wildfire response has become tightly integrated with space services, using orbital sensors for detection, mapping, and communications. Public programs such as NASA FIRMS, NOAA’s geostationary system, and Europe’s Copernicus provide the baseline data, while emerging commercial constellations promise...
Space Systems Command Deltas and What the February 2026 Structure Reveals
Space Systems Command (SSC) reorganized in February 2026 into eight mission‑focused System Deltas that sit alongside two launch deltas and a base delta, aligning acquisition directly with operational partners. The command oversees a $15.6 billion annual space acquisition budget, with Space Launch...
Space Solar Enters NATO Accelerator With Energy Sovereignty In Mind
Space Solar announced its entry into NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) Challenge Programme on 13 April 2026. The move validates the company’s work on space‑based power generation and modular in‑orbit construction through its OSPREY Builder system....
Apollo v Artemis: How Earth Changed in 58 Years
NASA’s Artemis II crew captured a new “Earthset” photograph on April 6, 2024, mirroring the iconic 1968 Apollo 8 “Earthrise” image. The shot, taken from the Orion spacecraft during a seven‑hour lunar flyby, shows Earth’s sunlit side over Oceania and stark lunar terrain....
A Renewed Threat to JPL as the Trump Administration Tries Again to Cut NASA
The Trump administration’s 2027 budget request calls for a 23% cut to NASA’s overall budget and a 46% reduction to its science programs, putting 53 science missions – including Mars Perseverance and a new Venus orbiter – at risk. The...
Why Satellite Cybersecurity Is Becoming a Board-Level Issue for Critical Infrastructure
Satellite communications have moved from niche links to the backbone of energy, transport, defense and emergency operations. Cyber risk now spans the entire space‑to‑ground stack—including spacecraft, ground stations, cloud services and customer terminals. The 2022 Viasat KA‑SAT hack showed how...
SpaceX, Blue Origin Compete For 'Artemis III' Mission
NASA’s Artemis III mission, slated for next year, will conduct an Earth‑orbit docking test between the Orion capsule and a commercial lunar lander. SpaceX and Blue Origin are racing to deliver the first operational lander, with Starship and Blue Moon...
Taiwan Space Agency Prepares A Satellite-Grade General-Purpose GPU For Commercialisation
On 15 April 2025, Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) licensed its satellite‑grade general‑purpose GPU to Liscotech for commercial use. The GPGPU, built on NVIDIA chips with a radiation‑hard, modular design, flew aboard the Black Kite‑1 CubeSat on SpaceX’s Transporter‑15 mission in November 2025. In‑orbit...
BepiColombo Will Enter Mercury Orbit in Late 2026
BepiColombo, the joint ESA‑JAXA mission launched in October 2018, is slated to enter Mercury orbit in late 2026 after a seven‑year cruise that included nine gravity‑assist flybys. The spacecraft comprises two science orbiters—the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter...
Gaganyaan-1: India’s First Orbital Crewed Spaceflight Programme Approaches Its Defining Test
India’s ISRO is set to launch Gaganyaan‑1, an uncrewed orbital test that will carry the Crew Module and Service Module, execute multiple orbits, and splash down in the Bay of Bengal. The mission follows a successful TV‑D1 pad‑abort test and...
Deep Space Spacecraft Design and the Threats It Must Survive
Deep‑space spacecraft must endure extreme radiation, thermal swings, and power scarcity far beyond Earth orbit. Designers rely on radiation‑hardened processors, heavy shielding, and redundant autonomous systems to survive single‑event upsets and solar particle storms. Beyond Jupiter, solar arrays become impractical,...
Aircraft and Maritime Tracking From Space as a Business Service
Space‑based tracking has evolved from a niche surveillance technology into a multi‑billion‑dollar business service for aviation and maritime sectors. Providers such as Aireon and Spire now sell real‑time ADS‑B and AIS data bundled with analytics that support airline operations, port...
JAXA’s MMX Mission: Reaching the Moons of Mars to Unlock the Solar System’s Past
Japan’s JAXA is set to launch the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission in late 2026, targeting Phobos and Deimos and returning at least 10 g of Phobos samples to Earth by 2031. The spacecraft will enter a quasi‑satellite orbit around Phobos,...
ESA’s Hera Arrives at Didymos: Completing the World’s First Planetary Defence Test
ESA’s Hera spacecraft will reach the binary asteroid system Didymos in November 2026 to study the aftermath of NASA’s DART impact on Dimorphos. DART’s 2022 kinetic‑impact test shortened Dimorphos’s orbital period by about 33 minutes, proving an asteroid can be nudged. Hera...
EU Releases Revised Space Act Proposal, and It Is as Odious as the Earlier Drafts
The European Union released a revised 157‑page draft of its Space Act, aiming to create a single regulatory framework for all space activities across member states. The proposal mirrors the 2025 version that drew sharp criticism for imposing burdensome rules...