T-Minus Space Daily
Sovereign Space, Smart Weather, and a Very Busy Orbit.
T-Minus Space Daily
•January 23, 2026•22 min
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T-Minus Space Daily•Jan 23, 2026
Why It Matters
As the number of active satellites and debris climbs, securing funding, advanced radar imaging, and resilient communications becomes critical for both commercial and defense stakeholders. Understanding these initiatives helps industry professionals anticipate market shifts, regulatory pressures, and the technological tools needed to maintain safe, sustainable operations in an ever‑busier orbit.
Key Takeaways
- •DeOrbit raises $53M to expand in-space servicing and manufacturing
- •Loft Orbital leads France's DESIR sovereign radar imaging program
- •Elyria to develop AI‑orchestrated space data network for defense
- •Tomorrow.io launches Deep Sky AI‑native atmospheric sensing constellation
- •Seismic sensors can track spacecraft re‑entry debris via sonic booms
Pulse Analysis
The episode opens with a surge of private‑sector capital fueling new sovereign capabilities. DeOrbit’s $53 million Series D round will accelerate its in‑space servicing, assembly and manufacturing platform, while Loft Orbital secured the prime contract for France’s DESIR radar‑imaging program, showcasing how startups can now deliver critical national‑security payloads. Across the Atlantic, Elyria was tapped by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s RAPID initiative to prototype AI‑driven orchestration software, aiming to stitch together multi‑orbit, multi‑domain communications into a resilient defense network.
Tomorrow.io’s announcement of the Deep Sky constellation adds another AI‑native layer to Earth observation, delivering real‑time atmospheric and oceanic data from space. This second constellation, following a successful Ka‑band radar deployment, promises faster climate insights and more precise weather‑related decision making for both commercial and governmental users. The segment also revisits China’s Shenzhou 20 capsule return, noting a damaged porthole that forced a crew swap and highlighted the growing importance of debris monitoring for crew safety.
The weekly space‑traffic briefing underscores a turbulent launch landscape. China experienced two consecutive failures – the Changzheng‑3BE and Galactic Energy’s Series 2 – prompting a temporary lull during the Lunar New Year period, while SpaceX continued its high‑tempo cadence with multiple Falcon 9 missions delivering Starshield and Starlink payloads. Blue Origin’s New Shepard sub‑orbital flight carried six passengers, marking a milestone in commercial tourism. Finally, researchers demonstrated that seismic stations can capture sonic booms from re‑entering objects, offering a novel method to track debris when radar gaps occur, a development that could soon enhance real‑time situational awareness for both aerospace operators and aviation safety.
Episode Description
D-Orbit has raised $53 million in a Series D funding round. Loft Orbital was selected as the prime contractor for France’s Démonstrateur des Éléments Souverains d’Imagerie Radar (DESIR) program. Aalyria has been selected by the US Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL’s) Rapid Architecture Prototyping and Integration Development (RAPID) program to advance software solutions for managing complex military space communications networks, and more.
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T-Minus Guest
Elysia Segal brings us the Space Traffic Report from NASASpaceflight.com.
Selected Reading
D-Orbit Secures $53M Series D Funding to Accelerate M&A and In-Space Computing Capacity – SatNews
Loft Selected as a Prime Contractor for France’s First Space-Based Radar Imaging Program
Aalyria Selected by U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory for Space Data Network Experimentation (SDNX) Program
Tomorrow.io Announces DeepSky, the World's First AI-Native Space-Based Weather-Sensing Constellation
Chinese capsule damaged by space-junk strike returns to Earth (video)
Spire Global Selected by AiDASH to Bring Space-Powered Weather Intelligence to Vegetation Risk Platform for Electric Utilities
Blue Origin Completes 38th New Shepard Flight to Space
Study shows how earthquake monitors can track space junk through sonic booms - ABC News
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